Evening star., 1911-08-20

door leading into the front room tight
ly locked. He. came out again. and got
help to lift him so that he could see
into the front window, looking into
the room occupied by Mrs. Petersen as
a bedroom.
He then saw the body of Mrs. Peter
sen. Jumping on his wheel he hurried
to the police precinct station, and
brought back police aid. The apart
ment was broken into. ME-. Petersen
for her bed. The baby girl was in the
crib, exhausted from hunger.
The mothers body was sent to the
morgue. The child was moved to Cas-
ualty Hospital.
Woman Of Education.
George Spransy, who had been the ad-
wiser of Mrs. Petersen for several years
since her return from the west has only
a meager account to give of his ac-
ouaintance with her. He knew her years
ago as the wife of Lucius English.
fellow member Of his Masonic lodge. but
the acquaintance was casual He re-
calls the divorce suit, and regards Eng
lish as entirely to blame
AT his home, 1929 r street. Mrs. Peter
sen presented herself on her return 70
Washington about two years da,"s age. 1agard- npp
ing the espionage by detectives tnat she
thought herself subjected to. Mr.. Sprans!
for time gave her story credence, uul
finally was compelled to believe her tns
victim cf hallucinations. He introduced
her to Capt. Boardman, chief OF detec-
tiyes. Capt Boardman corroborated MS
Impressions of her insanity.
Mr.. Spransy speaks of Mrs. Petersen
as woman of education, neat appear
ance and good looks He says that. de-
srite his Impression that she was III
want, her manner forbade him to oner
her financial assistance.
She gave him some small lnslght INTO
her life story, intimating, too. that her
separation from her second husband was
due to the work of detectives. He says
that she tried hard to find work to 90.
following her dismissal from her last
post, but was not successful
Father Was a War Veteran.
DR.. j. W. Pollock, father of the dead
woman, is now an inmate OF the Sol
diers' Home at Dayton, Ohio. His only
son. Dr. j. w. Pollock, jr., has a dentai
Office in the Ouray building. Mrs Flor
ence Dodge. wife OF Herbert A. Dodge,
a former member of the police force. is
the only other surviving child OF tne
veteran.
The father enlisted I'm the army a
mere boy. first serving as drummer Doy
He served throughout the war and was
later employed in the Treasury Depart-
ment. His nrst wife died many years ago
and he married an aunt of his wife. she
also died. and he later went to the home
ut Dayton. =.
The lder Pollock, 1t is UNDERSTOOD. had
saved several hundred dollars before ne
went to Ohio, but owned no property
such as Mrs. Petersen told about.
English, her first husband. was a resi-
dent of this city. He formerly lived IN
Pittsburgh. His wife divorced MIN.
Data
went to Denver by advice OF her physician.
She was thought to have had tuberculosis
and other troubles. 1t was Whne sns
was In Denver. it is stated. that she met
rider and machinist, and became his wlfe;
The couple separted before the Dlrth OF
the child. Virginia
Peterson was employed in Denver by the
having last heard of him in March. 1905
Benjamin F. Brown, who now has law
onices in the Colorado building, 2266 Fair
fax street. Denver. 1t is said. was inter-
ested in the legal affairs OF the Petersons.
Unable to Locate Petersen.
Early in the month of June Mrs. Peter
sen. who was then paying frequent visits
to the Office OF Inspector Boardman. had
the police official communicate with
Hamilton Armstrong, chief Of police OF
Denver. The chief responded that he had
been unable to locate Petersen, who had
a brother Of Petersen was then resi-
dent OF Denver. Attorney Brown was
located in the Colorado building.
DIR. Pollock was the first relative OF the
suicide to learn Of her act. He resides at
1917 Vermont avenue northwest, and he
was in his Office when the news reached
him. Without revealing his identity, he
called at the undertaking establishment
Of j. William Lee, 332 Pennsylvania ave-
nue. northwest. yesterday and arranged
for the burial of the body OF his sister, to
take place Monday.
Later the dentist went to the home Of
Mrs. Dodge, Congress Heights, and told
his sister of the CHASTITY find that had
been made in the apartment at the River
la. Last night Mrs. Dodge and her hus-
band called at police headquarters and saw
Inspector Boardman. The police official
showed them the letter he had received
and explained how the supposed insane
woman had visited his office so many
times and discussed her troubles.
''She had endured enough trouble to set
two women crazy" said Mr.. Dodge at
police headquarters last night. Her two
matrimonial ventures proved disastrous.
given a show this terrible thing would
never have happened"
Raised by Elder Sister.
Mrs. Petersen and her sister were born
in Savannah. Ga Mrs. Petersen was
twenty-eight years old. Her mother
died when she was a mere child, and 1t
fell to the lot of her elder sister, Mrs.
Dodge. to take the place Of her mother.
Mrs. Petersen made a request that her
body be cremated, the request having
been contained In the letter she wrote
Inspector Boardman Thursday. Mrs.
Dodge said last night that she would
never consent to the cremation of the
body.
Frank Morrison. secretary Of the Amer
ican Federation Of Labor. yesterday said
that he remembered Mrs. Petersen when
she was Miss Pollock and did some special
work for the federation at the time 1t was
located in its former quarters In the old
Masonic Temple. Mr.. Morrison was OF
the impression that this was before she
secured employment in the picture frame
store of s. ]. Venable on 9th street, and
later left for the west.
When she returned to Washington Mr.
Morrison said he understood she was
employed for q time at the headquarters
Of the International Association Of Ma
chinists on G street.
Child's Recovery Seems Sure.
Little Virginia was sleeping peacefully
at the Casualty Hospital last night. ig-
norant of what had happened to her
mother Her condition was SO encour-
aging that the physicians ventured the
opinion that she will be all right In
three or four days
In her letter to Inspector Boardman
Mrs. Peterson made 1t plain that she
thought the child would die, and asked