The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-02
Miss K eth, Despond-
ent, Throws Herselfin
Front of Car.
CORONER AFTER
OTHER LETTERS
stenographer Employed by Fair
Association Deliberately Plan
ned Suicide, Her Body Being
Terribly Mangled on Car
Track Game Here
From England.

MISS IL. Muriel Keith, stenogra- !
pner, twenty-four years old. who
boarded at the Young Woman.s
Christian Association Summer Home.
at Union Theological Seminary. Hem
rico county, committed suicide at 1915
o'clock yesterday morning by throw
ing herself In front OF rapidly NOV
Ing car on the Richmond and Chesa-
peake Bay Railway. Death was In
stantaneous, the body being horribly
mangled.
note to her employer. Mark r.
Lloyd general manager OF the Vir-
Kinia State Fair Association, found
near the body gave dependency as
the first clue to the reasons for her
act, and indicated that her mind until
the last was on her work. The note
read:
"Dear Mr. LLOYD,
"BeinE in n depressed state of mind,
have determined to END my life.
PlenHe notify my mother in England
and have my personai effects sent To
her at No. col.ille Terrace, Bn,.-
winter, London.
II wish You much success in your
Fair Association work.
every truly yours,
"E. MuRiEL KEITH
a number of letters taken from her
room at Richmond Hall are in the
hands of the authorities. and may shed
further light on the reasons for her
desire TO end her life. An inquest
begun yesterday by County Coroner
w. A. Deas will continue at the coun-
ty courthouse to-day at noon.
Came Here From, England.
Miss Keith was an Englishwoman.
coming recently to this country with
.ryf. a &
her only relative in America. She had
letters OF introduction TO British Vice
Consul Wilmer. As n trained oftice
stenographer she had no difficulty
in securing permanent employment.
and officials of the Fair Association
considered her work most satisfactory.
She was always cheerful and wiling.
and among her business associates was
apparently In the best of spirits. It
was known, however, that she had
been IN bad health for some time. and
had recently consulted DIR. j. A. White
for some throat affection. She was
not in money trouble. as besides hav-
ing permanent position. she en-
closed with her letter TO her employ
er bank book showing balance on
savings account of about 500.
After hearing the testimony OF the
car officials and eye@itnesses and
reading the letter addressed to- her enl-
ployer, Coroner Deas directed that the
inauest be adjourned until to-day.
when Acting Commonwealth's Attor-
ney Kirk Mathews can be present and
assist in discovering more definite
cause for the affair
Jumped In Front of Car.
Miss Keith left her friends at Ricn-
mond Hall yesterday morning shortly
y z,n fn short Walk
In accordance with not unusual Gus
tom, saying something about mailing a
letter at the corner letter box. which
is on the corner of the Brook Turn
pike and Westwood Avenue, just a,
the entrance to the Union Seminar?
grounds The Ashland Express leay-
ing Richmond at T:10 o'clock passed
along the company's right of way
about 7:15 at speed of from twenty
to thirty miles an hour. According tC
Motorman j. P, Swami, the car may
have been going at an even higher
speed. H saw the young woman walk
ing on the roadway beside the .rac:s
apparently about fifteen feet from II
He whistled as usual for the grace
crossing at Westwood Avenue. Wher
the car was less than 100 feet from
her, Miss Keith turned directly across
the track and either fell or threw
herself across it. apparently making
no effort to RISE The emergency brake
was applied, and the whistle screamed
but the time was too short-the heavy
car rolled over the body, and baroct
the crew and passengers could aliGhl
she was dead.
Coroner begins Inquest.
County Policeman Tiller. who pc.
trolls Ginter Park, was soon on tn,
fol
brought Deputy Sheriff Traylor, o.
Henrico county; County Coroner Deas
Superintendent T. N. Jones. of the
Richmond and Chesapeake Bay RaII.
way Company, and many others.
Coroner Deas impaneled Jury con,
slsting of Jacob steigleder. Rev, TIL
den scherer. w. Conway rIler. Tnon,a.
Gresham, Herbert Floyd and DAME
Wiggand. After the body had bee:
viewed by the jury it was turned oye,
to Undertaken Bennett to be prepared
4 for burial.
The Inquest was held in one or TIN.
class rooms of Union 1heologica
seminary. Motorman Swami was tn,
first witness, telling in detail OF Iii!
trip out of Richmond; of seeing tn,
q girl walking beside the track; or be,
ing attracted by her bright attire.
purple skirt. white and pink waist ane
tan shoes. He testified that she looked
back at the car and then either ra,
or walked hurriedly across the tract
from the roadway beside. On whic,
she had been walking, and that sh
fell or threw herself in front Of tn,
car and made no effort to rise.
washington Sally, an enrloye of I
y. watkins, manager of the Ginte
estate farms, and IImmus Carrington
laborer employed by the Richmon,
and Chesapeake Bay Railway Con.
pany, we're passengers on the car, an
substantially agreed In their testi
mony with that of the motornlar
I Both said the young woman either fel
or threw herself in front Of the car
n Had Been In bad Health.
Manager Lloyd, employer OF Mis-
Continued on Second Pagel.