About three weeks ago I sent an email to this mail list telling the story of my great aunt May Dennis Sutherland. Her husband George Sutherland was the owner of a tavern and May ran the brothel there in Galveston, so the family story went. At some time they apparently divorced and May married a Dr. Charles Irving in 1904. Then the story goes that George murdered May for taking more then her share of the proceeds from the business. I was looking for any information and gave May's death date as January 9, 1906. I also wrote a letter to the Rosenberg Library in Galveston, Texas giving them all the information I had on May Dennis Sutherland and included a photo of her. On September 27th I received a envelope back from the Rosenberg Library, it was heavy so I knew there was some information in there, at least more then a "sorry we couldn't find anything". After looking for May for the last year it is no wonder I could not locate any information on her. In the 1903 Galveston city directory they had her last name as May Suderman, white. In the 1904 she was listed as Mary Irving, black. The library also included her death certificate, the name on the certificate is Mary Irwin and she died January 9, 1905, not 1906. I give a lot of praise to the Rosenberg Library, Anna Peebler and her volunteer, without their help I would never have found May. Below is the newspaper write up they sent me telling the story of what happen to May Dennis. January 10, 1905 A WOMAN SUICIDES, --------------------- Mrs. M. Irwin Died Yesterday Afternoon From a Mixture of Carbolic Acid and Beer. ------------------------------- Mrs. M. Irwin, a white woman 35 years of age, residing on Thirtieth street near the intersection of Avenue I, was found dead on the bed in her room yesterday afternoon about 1:30 o'clock. According to the verdict of Coroner R. H. Barry, who held the inquest, the woman died from the effects of carbolic acid poisoning, self-administered. The following testimony was taken by Coroner Barry: "This morning about 9 o'clock, ________ telephoned to my store and asked me to call the deceased, who lived next door on Thirtieth street, saying he wanted to talk to her and would hold the phone. I told him she was not at home; had gone down town. About five minutes later she came by my store on her way back from town. I told her that ____ had called her by phone. She said she didn't care for the ______; that he had her diamond ring worth $80 which he refused to return to her; that he would not pay the rent, and that she had pawned her ring to pay the rent. She said that ______ was going to be married this morning at 10 o'clock. She left the store and about 11 o'clock she returned. She bought a nickel's worth of beer, and told me that _____ had got married at 10 o'clock to some other woman. About 1:30 this afternoon some one called for her again over the telephone, and I threw some shells at her house--a way I had of calling her when some one wanted her at the phone. I got no answer and went over to the house and found her lying on the bed in the front room. She looked like she was dead, and I came out and called some women and telephoned to the police station for the ambulance. (signed) ANTONIO LANDANO, Following is the statement of Coroner Barry: "About 1:45 o'clock I received a telephone message from a grocery store to come to Avenue I and Thirtieth street, that a woman had died in a room alone. I went to the place indicated, a raised cottage on the east side of Thirtieth street, the second house from Avenue I. I went in and found the dead body of a woman lying across the bed. I summoned Dr. Cox by telephone and he responded. Officer E. M. Johnson also came. We found on the dresser a small tin pail half full of beer, an empty ounce phial labeled "carbolic acid" and a glass half full of a mixture of beer and carbolic acid. She had on her street dress, but her waist was unbuttoned. She had on her glasses. We found a pawnbroker's receipt for a diamond ring, the receipt being dated Jan. 9; also a receipt for house rent dated Jan. 9. We notified the Levy undertaking establishment and had her remains removed there." Coroner Barry gave it as his verdict that the deceased, Mrs. M. Irwin, came to her death from carbolic acid poisoning, self administered. I am now looking for the following information. 1. Divorce record of George & May Sutherland 2. Marriage license of May Sutherland & Charles Irving. 3. May Irwin's obituary from the Galveston paper. 4. Who was the man who married the other woman on January 9, 1905 5. The library could not find record of a Charles Irving, what happen to him? I apologize for the long email. Regards, Carolyn Dennis Kress