The Washington times., 1921-06-02
GIRL SUICIDE TOLD
BY MARRIED MAN
she'd RUIN HOME
Miss Trottsr, Who Took Acid
!. Near White House, Annoyed
Him, Says Cooling.


Rejected by married man with
whom she is said to have been infat-
uated, Miss Gertrude Esta Lee Trot-
ter, twenty years old and pretty. en-
lived at the Monmouth apartments.
last night ended her life by swallow
Ing an ounce of csrboiic acid while
she sat on q park bench in the Ell
iipse. almost within the shadow of
the White House.
Before ending her life. Miss Trot-
ter, who came to Washington three
years ago from her home in Augusta,
Kans.. wrote SIX letters. one addressed
to the public, another to wilbur ].
Cooling. sales manager of the wash
ington Motor Exchange, Inc. 2i29
Fourteenth street northwest. and
of the Raleigh Hotel
The letter to Cooling stated: /:
willie. dear. j love you. dear. not
because of anything. but In spite of
everything. Be q good boy. ! love
you. Please remember me kindly" II
was signed Peggy.
aNEvER ALONE WITH HER,
In explaining the letter written to
with her. Cooling declared this morn
ing that he had known Miss Trotter
for several months. He admitted
that he had frequently been in her
company, but denied ever having
courted her or having been out with
her alone.
There always were others with US
when we were out" said Cooling. "It
is true the girl may have been infat-
uatsd with me. She became so per-
sistsnt In seeing me that she called
me up frequently not only at the Of.
flee but at my home.
Occasionally when she called at
my home my wife answered the teie-
Trotter always hung up. She was
warned by me to stop calling
me. retalized the girl was getting
desperate. I had never encouraged
her to, be fond of me. / don't unicr-
stand why she persisted in seeing me-.
.RUINING HIS HOME.-
"only week or so ago 1 told her l
could see her no more-that II she
continued to persist In meeting rue
that ! wuld have to take some action.
home. II now looks that she hns
about succeeded. don't see why /
should be held responsible for the ac-
tion of girl who could not overcome
her desires to see me.
yesterday she again called me. She
wanted to meet me downtown. i told
Ner / could not meet her. The con-
versstion ended and / hung up the
telephone. The first knowledge ] had
of her death was when notified by
the police that she had left the letter
for me. / liked the girl. but never
had any idea OF choosing her as
companion. She was out with me and
others on parties, but that is all there
was to IT."
Cooling believes Miss Trotter has
done him great injustice. He cam
not understand, he says. why she
should write the letter of love to
him before her death.
1--WE my life to live, by living to
make and / hope the public will net
take the girls letter seriously" he
said.
Hack Inspector C. c. Tha2er and
Policeman r. c. Jackson were stani-
Ing at Pennsylvania avenue md
Fourteenth street northwest at 81
o'clock last night when they were
told a woman was sick on he park
bench. They sent Miss Trotter to
the Emergency. Hospital where she
died ten minutes later, Tne only
words she uttered before death were
"Forgive me. Father"
No doubt Miss Trotter, who had
been a convert two months ago to
Rev. NJ. p. J. Egan, of st. Pstrick's
CathnlfN Church xuhn abb laff |
the following letter:
Dear Father--Thanks is too small |
word to extend to you for the |
Kindness you have shown me during |
my stay In Washington. I know II |
10 wrong to go to Christ without per-
but I know He is merciful. |
GERTRUDE TROTTER."
Tho letter addressed to the public |
states: ITO the public. My vanity |
hangs with mo to the end. and i |
don't want It said that committed |
suicide in a temporary state of in
sanity. I'm not. do this deliber- |
ately.
GERTRUDE LEE TRoTTER."
FRIEND Is FRUSTRATED.
Another letter was addressed to
Mrs. NJ. b. Denny, of Augusta, |
Kan. stating. Dear Mary; love |
you and Lester" while a fourth was
penned for her room mate at the |
1919 q street northwest
Miss Bertha A.. Newton, which |
thanked her for her many kindnesses |
and asked that she notify her |
parents of her death. Miss Newton |
today Is prostrated over her bud |
iy's" death.
DR.. J. Ramsay hewitt, District |
coroner. after an investigation of
the girls death. gave a certificate
of death by suicide. The body of
the girl is at the morgue awaiting |
word from her brother. L. F.. Trot-
ter, of Augusta. Kans.