Inquest on the Late Mrs, Florence Schmidt Before Mr. Alexander Krisel, [Commissioner, in the U.S. Court for China, on February 13, an inquest teas held into the death of Mrs, Florence Schmilt, wife of Sven Schmidt of the Majestic Hotel Orcchestea, who was found dead in bed in hee rooms at 15 Kungping Road.
Tsung Ah-clu, the houseboy, gave evidence that" the deceased had Jeome in about midnight the previous night accompanied by a marine in juriform who stayed but a fow minutes and departed. The next morring at about 10.80 the telephone had rung with a request, by masculine voice to spank to Mrs. Schmidt, Witness called her, but receiving no answer entered. the room and found the deceased lying face downward on the bed, and on failing to rouse Wer by repeated shakings he told the inquirer at the telephone that she was very ick.
About an hour Jater ho said the Jsame marine who had been there the night before celled and immediate on seeing the deceased had got fin touch with a doctor and had me structed the boy to call in the police, He identified the marine as Pte, John 1, Brooks, U.S.M.C. who was present at the inquest and who grave evidence, Evening ina Cabaret Pte. Brooks "gave evidence that Ihe had Known Mrs, Schmidt for severest months and had been in the habit of taking her to local places fof amusement. On the night pre-Jeeding her death he had called for tier early in the evening and after dinner at her quarters had taken her to a local cabaret where they sat abet until just before mide night, when he had taken her home, He had stopped there for one drink lof brandy, and did not recall conversation by the deceased that would lead him to believe she contemplated suicide. He had left the house about 12.15 and the next morning had called her on the phone to say good-morning. When the boy told him of the unsuccess ful attempts to awaken her he become suspicious and had called fat the house with the result that had found her dead body. At the cabaret they had taken only {three bottles of hear between them for the entire evening and on the return to her house they ud a very small brandy apiece. It was his belief that she had died from an overdose of sleeping tablets.
The husband of the deceased gave evidence to the effect that though and his wife had been separated for several months there wus strong liking still existing between them and he was cure that had she proposed to take her life she would nave informed him of it. He ro-ated that on several instances he had found her in the possession of strong sleeping tablet to which she had become accustomed and on tone instance on finding her in an obviously dizzy condition had hidden, them and not returned them to her.
When they decided to separate [she would not give him her address jand he had not seen her prior to her death for some considerable time, He stated that he was satisfied that she had died of an unintentional overdose of a sleep ing potion and that this with the brandy she had taken previous 2 retiring for the night had s0 weak joned her heart that she succumbed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.