The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-01-24

! These notes, instead OF sending the
authorities Of Ohio county on the hunt
of murderer responsible for the
death of 14-year-old Mary Teverka,
who died Monday morning in the
Wheeling hospital half hour after
she had been removed to that institu-
tion from the home Of DR.. r. NJ. Pedi.
cord where she was employed as a
the handwriting Of Mary Veverka her.
self.
Discovery OF the fact that the now
dead girl had mania for motion pic:
lures. particularly scenes OF love and
tragedy, together with the discovery
: OF these notes in her own handwriting
and the circumstances under which
the girl was found in DR.. Pedicords
home apparently suffering from par
tial asphyXiation by gas, lead Coroner
R. G. Hobbs to believe that Mary We
;verka's death may have resulted from
an attempt on her part to initiate
motion picture tragedy in which she
was to be found poisoned by an admir-
er for whom she did not care.
With coroner's physicians who per
body unable to determine from their
examination just what caused the
death. Coroner Hobbs is at sea to give
the cause of Mary Veyerka's death,
but a certificate has been furnished
the girls father, stating that her death
was case Of suicide. by means IN
known to the coroner.
Two discoveries in the room OF
Mary Veverka have impressed the
coroner with the theory that the girl
attempted to stage little tragedy
similar to those she has seen in mo-
ton pictures, resulting in real TRACE
dy that claimed her young life. Among
her effects were found with motion
picture magazines, a stack OF sheets
from an ink tablet filled with the
names Of upward Of two hundred mo.
tion picture actors and actresses, and
the original notes from which those
above are reproduced are in handwrlt-
ing identical with another note in the
possession of the coroner, which was
written by Mary Feverka for DR.. Ped
icord All three of these notes are
written on DR.. Pedicord's prescription
blanks, to which the girl had access.
From acquaintance Of Mary Feverka,
the authorities have learned of her
mania for motion pictures, and all the
circumstances convince the coroner
and other officials that the mock trag'
edy theory is correct.
Late Sunday evening Mrs. Pedicord
found Mary Feverka in a semi-Coma.
tose condition at the Pedicord home
al Elm Grove, in room filled with
the odors of gas. Rescuiug her from
the room, Mrs. Pedicord hurriedly
summoned DR.. T. X. Shields. who soon
revived the girl from what appeared
to be gas asphyxiation. Toward morn.
ing, the girl took violently Ill and
neither Dr. Pedicord nor DR.. Shields
could tell what allied her and she was
rushed to the Wheeling hospital where
she died half hour later. with the
physicians still in ignorance OF the
cause Of her ailment.
At the request Of Dr.. Pedicord. Cor
oner Hobbs and DR.. John Marschner
and Dr. f. S. Bippus performed an ALL
topsy upon the body Monday night,
but that post-mortem failed 10 reveal
a cause for death. All organs were
normal and there was nothing to indi-
cate that the girl should have had
cause to attempt to take her life 1t
is the theory Of physicians, however,
that the after effects of gas took the
girls life.
In view of these conditions and the
discovery Of the notes and the girls
movie-mania, the coroner arrived at
the theory he now holds.
Joseph Veverka, of Dillonrale, Ohio,
a Bohemian, came to this city yeSter-
day TO claim the body of his child and
will take II TO the Ohio town this
morning for burial