The New York herald., 1922-01-23
Mrs. F.W.Sherwood, Big Loser
in Stocks, Frightens Diners
in Descent.
LETTER LEFT FOR BROKER
California Woman, Leaving
Four Children, Was Wor-
ried by Deals.

Losses suffered in the depreciation
in value Of stocks and bonds she pos
sessed is believed to have caused Mrs.
F. w. Sherwood. 80 years old. of
Berkeley. Cal, to jump to her death
yesterday from her room on, the nine
teenth floor of the Commodore Hotel.
No notes were left by the woman
explaining TIE reason for her act, but
letters found among her possessions
and conversations she had had re-
Gently with hotel employees indicated
she was in financial difficulties.
The hotel dining rooms were
crowded at noon when there was a
thud on the roof of the five story ex-
tension at the north end of the hotel.
The telephone operators were besieged
with inquiries as to what had hap
pened. Persons in rooms on the up
per floors facing the extension looked
out the windows and saw the woman's
body lying on the roof below them.
William Shanahan, assistant manager
OF the hotel. hurried out on the roof.
took one glance at the woman and see
ing she was dead had sheets thrown
over the body. Or. Brodsky arrived q
few minutes later from Flower Hospital
and said that nearly every bone in the
womans body had been broken in the
fourteen story fall. drop of more
than zoo feet.
Detectives from the East Fifty first
street station and the hotel management
examined the woman's effects in the
hope OF obtaining some trace of her
relatives.
Among the effects OF Mrs. Sherwood
the police found a gold bracelet and a
gold wrist watch. On her right hand
she wore a diamond ring. the stone in
which weighed probably more than a
karat. Her wardrobe was extensive, the
clothing being of the best quality and
displaying good taste. When Mrs. Sher-
woods body was found on the roof she
had on black beaded dress. but wore
neither shoes or stockings. Her bed
indicated that she had been lying down
just before the fatal leap.
Maids on the nineteenth floor OF the
hotel said that Mrs. Sherwood was UP
and around yesterday morning and
seemed to be in the best of spirits.
They recollected that on Saturday the
woman had received a special delivery
letter from Boston. written on the sta
tionery of Young's Hotel there. This
letter Is said not TO have been found
among her effects. One OF the letters
was directed to n man who apparently
is a stock broker. but whose identity Is
being withheld by the authorities, and
gave instructions for the disposal of
certain stocks and bonds at the best
prices obtainable.
The assistant manager recollected
having heard that Mrs. Sherwood lived
at the Hotel Manhattan until that
hosiery was discontinued a year ago.
Since then she had lived most of the
time at the Commodore.
Special Diepatch to Trrh NEw YORK HnnALD.
SAS FRANCISCO, Jan. 22.--Nfrs. T.. W.
Sfef wood formerly lived at rs Hillcrest
avenue. Berkeley. She was a mental
science practitioner. She sold her home
last August and went to New York, ac-
cording to her daughter. Mrs. Philip
Valentine. OF Oakland, to be near an
other daughter. Agnes. a student at
Wellesley College. She had been divorced
from her husband several years.
She leaves. besides the children mem
toned. daughter. Katherine. 10, a
freshman at the University os Cali
fornla. and a son. Raymond. IS. who is
attending school in Oakland.
Mrs. Valentine said she was sure her
mothers fall had been an accident.