The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-03
|MOT0RMANFREED
FROM ALL BLAME
Coroner's Jury Finds That Miss
Keith Had Planned
Suicide.
DEPRESSION WAS CAUSE
No Reason for Act Found
Other Than That Given by
Unfortunate Girl.
DEPRESSION WAS CAUSE

Unfortunate SlTl.
Coroner w. A. Deas and jury rem
dered a verdict yesterday afternoon
at the Henrco county courthouse that
Miss n. Muriel Keith. about twenty
four years old, stenographer en-
ployed in the oii,t .e Q. ,me snia
eide by placing herself on the tracks
of the Richmond and Chesapeake Bay
Railway Company, on Thursday morn
Ing, near the Summer Home Of the
Young Women's Christian Association,
in Gintcr Park, where she was run
over and killed.
The motorman Of the car, Z p
in connection with the killing The
Jury found that Miss Keith threw her
self in front OF the electric car while
under great depression. The only mo-
tive that could be assigned for her
tragic end was that of some real or
imaginary trouble which caused mental
depression.
Lcnped on Track.
Several witnesses testified to seeing
Miss Keith walking by the side of
the car tracks a short time before she
was killed, but none had any idea
that she Intended suicide. LINUS Car
rington, colored, passenger on the
as sheesuddenly leaped upon the tracks
fifteen or twenty feet ahead of the
rapidly moving vehicle. He said that
she made no effort to get out of the
way.
Motorman Swami testified that he saw
Miss Keith fall across the tracks a
short distance ahead OF his car, and
that he sounded the whistle and ap-
piled the brakes, but was powerless
to stop the car In time to prevent
the accident The motorman said that
the young woman was walking by the
side of the track when she turned and
ran directly in front of the car. He
said as she ran he saw her lookSto-
ward the car and then fall upon the
track.
Miss Sadie Haley superintendent OF
the Summer Home of the Young Wo-
mems Christian Association, where
Miss Keith lived, could throw no light
upon the cause of the young woman's
death She said that Miss Keith was
rarely absent from the home In the
evening. and that usually she was ac-
companied by some of the young wo-
men.
Found No Reason.
Deputy Sheriff Traylcr. of Henrico
county, testified that he arrived at the
scene of the killing about thirty min
utes after 1t happened, and went to
| Miss Keith's room at the home and
made a thorough inspection of her eff
fects, but found nothing that would
indicate why she had taken her life.
He gathered up several hundred let
tiers addressed to Miss Keith and read
n number, but discovered nothing in
| any of those which he perused that
| had any bearing on the cause OF the
suicide, He turned the letters over to
Acting CONFERENCE.-The Attorney w.
| kirkwood Iathews and Coroner Deas
| Mr. Mathews, when called to the
stand. said that he had read abou,
1 seventy 1--WE of the letters. but there
| was not line in any of them that had
any bearing on the case.
| The letter which Miss Keith wrote
at 6:15 o'clock, about an hour before
| she committed suicide, addressed to
the Virginia State Fair Association
was introduced as evidence. The jury
| did not read the letter while the public
! investigation was In progress, but con-
tive session.
Planned Suicide.
The letter, which was found on the
body OF Miss Keith stamped and adj
dressed to Mr. Lloyd, follows:
"Ginter Park, September /, 1910.
| "Denr Mr.. Lloyd,
"a feeling of awful depression Inns
grippcd hold of me. which ! have not
the strength morally or physically to
fight against. 40 I have decided to take
my life. You can write such sweet
letters TINT mn sure you Will write
to mother and father for me and tell
them not to Grieve too much, won't
/ you:
~ wish the fntr ell the success tfat
Int deserves, and the general manager
NIL the blessings TINT God car shower
upon him. From MURIEL KEITH.
"6:15 A. NJ
Verdict of Jury.
The coroner's verdict follows.
"1'he jurors sworn to inquire when.
! how and by what means F.. Muriel
Keith came to her death, upon their
oaths do say that she came to her
daatb nm tho fret dnV of SeDtember,
1910. about 7:15 o'clock A. M, and that
her death was caused by severe In
4 juries due to being run over by a pas
and chesapeake Bay Railway Company
said said car being in charge of Motormar
Swami and ao con hss9s hat 3 nnae,
great nressure of depression, r. Murie
Keith placed herself on the. car track
with suicidal intent. The jurors aist
find that the motorman was IN no way
to blame for the tragedy.