Evening star., 1931-03-10
WOMAN JUMPS 14O
FEET FROM BRIDGE;
LIVES TWO HOURS
Mrs. Clara P. Rice, 28,
Found Conscious After Drop
From Connecticut Ave.
NOTE is FOUND PINNED
TO ARM TELLING PLAN
Was Sighted Below Span by Pass
ing Motorist-Police Force
Wait for Ambulance.

Mrs. Clara P. Rice, 28, 3l3o y street
died in Emergency Hospital at O'Clock
this afternoon, 212 hours after she had
plunged I4O feet from the Connecticut
| Avenue Bridge in suicidal leap.
The woman, although jumping from
the bridge level nearly 140 feet above,
was still alive when an ambulance ar
rived from Emergency Hospital.
Was Still Conscious.
She was found lying beside the road
by A. G. L. Toombs, 1908 Cathedral ave-
nue., who was driving through the park.
He said the woman was still conscious
when he reached her side.
Shortly before 2:30 o'clock this after
noon Mrs. Rice regained consciousness
while on an emergency table at the
hospital. Physicians say she attempted
to converse with them, but her voice
was incoherent. After remaining con-
scious for about minutes she relapsed
into an unconscious state again. A
short time later the doctors said she
was sinking.
The note on her arm, addressed to
a man identified only as Charles" read
as follows:
"I can't keep on. I'm too much worry
to you all. You all have been so good
to me that I can't keep on being such
a responsibility
The message was signed Mrs. Clara
P. Rice, 3138 o street"
Left Home at Noon.
Police said that the woman walked to
the second span from the Calvert street
! side of the bridge. A man who had
been crossing the bridge shortly before
she jumped said he saw a woman
answering the same general description
walking slowly across the bridge at about
that point.
Charles P. Rice, her husband, is a
driver salesman for the Chevy Chase
Dairy.
Rice said his wife left home about
IL o'clock while he was at work. He
said she had been i'll and had walked
away from home cn several occasions,
but always returned home. Rice Was
about to go out to look for her when a
Star photographer told him Of the
injury of his wife.
The woman's body struck the ground
about foot from the spot where, James
F. Skogland. 40 years old, of 1916 @
street Northast, met death several
weeks as.
WaRdk ambulance.
The woman, who appeared 10 weigh
about 130 pounds, was clad in dark
dress She had no hat.
A crowd gathered quickly at the
scene after the woman had been dis
covered Several motorists volunteered
to take her to hospital, but police re-
fused to permit the removal Of the body
until an ambulance arrived nearly 30
minutes later.
The woman's farewell message was
written with a lead pencil on piece
OF cheap blue paper.
Officer j. F. Grove of the United
States Park Police, one of the first on
the scene, said the woman jumped of
the north side of the Connecticut Ave-
nue. Bridge and landed near the Rock
Creek and Potomac driveway on the
hard ground.
Tried to Stop Her.
william P. FELTON,, colored, of 765
Harvard street, a chauffeur for the
Assistant Postmaster General, John w.
Phelps, the officer asserted, saw the
woman making two attempts to jump.
A secretary, who was in the machine,
the report said, endeavored to stop her
from leaping, but said that Mrs. Rice
mounted the bannister of the bridge,
laid down, and rolled off the side. This
was about 12:45 o'clock.
A. G. Toombs of 2208 Cathedral ave-
nue., who was driving down into the
parkway off Woodley road, saw Mrs.
Rice just after she fell to earth, Officer
Grove asserted.
Sergt. William F. Shelton and OFF,
Ger G. H. Baesgen of the United States
Park Police also responded to the
emergency call
Saw Jump Through Mirror.
George H. Brown, 1880 Twenty-ninth
street, taxi driver for the Diamond Cab
Co., crossing the bridge with two women
passengers, noticed Mrs. Rice walking
on the sidewalk with her coat open. AS
a cold wind was whipping across Rock
Creek Valley he watched her through
the rear-view mirror after the cab
passed and saw her climb over the rail
and jump. He speeded up his cab to
the Shoreham Hotel, dropped his pas
sengers and drove down in the valley
| just as the police responded to the call
| for help.