The San Francisco call., 1910-02-11

%>~~~~~~>~-~~-~~~~~~~~ ~~~>~>~-~~~---~~~~~~~~~~-
she is insane / firmly believe that she
attempted TO destroy herself and the
child as a result of this insanity. She
is crazy and has often threatened TO
commit suicide because she was prac-
tically ostracized. She behaved in a
very peculiar manner on great many
occasions, and do not doubt that dur
ing one Of those spells she lit the fuse
and attempted to blow herself up
THEORY OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
Mrs. Burke was asked to suggest how
the woman could have lighted the fuse
on the outside of the tent and returned
inside to her bed before the explosion.
L believe that she had the dynamite
near her head or in her mouth, and
that after reaching out through the
canvas and lighting the fuse she got
cold feet and let it drop, hoping TO
get away. We got some pretty i'm
portant evidence on that last night.
George Matsumoto, the Japanese mail
boy, was distributing the letters Satur-
day night, and about 1880 o'clock
reached Miss Smiths tent. He did not
see any light within and was about
to turn away when she crept stealth
lily toward him from the woodpile
where the fuse was found and asked
him what he was doing there. She
lIlSUleDeu MIN EEHdligs anu WHICH iiC
held out a letter toward her she
snapped it from him and slapped his
face He was afraid of her and ran.
He told me she was greatly excited
and had acted very suspiciously. That
was Saturday night.
This was not the first time she has
attacked people. One time, because
Miss Laughlin. a nurse, jostied a ham,
mock in which she was sitting, she
jumped up in a fury and throttled the
girl.
In regard TO her baby being named
Willard p. Burke Smith there is moth
ing peculiar in that because frequently
babies are born here at the resort and
the mothers name them after the doc
tor. or call them Burke babies, refer
ring to their birth here She has no
claim whatever on Mr.. Burke. He has
been very generous TO her and has
kept her here for months without the
payment of a cent for her expenses.
When she first came she paid about
$500 and after that had no money. Doc
tor Burke wrote to her brother, but he
replied that he could do nothing for
her.
WOULD TAKE AWAY CHILD
She has often threatened to drown
the baby and herself during her spells.
and believe that the best thing to do
is to separate her from the child and
put her where she belongs
Regarding the delay in informing
the authorities, my husband, who is
manager and is also deputy sheriff,
thought it would be best to notify the
authorities quietly, because episodes of
that kind cause a great deal of gossip.
He did not care TO talke about the mat
ter over the telephone, and was going
TO the city, when billiard, who was
nothing but clerk, got excited and
telephoned to the district attorney He
had no business to do it 1t was a
matter which should have been and
would have been attended to by the
management"
Questioned about the incidents fol-
lowing the discovery that billiard had
notified the authorities, Mrs. Burke ad-
mitted that Doctor Burke had up
braided the employe and that as a re-
suit billiard had resigned
George Matsumoto, the Japanese
mail boy, who, Mrs. Burke stated, had
discovered important evidence, was
questioned. He stated that he had
worked for Doctor Burke for four
years and a half at the sanatorium.
TELLS DIFFERENT STORY
In relation TO the actions of Miss
Smith which he was said to have wit
messed Saturday night, he said:
Il went to her tent with mail Satur-
day night about 1880 o'clock and when
L arrived there il was dark / was
going away when Miss Smith came
around from back of the tent I handed
the letter to her and she went into the
house"
Did Miss Smith frighten you by ap-
preaching stealthily from the direction
of the wood pile?" Matsumoto was
asked.
oh. no. She came from the back of
the tent he replied.
What did she say to you?'
She didn't say anything. I Just
handed her the letter and left"
Did she slap your face?" was a aues-
ton which provoked a smile from Mat
sumoto.
oh, no." he replied. 'T just gave
her the letter and came away"
Asked when he had first mentioned
the fact Of having seen Miss Smith
coming from the direction of the wood
pile Saturday night Matsumoto said that
he had not said anything about it until
Tuesday night, when Mrs. Burke told
him that the officers were saying some
body else blew up the tent.