The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-04
death IN A FALL
FROM UP. TRAIN
Mrs. w. G.. WhiteOmb of Los
Angeles Dies Near Silver Lake.
Body Found Near Track by Secs
ton Foreman Wear.
MAY HAVE BEEN SUICIDE
Relatives State She Grieved
Over Loss of Her Husband.
Train Going at SIS Miles an
HOur-Relative of Topekan.

4
years old, of Los Angeles. Cal, for
merly of Kansas City, NO. was killed
when she jumped or fell from the
Union Pacific Limited one mile east of
Silver Lake before seven o'clock this
morning, when the train was going at
rate of sixty-five miles an hour.
Mrs. Whitcomb, with her father. f.
G. Rodoif of Los Angeles and her sis
ter. Mrs. Madeline Mullen of Denver.
was en- route to Kansas City from Los
Angeles. where she had spent two
years trying to recover from a nerv-
Gus breakdown. She planned to set
tie her business affairs in Kansas City
and return to Los Angeles indefinitely.
The mangled body of Mrs Whit
comb was found by SECTION Foreman
Wear when he went to work at eight
o'clock this morning near Silver Lake.
The body was brought. unidentified, TO
/ Shellabarger's undertaking parlors in
Topeka. F. G. Rodolf, the father of
Mrs. Whitcomb. arrived shortly before
| noon in Topeka to identify the body
and arrange for its removal to Kansas
City.
Missed Her Near st. Marys.
'T missed my daughter near St.
| Marys about z o'clock this morning.
Mr.. Rodolf said. II searched about
!
The porter and I found an open vesti-
bule door and believe she jumped or
fell thru that door. The porter said
| he had seen her standing there shortly
before she was missing, and had also
seen her unlock that same door last
night
| Mrs Whitcomb had been suffering
nervously since the death of her hus-
band from influenza in Kansas City
| two years ago. her father said.
Did Not Want to 1--we.
my daughter had said many times
that she did not want to live he said
| "She wanted to join VIII Cher hus-
band), she said. Her reason was
sound practically an the time and IL
is possible that she might have fallen
from the train. rather than jumped"
The Union Pacific limited stopped
at Perry to allow Mr.. Rodolf to make
a search for his daughters body. He
learned shortly, thru communication
with nearby stations, of the finding of
the unidentified body. and came to To-
peka.
Lived at Kansas City.
Mrs. Whitcomb was completely
prostrated over the death Of her hus-
band from influenza two years ago,
and had been gradually weakening in
health since that time. Her husband
had been head of the Whitcomb Cabi-
net company, Kansas City, Mo-, and
they had lived in Kansas City for
twenty years, residing at the time of
his death at the st. Regis hotel The
parents Of Mrs. Whitcomb live at 1919
West Seventh street, Los Angeles, Cal
Her father is a hotel proprietor in Los
Angeles.
Body Rolled Fifty Feet.
When Section Foreman Wear found
the body OF Mrs. Whiteof1b this morn
ing after the Union Pacific limited No.
102 had passed, he was preparing to
cut the weeds along the road bed. He
! found the body about fifty feet from
the track, and indications were that
lit had rolled that distance after her
fall. a purse containing her visiting
cards. an automobile license receipt,
and $40 in cash was found near the
body.
City tonight for burial beside her hus-
band.
Reports from Silver Lake stated
the victim was about 40 years old and
, carried in her pocketbook visiting
/, cards and automobile insurance bear
! Whitcomb, Los Angeles. Cal. She was
picked up by Section Foreman Wear.
A L. whitcomb, 1912 West Twelfth
; street, Topeka, is a brother-in-law OF
: the late Mrs. Whitcomb. Learning OF
= her sudden death, he said:
It am not surprised to hear of Mrs
whitcomb's jumping from the train.
] She has tried to commit suicide twics
5 since my brother died. She was not
demented-had never been in an asy-
1 Ium, but her nervous trouble had un-
: balanced her, 1 think"
Mrs. Whitcomb was left about $
! million dollars by her husband. ac-
f cording to A. L. Whitcomb. Hia
: brother had acquired his wealth thru
. the Whitcomb cabinet company. 9
Z business he founded in Kansas City
: Mo.
Mrs. Whitcomb visited the A. L
: whitcornb family a number Of yearl