The Washington times., 1910-04-09
In Chicago'S Levee District
Wife Slayer Heard Near
er, My God to Thee."
CONSCIENCE HURT,
SO HE GAVE UP
Detective Evans on Way TO Bring
the Prisoner Back TO
Washington.

CHICAGO. Ill, April 9.-The strains Of
the hymn, Nearer. NV God, 70 Thee, %
heard in the levee district Is the reason
given by Matthew ". Doss for his vol
Untary confession 10 the police that he
killed his wife a year ago in Wash
HngJOn, d. c
Il was staggering along Armour ave-
nue. IN the levee,r said Doss, when
from the half open door OF a disorderiy
resort, came the strains Of hymn I
went ia and sat down For some reason
] didn't see the revelry. but heard only
the strains 7 knew when a boy
couldn't fight my conscience any longer.
and that's why I'm here"
Police Go After Him
Detective Charles Evans. Of the cen
trsI office, is on his way to Chicago
TO-DAY 10 bring back Matthew n Doss.
While Detective Evans is on his way
70 Chicago. the police force Is making
a searching investigation in this city Of
the story told BY DOss. who was for
merry employed IN laundry IN Wash
ington-
Doss and his wife occupied a small
room in a lodging house over a barber
shop Al 832 Tenth street northwest, and
& was from this place that the woman
was taken TO the Emergency Hospital
on January Is where she died the fol-
lowing day She made no statementt0 the
doctors before she died, and the fact
that she had told several persons that
she intended 20 end her life convinced
Coroner hewitt that she had swallowed
the acid with suicidal intent
Woman a Mystery.
Little was known about the woman
after her death Doss was not able TO tell
the coroner whether she had any reIa-
lives living IN Washington. She was
about twenty-six years old, and on the
death certificate her birthplace was
given as the District of Columbia II
was said. however, that she had been
away from Washington for. some time,
and only returned about ten months be
fore her death
Couple QuarTeIed Frequently
When Coroner hewitt gave q certih-
cate Of suicide in Mrs Doss- case he was
told By several persons living in the
house that the woman had frequently
threatened to end her life. Doss and his
wife lived in the lodging house about
two months and during that time quar-
relied frequently
At that time the house was run By a
AIrs- Hancy or Cooch, who died on March
8, last, but whose two sons stiu I've at
the house Robert Gooch said this
morning that he remembered Mrs Doss
very well he occupied a room directly
opposite that m which the couple lived.
I vas just coming IN the house when
they were taking Mrs Doss out on a
StTetCher-'- said l5ooch this morning Il
heard some one say she had taken poi
son and 7 was not at ali surprised be
cause 7 had heard her saw that she was
going 10 kin herself
In fact I heard her make that threat
often II was always while she and her
husband were having one OF their quar-
rels. but they usually fixed things up
and everything seemed all right
Ihere was another man and uvornzl
uy1cG here VINO seemed to be zTca-
IrlenCS or the couple and who were with
them most every evening. The man
vas a waiter, and L think he worked
n q hotel IN Pennsylvania avenue L
don't remember their names I've never
bothered much about names here
Young GOoch Is the only person who
could be found who lived IN the house
IN January 1903 The woman TO whom
he referred Is probably Cora Wood ward
who told the police that the DOss wo-
man had told her she was going TO
KIN herself Her whereab bouts is not
known.
Names Mix Police.
A peculiar coincidence OF the case and
one which puzzled the police for sew
eraI hours yesterday was the fact that
Cora Roth, who died at the Emergency
Hospital on March 6 last. was carried
on the hospital records as Cora Ross
On the health Office records the name
appears as Cora Roth. Death was due
10 morphine poisoning and acute al
coholism-
Later DR. Patterson found that Lillian
DOSs was taken from the house on
February =, 1879, suffering from car
bOliC acid poisoning, and died two days
later In the Emergency Hospital
Doss Is said 10 have remained in
Washington for some time after his
wife died, and according TO persons Iiv-
t2E in the neiShbOrnood, he drank heavi-
~. He was employed In a laundry
Young GOOCh said that he saw DOss
on the street only a few weeks ago.
DUsS is said 10 have made a statement
t. the Chicago police that an inquest
was held and the verdict Of suicide
given by the cCrOuer's jury. This. how
ever. was nOI the case as Coroner New
fit did not deem the circumstances at
all suspicious at the time and after a
personal investigation ne gave the nee
essaTv certificate