The Detroit times., 1910-04-18
GIRLK|LLsHERsELE.
LEAVING NOTE
FOR MAN
Il Forgive You Everything" Bertha
DeSpelder Writes To d. s. Denton,
Then Goes To Death By
Chloroform Route.
Body Found in Room in Library
Park Hotel-"We're Not En-
gagged" Man Says.

Dear Jack: / am sorry for
you, but you can never suffer as
l have. l forgive you everything.
and care 10 the last. May you be
a better man some day. BE good
20 my people-true-tell them all
the truth. Love, Bertha.
Leaving the above note addressed
TO Dan S. Denton No. $50 j yephine-
| ave-, and another note to her parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. =. j. De Spelder. wealthy
farmers OF Greenville. Mich. Miss
Bertha De Speider buried her face in
two chloroform soaked handkerchiefs
and died, in room in the Library
Park hotel.
Denton. who says that Jack" Is q
nickname, refused to discuss the mat
ter. except tc say that he and Miss
De Spelder were good friends, but had
had a misunderstanding.
IL thought It had all been fixed up.
and thought that she had returned to
her home In Greenville. Friday morn
ing" said Denton.
| He said that they were not en-
gagged and had never been.
| On another note. giving the names
of her parents. and directing the cor
oner TO communicate with Denton. at
No $50 Josephine-ave., Miss De Speld-
er had written: "He will know what
! to do"
Jack" she added please take me
home and break ii gently to brother,
mother and sister
A slight. frail looking little woman,
of about % years, Miss De Spelder lay
face downward on the bed in room
No 324 In the hotel She had made
| IOh 90 ha nd oh
knowledge of administering chloro-
form. Instead Of merely covering her
face with a cloth saturated with the
narcotic, she held the bottle. with the
neck inclined. on two handkerchiefs,
In which her face was buried.
She was last seen at about l o'clock
Sunday afternoon when she called for
| her key and went to her room. The
suicide is believed TO have occurred
soon afterward. 1t was not discovered
until shortly before noon, Monday.
Miss De Spelder was student or
music and had attended the New York
conservatory. She came to Detroit to
attend the performances OF the Metro
politan Grand Opera company.
n. H. Bowen, in whose home on
/ Josephine-ave. Denton lives. says he
can give no explanation for the girls
rash act. unless il is that she was
mentally unbalanced. Mr.. Bowen de-
clared that for the last three years,
the girl has persisted in forcing her
attentions upon Denton.
The two had been students together
| in the school of music conducted in
connection with the Ypsilantic Normal
school. He had never been engaged
10 her and had told her that they
could never be any more than friends.
Yet, Miss De Spelder continued writ
ing letters TO him and occasionally
sent him kilograms.
He saw her Saturday for a little
while" said Mr.. Bowen. She came
to the house Saturday night and I an
swered the door. She said she waited
TO see Mr.. Denton. and | called him
1Ley talked together probably fiv.
minutes, but there didn't seem to be
any quarrel. Apparently, Mr.. Denton
didn't think any more of 1t after she
had gone"
Mr.. Denton has had considerable
experience on the stage aud WAS
studying music here during the off
season. He is a cousin OF Mrs. Bowen.
Coroner Burgess took charge OF the
remains, which were temporarily re-
moved to the county morgue. Dem
ton said he would communicate with
the coroner relative TO carrying out
the dead girls wishes.