Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-30
NAVAL OFFICERS WIDOW
ATTEMPTS TO KILL SELF
Becomes Frantic When Told
the Wounds Inflicted Are
Not Necessarily Fatal.

NEW YORK, March 3O-"Oh. doctor
don't tell me my wounds are not fatal
Don't tell me that! I want SO much tC
die" moaned woman last night to an
ambulance surgeon. Won't 1 really die?'
she asked.
When the young surgeon assured her
she would probably live she was re-
strained with difficulty from walking
down three flights Of stairs to the ambu-
lance to increase the seriousness of her
wounds.
The would-be suicide is Mrs. Rose Card
we'll Hughes, widow Of Capt. Walter Scot,
Hughes, a retired naval officer. Her sis
ter, Mrs. Laura B. Fitch, with whom she
lived, said later that Mrs. Hughes had
absolutely no reason to attempt suicide.
When DIR. Oler. the ambulance surgeon,
asked Mrs Hughes why she had shot
herself. she said:
Trouble. Trouble, SO much trouble
Capt. Hughes died about three years
ago. Early last winter Mrs Hughes went
to live with Mrs. Fitch IN the knlcker-
booker apartments No. 255 West 9th
street where the shooting occurred.
Fires Two Shots.
Mrs F1tch's daughter and the latter s
husband. DR.. Joseph Muir. had come to
spend the evening The four dined to-
gether Soon after dinner was over Mrs.
Hughes excused herself. saying she was
tired and wished to lie down. She went
to her room. Perhaps fifteen minutes lat
er Mrs. Fitch and the Muirs heard two
shots in rapid succession and rushed to
Mrs. Hughes room She was lying across
the bed, a revolver by her side. Her
nightdress showed two bullet holes. DIR.
Muir fastened to give her immediate at
tention, while Mrs. Fitch telephoned pO-
lice headquarters. which in turn sent word
to the J. Hood Wright Hospital.
DR.. Oler arrived from the hospltal ABOUT
the same time that patrolmen reached the
apartment.
What did you do it for?" asked DIR.
Oler.
Nothing at all Oh, nothing. But tell
me-are my wounds fatal? replied the
woman.
The doctor told her she would not die.
Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Fitch are the
daughters of James Allison Cardwell, a
western farmer. Mrs. Hughes hus-
band died about three years ago. Mrs.
Fitch. who is also a widow. is the daugh-
ter-in-law of Thomas Fitch, politician
of the Pacific coast and a warm friend
of President Taft
Interested in Discovery.
DR.. Muir, who lives at q Claremont
avenue, was once we'll known on the
great white way. He hurried to Berlin
from Denver, where he was practicing,
on Dr. Koch's announcement that con-
sumption curing lymph had been dis
covered He got a few ounces of the
almost priceless lymph. interested
wealthy German woman in the founda-
ton of Koch institute in Denver, and
hurried home to build the hospital. which
closed later with the failure Of the
lymph. Then he came to New York His
wife divorced him. keeping their six
year-old child. Virginia.
There was a sensation when the doctor
ran away with Edla Mcpherson. daugh-
ter Of New Jersey Senator, who expect
ed 100000 from her mothers estate. A
Hoboken justice Of the peace married
them in 1898. The mother repudiated
her daughter and cut off her allowance.
President Mckinley appointed Muir first
secretary of the American legation at
His wife came back to
America after her mother died and
brought suit against the estate for So
600 annual income. She won 1t. but died
soon afterward.