| Show AND SUICIDE BARED IN INLOVE LOVE PACT OF TWO S Lo GIRLS Cyanide Caused Death j S Of Pair Autopsy A Shows I IA Poison Was Obtained at Store Where Mis M Drake Worked Officers Believe Finding of Thermos Bottle Points to Theory Th That at Deadly Potion Was Disguised in in Soft i t Drink and Given to Miss Lundstedt q 1 qAn An autopsy performed Monday afternoon on the bodies of Ruth Drake and Sarah Lundstedt by Dr J. J J. J Galligan assisted by Dr Beesley indicated that the girls came to their death by cyanide of potassium poisoning poisoning The autopsy was wes performed at the S. S M M. Taylor und undertaking undertaking under under- r- r taking establishment in the presence of Herman Harms the state chemist The stomachs livers and kidneys of the girls were taken by Mr Harms for analysis From the condition of the Drake girls girl's stomach it was evident that only a small amount of the poison had been taken according to Mr Harms Her stomach was empty and only slightly discolored by the chemical The Lundstedt Lundstedt Lundstedt Lund Lund- girl had swallowed a much larger quantity of the poison as the stomach was badly discolored and contained particles of food There was no no distortion of the features of f either girl which indicated according to the physicians that they died quickly and painlessly LOS ANGELES Cal Nov 29 AP AP Mr and Mrs Reuben Lunstedt whose daughter Sarah and a girl friend Ruth Drake were found dead in Salt Lake City last night under circumstances indicating suicide prepared to leave here at 5 o'clock tonight for the Utah city An aunt of the dead girl who declined to give her name said the parents and sisters of Miss Lunstedt could ascribe no reason for suicide A letter received recently said she planned to abandon her employment in Salt Lake about December 15 and come to Los Angeles On receipt or of ofa of a telegram that their daughter was as dead Lunstedt wi with his family left their home here apparently seeking further details of the tragedy Murder and suicide This is s the theory expressed by the police Monday in the strange case of Miss Sarah Lundstedt 22 of 19 West Seventh South street and Miss Ruth Drake 23 of Second avenue whose bodies were discovered beside an an automobile near Becks Beck's Hot Springs Sund Sunday y night GOT POISON AT STORE The officers believe that Miss Drake secured the poison polson cyanide of ot potassium from the Daynes Jewelry store south Main street where she worked as a quantity quantity quantity quan quan- of ot It was kept there that she se administered it to Miss Lundstedt disguised in some other liquid and and she then v drank of tho the deadly dose Letters exchanged between the pair pal disclosed yesterday the strange attachment they held for tor each other an attachment so strong that ac according according ao- ao cording to the belief of ot the officers Miss Drake preferred the death of both rather than face a possible separation The letters revealed a ai phase of ot their lives which even evenI i their relatives and dearest friends I could could not suspect I An analysis of the crystals found In a a broken bottle close to the scene scena of ot the tragedy by Herman Harms state chemist almost at once disclosed dis- dis closed that they were cyanide oTt or potassium a poison polson which causes al almost instant death Close to the scene a Telegram re reporter reporter reporter re- re porter discovered a thermos bottle which had evidently contained some soft drink and clinging to Its interior interior inte inte- were crystals resembling those found in the broken bottle beside the girls Between and 9 o'clock Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day night Officer Tom Kelly on his way from n with a n heavily laden truck saw two girls stand standing In by an automobile near the scene of or Continued on page D Ii 5 T yi Murder Suicide Bared I In n S. S D. D L. L L. L Girls Love Pact Continued from page 1 the tragedy One of them W her arms at him In an uncertain way as though imploring a ride or oraid oraid oraid aid of some kind but the officer knew that a street car was close at hand and due to the traffic could not stop Shortly after 9 o'clock Passengers In a car driven by Fred B. B Mauser of Salt Lake saw the roadster standing by the side of the street and the bodies of the girls were found lying by Its side 1 Lund 3 body still sUll showed signs of life STRANGE FRIENDSHIP Here is th tho history of the friendship which apparently drew the girls apart into a weird land of their own which own which established a closer understanding than that ex exIsting existing ex- ex between usual which frIens-which which plunged them to a sudden death According to Mrs 1 C. C E. E Drake of Payson the girls girl's mother the girls first met on a camping trip In Provo canyon where the Drake Draka and Lundstedt families were spending a vacation On January 1 1 1925 Ruth Drake came to Salt Lake I to attend the L. L D. D S. S business college and lived with the Lundstedt family at that time residing in Salt Lake The girls continued as school chums Until until until un un- til the following July In August Ruth returned to Payson for a short time later coming to Salt I Lake where she obtained employment employment employment employ employ- ment and has resided here since that time Sarah's father was Reuben Lundstedt Lund Lund- who was head tailor at the Z C. C M. M I. I until last September when he removed with his wife and three other daughters Ethel Bessie and Ruth to Los Ang Angeles les C. C E. E Drake Miss Drakes Drake's father was formerly employed as master mechanic at the Utah-Idaho Utah Sugar company's plant at Payson He came there fourteen years ago o. when the factory opened He lie and his son are re now In Bellingham Wash Miss Drake graduated from the Payson hl high h school in 1923 Mrs Drake was notified by telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone at 11 1130 30 o'clock Sunday night of the tragedy and leaving a baby that is III in a precarious condition she I automo-I dashed to Salt Lake in an automobile automobile automo automo- bile reaching here at 2 o'clock Monday Monday Mon Ion Ioni i day morning A At t the S. S M. M Taylor I undertaking parlor she at once positively positively 1051 identified her daughter and I Sarah Lundstedt I Mrs Drake Ruths Ruth's mother was Indignant at the intimation that her daughter had been the aggressor Inthe Inthe in inthe the tragic affair that ended the lives of the two girls She said that Ruth Huth had on several occasions j. j Become very angry over the differences that dev developed loped b tien f en them It w was S stat stated d by persons living in the same house with Ruth that Sarah had bad been known to quarrel with Ruth when the latter was vas not at home to answer Sarah's phone calls which it was said were almost daily dally BOUGHT HER PRESENTS Ruth frequently bought expensive presents for or Sarah according to neighbors Miss Lundstedt is said to have apparently had a premonition of I I evil for she Is said to have confided in a friend that she felt that she shedid shedid shedid I did not want to go when Miss Drake called for her In a car Miss lIss Lundstedt expected to leave for tor California soon and had so confided cond- cond ed in Miss Drake according to eVIdene evidence evi eVI- dence denee presented Monday ronday The car used by th girls gl-b was borrowed from Alfred Burrell a watchmaker In the store where Miss l Drake worked According to a check made Monday the girls drove to Ogden where they visited Ruths Ruth's uncle John Drake 2653 Kiesel avenue avenue ave aye nue at 1 p. p m. m where they stayed until 30 They rhey then visited Ruths Ruth's grandfather Dan Drake who re resides resides resides re- re sides in Wilson lane L Later ter they attended a motion picture show at ata ata ata a theatre where Edna Drake Ruths Ruth's cousin is employed as cashier Edna Edna Drake was s second cond prize prizewinner prizewinner prizewinner winner In a beauty contest held in Salt Lake last summer an hon honor r of which Ruth was very proud To Detectives Lester Wire and M. M r. r D. D McGinness belongs much of the credit for quickly dissolving the mystery surrounding the tragic af at- at fair TWO OTHER THEORIES T Two To o other theories however also hold a place One is that the girls died In a suicide pact that is that they made a mutual agreement to end their lives rather than be sepa sepa- rated Another theory is that Ruth Kuth s the poison polson in a fit of or de depression depression depression de- de and that Sarah became so grief stricken that she decided to follow her friend in itt death Ruth had lived lIt itt her hel home since last summer Mrs 1 George Daugherty Daugherty Daugherty Daugh- Daugh erty Second avenue said Well Vell we all alI have our peculiarities ties Mrs MIs Daugherty said Monday l in speaking of Ruth Huth Ruth was a cheerful sort of person but I think any girl who has a mad infatuation for fOI another girl Is peculiar lar But if it Ruth nuth was Infatuated with Sarah Sarah was Just as much taken with Ruth She used to Ruth here a great deal during the summer mon months That she last saw Ruth about 11 o'clock Sunday morning when she told her she was going to call calI for Sarah and the two of them then drive to Ogden to visit relatives was stated by Miss Alice Johnson a bookkeeper for the telephone company who was was Ruths Ruth's roommate at Mrs Daugherty's Daugh- Daugh erty's residence I sleep late on Sunday morning and consequently we hadn't talked much about what she was going to todo todo todo do during the day Miss 1 Johnson said In speaking of Ruth I had known her ever since she came caine to live at Mrs I know lenow she was extremely attached to Sarah but she was a n wonderful girl girland girland girland and a wonderful friend Ruth Inquired About Poison Alfred Burrell a n watchmaker at atthe atthe atthe the store in which Miss 1 Drake was employed jotted down for Chief R R. il M. Beckstead some of the state state- m ments made mide by the Dral Drake e girl to him on various occasions Burrell Burzell lives with his sister at J 1 street treet He has for the past month been keeping steady company with Miss 1 Drake according to his statements The statements follow On one occasion her friend Mrs Irs Lunstedt told her hel to be careful should they part what kind of liquor she drank when they parted palled if she f felt lt despondent as It might contain poison Her friend asked her hel about poison polson She asked me If ey cyanide was deadly to cats or rats I told her herto herto herto to forget such nonsense and alid to give up her friends Last week weale she told me she would see her friend once more for forthe forthe forthe the last time as the Lundstedt girl was going to Los Angele Angelea to Jive f with her parents MIGHT SHOOT HERShe HERShe HERShe HER She at one time told me that thit a friend might shoot her some da du en cn the dance floor but that she was vas not afraid to die When I questioned questioned questioned ques ques- her about the reason she became extremely reticent She had her picture taken on Friday paid me a few petty debts which she owed me On Sunday she requested the loan of my ear car for a trip to Ogden She was in good spirits The last thing I said to her was Goodbye and be careful In driving and sayIng saying say say- ing All right Fred you know I always am I later learned from her roommate room room- mate that she went vent home before leaving for Ogden Her roommate telephoned me at 11 1130 30 o'clock In Inthe Inthe inthe the morning and told me that If Ruth was late it would be because lecause she the had Important business to at attend attend at- at tend toI toI toI to I knew of Ruths Ruth's friendship for Sarah but I had always thought that hat her friend was a boy Ruths Ruth's roommate informed me that the appointment for the Ogden trip was with a girl Ruth had acted peculiar pecullar for the past two or three weeks and be because he- he cause of this I had made dates with her all aU of the time A short time ago she asked me to purchase some firearms and go hunting She had been associating with a group of friends who enjoyed hunting hunting- and I thought that I would humor her hoping to eventually break her up with these friends I was unable to tomake tomake tomake make the purchase at the time and I told her that neither of us could afford to spend BO so much money There was a time when the two girls lived together the one workIng workIng working work- work Ing while the other went to school chool and kept house |
