Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-12-19
Romance and Reality.

COHlC VI lC pniIl9 hNC lCCClltlG DCCl St-
ing quite a romantic story about a Mrs. Miller
wife of Major Miller, U. S. A., having com.
mitted suicide, by leaping from the bridge that
leads to Goats Island into the Niagara river,
on the night of the Goth ultimo. Mrs. Mil
Ter is described as q young woman of fine per-
sonal appearance. She arrived at Niagara on
the morning of the 29th, and was accompanied
by two bright looking boys, four and six years
old. After taking rooms at the Eagle Hotel,
she called for writing materials, and nothing
more was heard of her until next morning,
when the bell Of the room she had occupied was
rung by the little boys. They inquired for their
mother, Upon the table were three letters, one
directed to Major Miller, one to the Hon. John
Newell, of Michigan, and one to the Hotel keep
er: Two trunks Of clothing, a purse contain
ing gold and silver coin and a wedding ring, a
gold watch, &c. &C., were all left in the room,
but the lady was missing. The children stated
that their mother had bid them good-by, and
kissed them, after they had gone to bed; that
they had last come from Winchester, Virginia
and that their father was in Florida. On these
discoveries being made, there was quite a CON-
motion, which was greatly increased when the
letter to the hotel keeper was opened. 1t was
worded as follows:
My mind is made up, have no wish to live
any longer. | shall 60 where my body will
never be recovered. No one shall gaze on nv
p,onnla1 rounoinc D1oaso %,Io ---.A
little boys till they can be sent to Detroit,
where their grandparents reside. They are
the sons of Major Miller bf the army, now in
Florida, and grandsons of Hon. John Norvell,
Detroit, Michigan. Please forward my letters,
and protect my children till some of their re-
latives can come for them.
Not a doubt was now entertained that the
lady had committed suicide, although she had
appeared quite rational, and not the slightest
symptom of insanity had been noticed, Search
was instantly set a foot, and discoveries were
soon made which warranted the belief that the
lady had leaped from Goat Island Bridge, and
been swept over the falls. A letter from Ma
CARA says: %.
Upon the second pier was found her bonnet,
which had been trodden upon. Her black Grape
shawl was found tied to the railing of the bridge,
to let her down upon the pier, which is some
six feet below the railing. She undoubtedly
did this to indicate to those who should look
for her, that her mind was made up for the fear
full leap into the yawning chasm below.
The lady's father was telegraphed, and the
children were taken care of. So much for the
romantic story of the supposed suicide.
Subsequent developments tend to show that
the lady had not the slightest idea or doing such
a foolish thing as jumping into the Niagara, and
whirling over the falls in such cold weather.
She was bent on elopement, not suicide. The
Buffalo Republic Of the goth, stated, that there
was every reason to believe the lady was still
alive, and that she had eloped. According to
that paper, some days previously, a man who
registered his name aHenry Blakemer, Philadel-
phia," stopped at the Exchange Hotel, in Buffalo.
He stated that he expected some friends, and
watched the arrival of every train of cars. On
the arrival of the train on the morning of the
18th, he was seen in conversation with a lady,
with two children, in the sitting room of the de-
pot, The lady, who was afterwards ascertained
to be Mrs. Miller, took lodgings at the Lovejoy |
House, but subsequently went to the Exchange,
where she remained until Monday morning,
when she took the train for the Falls. On the
afternoon of Monday, MI. Blakemer went to a
livery stable, and hired a horse and buggy to 60
two miles below Tonawanda. He returned
about three o'clock on Tuesday morning, the
9th, with a lady, believed to be Mrs. Miller,
leaving her at the railroaddepot, when he took
the horse back to the livery stable. He then
called at the Exchange for his baggage, and,
accompanied by Mrs. Miller, took the fast train
which left Buffalo at halfpast five, purchasing
tickets for Cayuga. 81 a5 bs
The following paragraph, which we copy from
the New York Tribune of the Sd instant, tells
the sequel of the story SO far
ARREST OF Mrs. MnLER.-This deprayed
woman who sought, by exhibiting the SEM
blance Of suicidal preparations at Niagara Falls,
to conceal the degradation and disgrace involv-
ed 1.-The abandonment of her husband and chill
dren, to become the paramour Of Brakeman,
was arrested, says the Rochester American of
Saturday, at Syracuse. - ,.s s. #z we
1t is stated, that Mrs. Miller is a Philadelphian
by birth, and that reports respecting her have
caused much distress to her relatives in that
city. Her father Mr.. Norvell, of Michigan, was
formerly editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A
D The Millerites, tits stated, intend shortly
to announce again the speedy termination Of