The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-03-28
WEALTHY WIDOW;
COMMITS SUICIDE
Had Just Completed a Tour of the
World, Bringing Her Gems in
the Rough From India
Died at Daybreak
Today.

NEW YORK Special Mrs. Ed
win Carson. the widow OF a wealthy
Los Angeles, California, physician,
committed suicide at the Hotel Broz-
tell today, twelve hours after she
had been arrested for smuggling.
Tying a rope about her neck. the
woman jumped from the window OF
her apartments on the eighth floor of
the hotel Passersby, in Fifth Ave
nue.. saw the woman's body dangling
from the end OF the rope and notified
| the hotel management.
Hotel attendants rushed to the
eighth floor and hauled the body back
into the room, while physicians from
the New York Hospital were sum-
| moned. They said that life had been
extinct but a short time.
Mrs. Carson arrived here on the
liner George Washington on Monday
from Paris. and went to the hotel VOL
colt. where she registered as Mrs.
When Mrs. Carson arrived. according
to the customs authorities, she de-
clared gems worth only between &1,10O
and $1,000. An investigation by offi-
Gals OF the port led to discoveries
which brought the smuggling charge.
1t revealed that Mrs. Carson had
brought in pearls. diamonds and other
jewels, worth $4,000.
When the differentiation was es-
tablished General Nelson M. Henry,
surveyor Of the port OF New York, and
other officials held q conference and
Mrs. Carson was summoned to give
an explanation.
Mrs. Carson. accompanied by Har-
rison Osborne. former solicitor in the
customs service, visited the customs
office and there, ii is alleged, made a
full confession, declaring that she had
purchased the gems in question in
India. Many of the diamonds were
uncut.
Mrs. Carson explained that she
feared the duties would be so Excess
sive that she could not pay them i.
she gave the full value of her Jewels
She was arraigned before Uniteo
states Commissioner Harrison in Jer-
sey City and held in $4,000 bail for a
hearing Friday.
After requesting that her predica-
ment be kept from the public. Mrs.
carson returned to the WOlcott. but
| Immediately packed her effects and
moved to the Broztell.
Two letters were found i'm Mrs. Car
r. Mayberry, sis West Twen Went ,e d
street, Los Angeles, and the other to
Harrison Osborne. 80 Nassau Street
both were taken possession OF by the
Mr.. Osborne. who had been retained
| oy Mrs Carson as her attorney, hur-
ried TO the Brozten when appraised of
the suicide.
Mrs. Carson" he said. was the
| W VI a wealthy physician In San
francisco. She had been abroad for
! sometime and had just completed a tour
Of the world, also attending the Dur
bar"
The management Of the Brozteu said
that Mrs. Carson had arrived there late
Yesterday and applied for very quiet
room.
she was assigned to No. S04, which
overlooks Fifth Avenue. Her baggage
consisted of a steamer trunk, two bags
and large trunk wrapped about with
half-inch hemp rope.
She had taken quantity OF Wolcott
Hotel stationery with her to the Broz-
tell and her final messages were written
on this paper. Her last letter was
dated 4 a. NJ, showing that she had
taken her life just before daybreak.
Directly across Fifth Avenue from
the hotel is the fashionable Knicker-
booker apartment house, and residents
| or this building saw the womans body
dressed in nightgown, swaying from
| window, about the same time that
pedestrians in the street discovered IL.
1T was about o'clock when we
were notified OF the suicide" said Mana
ger Brobst, OF the hotel. I'VE went up
and forced the door. We found that
Mrs. Carson had taken the rope from
her trunk, doubled IL and made a moose
| which she fitted about her neck. Tying
the other end to q radiator pipe she
| leaped from the window"