Salt Lake Tribune | 1910-08-31 | Page 1 | Would-be Suicide California Girl

WOULD-BE SUICIDE CIIFDllll Gil Young Woman Who Shot Herself Her-self in Hotel Astor, Vera Fitch of Oakland. NEW YORK, Aug. 30. The young woman who shot herself over tho heart In tho Hotel Astor last night was Identified Iden-tified tonight after a day of mystery as Vera Filch of Oakland, Cal. Her condition con-dition Is critical. The name of the person per-son who made tho Identification could not be learned at tho hospital. An operation was performed, but the bullet was not removed. The missile entered tho lung, punctured the diaphragm, dia-phragm, twice punctured tho small intestine in-testine and lodged in the muscles of the back. The surgeons Issued this statement: state-ment: "The young woman is Vera Fitch, daughter of Henry Fitch of Oakland, Cal.. who died two years ago. Mrs. Fitch and her daughter havo .been spending spend-ing tho summer at Atlantic City, but came to Now York a few days ago." Miss Fitch was dejected over her Ht- ornri' f.'illiirn Coolly Faced Death. She walked Into tho hotel shortly before midnight Inst night, seated hersoif In the woman's room and a mor.icnt later shot herself In the breast. She was unconscious uncon-scious wher. taken to the hospital. "I did :t myself." was all she would say. steadfastly refusing to tell who she was or where s-ho lived. She Is about -5 years old. medium height and light complexion, wore no jewelry and had only a small amount of money with liar. In her black silk handbag wore found three letters, bearing the date of August IS. They were addrossod "Dearest Blanche," "Dearest Sister" and "Mother Dear," but from each the signature had been scratched so carofully us to be practically prac-tically illegible, although the polico thought they could read "Nora" in faint strokes in ono of them. "It ls really deplorable that :i girl cannot can-not get along honorubly In New York," ran tho letter to her mothor. "In some things I might have succeeded had I conceded con-ceded to the wishes of men (?). cultured (V). uspa'.ly money, but minus morals." A typewritten manuscript carried the title "Thessalia," and under It, in her own handwriting was scrawled: "My pot story, which I want burled with me. . I wish I could take books as companions Into the unknown world with mo." It was a long story and dealt with tho adventures of two young men in Europe. Tho theory is advanced that tho attempted sulcldo had boon Inspired by disappointed authorship.