Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-07-24
MISS BERTHA G GALDES FOUND
DEAD IN EMERGENCY WARD
AT DEAcoNESs.
GLAD IN NIGHT CLOTHES,
DISCOVERED ON FLOOR
Cause of Death Remains Mystery
Coroner F. n. Boucher Suggests Pto-
maine Poisoning After Examining
sody-Nurse Had Complained Of
Stomach Trouble

Dressed in her night clothes. and
stretched face down and prone upon the
floor. Miss Bertha Gesine Galdas. aged
3S. nurse of the Deaconess hospital,
al 100 this morning. Mystery, that
hints of possible suicide without fur
nishing a reason therefor surrounds
the case and leaves the cause of death
unknown up 10 this time
Coroner f. H Boucher. hasing his
JUDGMENT on an examination of the
body. thinks death may have been
caused by ptomaine poisoning This
theory is founded on the facts that
Miss Gladas had complained of bowel
trouble, and that alongside the bed
which she had occupied at least part
of Thursday night was basin in
which she had vomited partly -disested
food including some particles of mea,.
Comparatively little is known OF Miss
Galdas at the hospital. She had been
employed there only since last Satur
udN anu 81 Itl DIS IL hIONU di ILLS
time her nearest relatives are sister
and brother-i in law living at Clarks
burg, w. Va.
Was Absent Thursday.
The absence of Miss Galdas from the
hospital all of Thursday and the added
facts that she was not seen to leave the
hospital or to return Thursday night,
lent more mysterious details to the
case. She should have been on duty al
least par; of Thursday 1t is believed
she left some time after o'clock Wed
nesday night. When she returned IS
not known except that it was Thursday
night. Where she was during Thurs
day is not known. At the hospital II
was thought she had returned 10 Chi
cago.
Had Taken Paregoric.
There was nothing found in the
emergency ward that indicates suicide
farther than a two-ounce vial of pare
goric, about an ounce of which had
been taken from the bottle 1t is pre-
sumed the dose was taken by Miss
Galdas. Such dose taken by an adult
would hardly produce death.
Upon a chair the woman had placed
IltI street tlollleS anu Il uIiIOTUl SIle
had She had dressed herself in hel
night dress and the bed showed where
she had lain in it. Miss Galdas yas
! quarteref with the other nurses, am
the fact that she chose the emergency
ward in which to die adds still another
; mysterious phase to her death.
On Duty Few Days.
Miss Gladas came 10 the hospita
thru the agency of the Aznore's Contra
Registry for Nurses, 3544 Grand boule
ward. Chicago. 1t was applied TO by tn.
! Deaconess for nurses to go on duty tni
fall. Instead of waiting until fall th'
registry forwarded Miss Gladas at ono
( without the hospital knowing that sh
was 10 arrive. When she came she wa
! employed. 1t is believed that she jour
neyed from either Wheeling or Clarks
! burg, w Va. 10 this city.
Her trunk, which was delivered {
/ the hospital. had never been remove
from the basement to her quarters. Il
the latter contained in her sachel, wa
: found a letter, written in Both Ems
lish and German. evidently early in IN
morning of last Saturday. 1t was t
her sister and brother in law. and L
near as the address on the envelop
) could be deciphered it was to Mrs