Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-08-24
From the Manchester On. H. 5 Daily Mirror, Aug IS.
The Manchester Suicide.


The Manchester Suicide.
About eight O'clock last evening, Sunday, Au-
gust lay two young ladies, operatives in the mill,
committed suicide by drownilgi the particulars of
which, so far as we have been able to gather, are
as follows
One Of them was Miss Catharine B. Cotton, of
Pownal, Maine, aged twenty-tVoj the other, Miss
Clara @. Cochran aged nineteen, native Of New
Boston, but who lately had home with brother
at Hopkinton. They roomed together ut No. 20,
Manchester Corporation in this CITY, and have ire
Quently expressed purpose to drown themselves;
but their friends had no apprehension that such
was their design. For few days previous they
had talked freely of SO doinI1 and communicated
their intention TO room mate; bui S1il without
creating any alarm. AS they LEFT their boarding
house late in the evening, however, the lady room
ing with them followed and watched them. Ihey
proceeded hand.in-hand, and with great apparent
cheerfulness, to the bridge crossing the upper ca
nal, leading to the Manchester MillS-stoppea To-
gether upon the stone wall of the canal just above
the bridge, and together leaped into the water.-
The act was seen by one or two persons, and the
alarm was instantly given, though ten minutes es-
capped before either was taken out. In that unle
tho body of Miss Cotton was recoyersd-that OF
Miss Cochran having huated down the canal, was
not recovered for some time after. All efforts TO
resuscitate them failed. Miss Cochran, Tor some
days previous, had been very much depressed and
low spirited.
Tbtf: whole proceedings were marked by great
.isZns heir friends announcing their purpose anu
Final y4ctions in regard TO the settlement OF their
\. p ehee the dNpos Iof their effects MISS Coeh-
dost poteunderStand, was 10 come INTO p' session
combinat Of thousand dollars at twenty one years OF
ether, Prodrious rumors are aoat in regard to the
. 'ga nd this rash act. From all we can eprn it's
,t, "a crbed in both cases 10 the grief OF dlsap-
5.iited love.
e Below we insert the letter oil MISS cochran 10
her sister at Hopkinton, written just before hef
mt nelv ,lecease and very carefully placed in her
trunk: 900
DEAR SISTER: kreceived your letter last Wednes-
day. and, contrary TO your custom, answered 1t The
frst oppottuniiy. Though knew IT was haying
time, and of course You would have great deal to
do, still l felt provoked at your silence You anu
aunt AchSah are my only regular correspondents
but now and then answer one OF The many letteIS
that i receive. It is only O'Clock, a. M, and
have began in good season, SO as TO write TO you
md 10 Jesse TO day. / am glad 10 hear that LouI-
sa IS with you, for little help Is better than none
As for visiting you, probably never shall meetyou
again in le ere you receive this shall be III Inc
silent realms of the DEtD Start not, dear Annie,
nor shudder for what use can there be IN dragging
out wearisome life, deprived OF all enloymentt-
am only burden to myself and every one else
who interest themselves in my welfare. Give my
love to Joseph, 10 Martha, and TO all who cure Tor
me, or pretend to. Bury me In Vermont, by the
side of M mother, and 1 have money enough 10
pay all funeral expenses. owe MIS-. MARIA ross,
INV room. mate SIS; Mrs. Jacobs, 81, %, and So Tor
my buard and there IS over So due me at the Amos
keag couniing-room. If there is any thing left of
INV money, alter paying funeral expenses, which l
want 10 be as cheap as possible, and paying my
debts send it, together with his letters, (Which you
will find IN my pOcket,) TO John H. Sherwin, No.
| I4l, Full on str ct, New York.
| s:Iesse and Joseph are probably well enough of
1Iready; and, if could aid John bya few dollars,
| il might do some good. copy of Shakespeare,
which have lent John Jacobs, should like to
have j. H. 5. have; the rest, my clothes and Other
things, you may divide as you see fit.
s.And now, good bye; mourn not forme friends;
tell Jesse would like 10 see lin once mole before
| | die, but that cannot be.
farewell forever.
"To Mrs. ANN NJ. COCHRAN, Hopkinlon, N. H.
"Forwarl quickly, for it tells of death.'
The following was written upon the opposite
sheet of the letter Ly Miss Cochran, and evidently
intended for the of her lover:
| "And now, dearest. must write you a few lines,
though ere you receive them the hand that penned
them will be cold in death. Do MT think OF me
with regret, for 'tis better that it should be So
Ono more unfortunate weary Of breath,
| RSshy importunate, gone to her DEATH
"I forgive all who have injured me, and crave for
forgiveness of you, il have erred, and know
have. Be happy and forget me not. EVENT. you
ever marry still twill not be wicked TO cast one
thought on me, and no one would love you tue less
Tor it. shall, hope, be buried IN Vermont, by
the side of my mother. FAREWELL"
She also enclosed in her letter scraps OF poetry,
which no doubt expressed her feelings at the time
The body of Miss Cochran was placed on board
the cars this forenoon and conveyed TO her friends.
The friends of Miss Cotton have not yet arrived,
and her remains have been deposited in the city
tomb. She also lett letters, winch we are not now
at liberty to publish, but shall do as soon as we
are enabled 10 obtain tn m.