Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-28
SUICIDE, SAYS Jury
Verdict Rendered in Case of
Mrs. Geneva Gordon.
SEVERAL PERSONS TESTIFY
Piece of Red Rubber Tube Said to
Have Been Found in
Room Shown.

A verdict of death by suicide was rem
dered by a coroner's jury today In the
case OF Mrs. Geneva Wise Gordon, teacher
of stenograph at Business High School
She was found dead. due to asphyxtation
by illuminating gas. in a. room on the third
floor Of her home, 1914 18th street north
west. yesterday morning The coroner
inquest was held at the 18th street resi-
dence.
The most important testimony heard
by the jury was that Of Adeline Carter. a
negro domestic employed by Mrs. Gordon
and her two sisters. She testified that
Mrs. Gordon ate breakfast about CLOCK
yesterday morning. and then went to her
room on the third floor to prepare to go
to Business High School The servant
continued with her kitchen duties and
supposed Mrs Gordon had left the house
at the usual time.
About two hours later when Adeline
Carter proceeded to the upper floors OF the
house to make the beds she deteEteo the
odor of gas She examined also Nne SOS
jets in two rooms on the third ftsor anu
then went to small hall room us'ed as q
packing room. She testified thtt she
opened the door about two inches adn saw
Mrs Gordon was seated on Vunk'
while the room was filled with fllum1hal-
ing gas.
ried to the lower floor of the house ana
telephoned to Mrs Gordons sisters. MISS
Helen Wise and Miss Fannie Wise
Tubing Is Exhibited.
When shown a new piece Of red rubber
tubing about four feet long, which "as'
found in the room by Sergt. D. I. Dun-'
nigan of the second precinct. the W1tnesR
declared she had never seen it before.
Sergt. Dunnigan testified that in conn.,
pany with. Privates Emanuel and P1erson'
he had found the tube behind a sheet.
In front Of the trunk on which Mrs. Cor
don was found sitting. The domestic ue-
clared that the first person to enter tnsi
room was Miss Helen Wise, VINO mao:
hurried from the Franklin School Whens
informed by telephone that soHethihs'
was wrong at her home
Miss Wise described the position OF
her sister when she found her, but denleo
seeing the rubber tube. She said thai
Mrs. Gordon suffered from nervous ex-
at the advice of her physician she went
to Michigan. She returned about a
week ago. Wednesday night MRS. cor
don suffered from insomnia, she SAID
and the following day her pnyslclam, a AZ
Mary A. Parson, prescribed some medl-
cine for her.
Miss Wise repeated q conversation she
had with Coroner hewitt Friday alter
noon, in which she said her sister mao
seemed mentally depressed because OF
her nhysical condition. When the gas
tube was shown to Miss wise she 1o-
clared she had never seen 1t before. one
was positive that no such tube han oeeh
used about the house
Oxygen Found Useless.
,.n x,,ho ,f,,ou i,,ct
across from Mrs. Gordon's home. testi-
fled that when called to the house be-
tween 1890 and II O'Clock yesterday
morning she found Mrs. Gordon on her
bed in her room. and was told she had
| had fainting spell. When she felt the
pulse she realized that life was almost
extinct, if not entirely so. and hurried to
| her home and got some oxygen admins
tering apparatus. The oxygen failed to
| revive the woman.
DIR. S. H. Greene. jr.. Of 1920 Q street
testified he was called to the house al
II 10. but that Mrs. Gordon was dead
when he got there. Similar testimony
also was given by the family physician
| Dr. Mary A. Parson. Martha Huhter.
negro domestic, employed at the adJoin'
ing house, told the jury Adeltne carter
had called her in the house because she
| was nervous The woman said that
a few minutes after 10 o'clock she wen,
to the corner of 18th and P streets and
summoned Policeman Emanuel The lat
ter said that when he arrived at the
| house he was refused adnittance. He
testified he did not get into the house
until about noon.
Both Sergeant Dunnisan and Police
| man Pierson testified they were not per-
mitted to enter the house until after the
| arrival Of Coroner hewitt, about 2:5t
o'clock In the afternoon.
Allan Davis. principal of Business High
| School, testified regarding Mrs. Gordon's
mental condition when he last saw he1
| Thursday afternoon. He said she ap-
peared to be normal.
The jury returned the verdict of death
by inhaling Illuminating gas with suicidal
intent within a few minutes after the
| testimony was concluded