The Washington herald., 1921-06-02
GIRL TAKES POISON
TO Die; ANOTHER
LEAPS FROM PORCH
Pretty WarwOrker Leaves
Series of Notes to
Friends.

Two women took their lives last
night within three hours and within
swallowing an ounce vial of car
bolic acid in apparent love des-
peration, the other leaping from the
third floor of the Emergency hos
pital three hours later, 1906 g. m
Gertrude Esta Trotter. pretty
20-year-old stenographer in the
state department. residing at the
Monmouth hotel. swallowed the
carbolic acid while sitting on a
park bench on the north side OF
the eIlipse. dying ten minutes later
in the Emergency hospital.
Was Second Attempt.
In her second attempt at suicide
within three days, Mrs May Ricci.
81 years old. OF 1919 Eighth street
northwest. unguarded for two min
Eutes. leaped from the rear porch
Of the Emergency hospital on the
third floor to the cement pavement
of the basement areaway, four
stories below. Mrs. Ricci was taken
to she hospital Monday. suffering
from effects of Illuminating gas in
hailed in her residence in a believed
attempt at suicide
Two hours after Miss Trotter had
called a friend on the phone she
was seen writhing in pain on the
park bench by Policeman r. c.
Jackson. A. E. Graft. of 354 street
southwest, who was passing, rushed
her to the Emergency hospital.
three blocks away. in his machine,
where she died on the operating
table.
Miss Trotter phoned Wilbur ].
Cooley, sales manager of the Wash
ington Motor Exchange, residing at
119 A street southeast, at s o'clock
yesterday evening and asked him
to meet her at Seventh and F streets
northwest. Cooley said last night.
He said he told Miss Trotter he
would not meet her. No threat
was made by the girl at that time,
he said.
Left Four Notes.
Half an hour later Miss Trotter
purchased the carbolic acid at a
downtown drug store. Four letters
found on her body are believed to
have been written by the girl be-
tween the time of the purchase and
her final act. The first letter read:
ITO the Public:
My sanity is with me to the end.
do not wish the public to think
l committed suicide in a fit of in
sanity. 1 do this deliberately.
GERTRUDE TROTTER."
The second letter. addressed to
Rev. NJ. P. J. Egan, of st. Patrick's
cl urch, said:
Dear Father: Thanks is to small
word to extend to you for the
kindness you have shown me during
my stay in Washington. 1 know it
is wrong to go to Christ without
permission. but l kno He is merci-
full. GERTRUDE TROTTER.
In her missile to Cooley, Miss
Trotter wrote:
Dear Bill: 1 love you. hope you
PEGGY.
p. S.-Always think kindly of me.
The fourth letter to Mrs. NJ. B.
Denny, evidently a sister, in Au-
Dear Mary: I love you and Les
ter GERTRUDE.
Offers No Explanation.
Cooley, who has been married for
two years and is living with his
wife, could give police no explana-
tios for the act of the girl. He
said he had been with her on sew
eral occasions, always with others
in the party. but did not know her
intimately. Friends of Miss Trotter
were at a loss to explain her acts.
She apparently was in good health.
Miss Newton, her roommate, was
Frustrated.
Miss Trotter came to Washington
three years ago from her home in
Augusta, Kans., police say. She had
been employed in the state depart
ment. She was very pretty and
very popular among the younger
set. Her body Is being held at the
District morgue. Dr. J. Ramsey
hewitt. District coroner. gave a GER
tifcate OF death by suicide, last
night.
Shortly after Mrs Ricci, on the
rear porch Of the third floor of the
Emergency hospital. had been left
by a special nurse, her body was
heard to thud against the basement
pavement four stories below, by
physicians In the operating room.
She was found dead by DIR. Leo p.
Burke and Fred Reed, a visitor at
the hospital. who saw the body
fall.