“Whether or not an arrest will be made in connection with the death of Ella Sommer now depends largely on an analysis of the medicine taken by the unfortunate woman before she went to the Parker home.”
“Dr. Lorin Hall was asked to make an analysis Tuesday morning but had not the required chemicals. City Physician Dr. Smith asked Prosecuting Attorney Harry W. Miller‘s advice and it was decided to sent the medicine to the Ohio State University at Columbus.”
Finds Medicine
“The medicine was found by Dr. Smith in the girl’s room at John F. Stark‘s home, corner Sixth and Gay streets, where the girl was employed as a domestic. She had told him the medicine was there. It was a pint bottle. Mrs. Stark said the girl had been using the medicine. It was of reddish mixture, containing oily substances and herbs. Dr. Smith said it was impossible to tell whether it was cough medicine or not without an analysis, and added significantly, ‘Colds, and coughs sometimes cover a multitude of things.'”
Sheriff on Case
“Chief Baucus is still trying to turn up evidence and refuses to talk. He would not say whether any arrests were likely to be made. Prosecuting Attorney Harry Miller had developed nothing important, Tuesday morning, but sent for Sheriff Ketter, who had been out of town, advising him to assist in the investigation. That official accordingly began delving into the case Tuesday afternoon.”
Attorney Calls for Examination
“Considerable of a flurry was created late Monday afternoon, when Attorney Robert C. Myers called up from Daehler’s undertaking establishment and asked Dr. Smith’s permission for another examination of the body. He said he was acting for Dr. Wagner and had selected Drs. McKerrihan and Jordan to make the examination. Dr. Smith told him he had been entrusted only with the burial of the body, and that he must get permission for an examination from Coroner Edwards. Mr. Myers then called up the coroner, repeating what he had said to the city physician, that Doctor Wagner desired that an examination be made by the two physicians named. The coroner offered no objections and telephoned to Daehler’s to permit the examination to take place.”
“The two physicians appeared at the morgue, and spent about a half hour examining the various organs that had been removed from the body and which had not yet been replaced when the physicians arrived. Dr. McKerrihan conducted the examination. He afterwards stated that he found no signs of any criminal operation having been performed. He himself, would be quick to assist in prosecuting any person guilty of an act of the kind. He said the examination was a private matter and didn’t see why any newspaper mention should be made of it. He had been engaged by Attorney Myers.”
“Mr. Myers, when seen by a Times man refused to be interviewed. He would not admit that he was Dr. Wagner’s attorney and when told no arrest had as yet been made, expressed the belief that the authorities had no case and that all would blow over.”
Wagner Talks
“WH Wagner, the herb doctor, was seen at his office, corner of Sixth and Washington streets, and told a Times man he was perfectly innocent of any charges that might be made against him. He said he had given the girl two kinds of medicine. One for her cough and a bottle of vegetable oil for headache. It is the latter bottle which is now in the possession of the authorities. The doctor said the girl seemed weak and suffering with a very severe case of grip. He emphatically declared he kept no medicine for producing abortions and invited an inspection of his place to prove it. He disclaimed all knowledge of the examination made by the two doctors at Daehler’s morgue Monday evening.”
“He said he had not engaged them. When told that Mr. Myers had, he admitted that that gentleman was one of his attorneys. Mr. Funk was the other. He said Mr. Myers had called him up and informed him that ‘they’re fixing to get you into trouble, I’ll get you out of it.’ He accordingly entrusted all to him, and the hiring of the physicians was done of Mr. Myers’ own accord.”
Officials Surprised
“All officials engaged in the investigation of the case were startled at the move made by Attorney Myers. They were astonished that he insisted upon an examination to satisfy Dr. Wagner, against whom no accusations had been made. His name had not even been openly mentioned by an of the officials. The examination too, was asked for before the evening papers had appeared on the streets. Much significance was attached to it all by City Physician Dr. Smith and Coroner Edwards. The girl’s mind was clear to the end. Sunday morning she told the hospital attaches that she was going to die. That afternoon when Dr. Smith called he found her condition critical. She told who was directly responsible for her condition. Much more would have been learned from her during ante-mortem examination but replying to the many questions exhausted her and ten minutes after her statement had been taken she died.”
“Coroner Edwards said Tuesday that he was waiting on the evidence being secured by Chief Baucus and Prosecutor Miller, and there were other things to be considered before he would render a verdict.”
“The remains of Ella Sommer were buried in Potter’s field Tuesday afternoon. The body rested in a plain but neat casket furnished by Daehler’s at the city’s expense. No services were held not were any mourners present, when the casket was lowered by the undertaker and gravediggers.”1
Scioto County Record of Death’s2
The above record from the Scioto County Record of Death’s shows an Ella Perry, a single female, 27 years of age, a domestic in the city of Portsmouth, as having died as a result of abortion on March 19, 1905. This information is further supported by Greenlawn cemeteries sexton report that an Ellen Perry was buried in “White Free Ground” (of which there have been several over the years) which would have been known as a Potter’s Field, however the report does not specify that it was the Potter’s Field of Section 12.
Additional genealogical research does reveal an Ellen Sommer, of Lyra, Scioto County, Ohio, being born approximately the same year, however, she married in 1898, and lack additional research it is speculative to assume they are the same person.
