The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-29
Miss Edith Murray Dies AS
Result of Drinking
Carbolic Acid
NOT KNOWN WHETHER
ACT WAS DELIBERATE
Coroner Unable to Ascertain
Much information About
Case--NeWs With
held from Mother

Miss Edith y. Murray, nineteen
years old, daughter of the late Cleve-
land Murray. formerly a Richmond
policeman, died at Memorial hospital
early last night as g. result OF drink
ing carbolic acid in the home OF MIR.
J. p. Davis, at $40 West Marshall
street From information in hand
Late last night Coroner Taylor mad
not determined whether It was case
of accidental or suicidal death
Miss Murray, 1t is said, called at the
Marshall street residence ABOUT .
. clock in the afternoon to see a Mrs.
Brown, her dressn4aker, who occupies
apartments on the second moor. ana
soon after entering the place drained
the contents OF small phial OF car
bolic acid, which she found In the
toilet room. She then powdered her
lips with tAlcum powder. evidently TO
relieve the burns resulting from the
deadly acid as 1t passed into her
mouth and down her throat. What
happened after that is not exactly
clear, for the reason that Mrs Brown
was not in communicative MOOD
sast night, refusing to discuss the
affair except in the meagerest way.
Stomach Pump Used
AT 5.i5 O'Clock call was sent
In for the city ambulance with the
result that DR.. Watts arrived In due
time and applied heroic measures
In an effort to save the girls life,
the stomach pump being brought into
play az last resort. He found her
lying on couch in Mrs Browns bed
room.
Realizing that there was no chance
OF counteEacting the deadly effect OF
the acid, he rushed his patient 10
Memorial hospital in record time
There she died Just as she was being
placed in the ELEVATOR after being re-
moved from the ambulance. coroner
Taylor was promptly summoned. but
he was unable to ascertain bat little
Information IN regard To the cause
Of the girls death.
According to Information gathered
by Or Watts at the Marshall street
residence, Miss Murray Histook the
poison for ammonia, which she de-
sired to take internally. Mrs. Brown.
he was able to ascertain but little
three days ago for cleaning purposes
and left little IN the phiai, when
she had finished her scrubbing. The
phial had no label on IT.
Dies mt Hospital.
MT. Eugene uTTdfy d "a
tho girl, arrived at the hospital a few
moments after she died. He was over
come with grief and for a time wa,
I.nconsolahle He holds clerical posi-
ton In the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
way Offices
| II is said that he had an engage
ment with his sister 10 go out on the
| 6 o'clock train to Bon Air. where
they and their mother have beer
spending the summer. Mrs. Florence
Murray. the mother. did not learr
that her daughter was dead until late
| last night. the first news broken Il
| her being to the effect that she was
! Ill at the hospital. The news was
carried by a relative in his automobile
! The Murrays make their home In
the city at 2223 Stuart avenue. The,
are we'll connected.
| Coroner Taylor did not solicit the
aid OF the police In working the case
last night. but he said he would Nkeli
DO SO this morning. with view OF
getting Mt the actual facts.
Miss Murray was pretty and attrac-
tive and according to members OF her
family apparently had no reason e
take her life. And If she did they
attribute the cause to poor health.