The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-08-31
THE MANCHESTER TRAGEDY


Cotton, and addressed to Cyrus--, Bidde-
ford, Me-, has been found aud tells its own sto-
~
MAScnEsrER, Aug. Ia
| now for the last time will attempt to scrib-
Bile YOU few lines, and ere these few lines reach
you shall be sleeping in death. Think not
that shall ever trouble you again with letter,
for | shall not NJ. this is the last You will
receive this with anger perhaps; but, Cyrus,
forgive me for troubling you. have f'rgiven
you long ago, but have not forgotten. sup
pose you are in Biddeiord now happy and con-
tented. hope you are. As for myself l
am not happy, but in few moments shall be
free from the sorrows of this world and ! can
not be more unhappy i'll another. When you
read this, think that am cold III death aud shall
one day meet you in another world.
So farewell, Cyrus, go and be happy
From your friend and we'll wisier,
CATHARINE COTTON.
Miss Cotton left 81 so in money. She also
left short letter for her father and one for her
sister, bidding them adleu, and stating that she
should not be alive when they received the let
lers These letters contained SIS. Her body
decaycd s, fast that it becom. necessary to
bury her on Tuesday.
She also lief, some verses addressed to her
false lover, aud postscript thereto, which re-
veals her state OF mind -
Cyrus,-Several months have elapsed since
saw you, and how many sad hours | have seen
within that time, and often think, o, that had
never seen you, for you have destroyed
my happiness, fear. forever. Now, while you
are enjoying yourself in the gay world, remenl-
Der that you have been the destroyer of ones
happiness-one that loved you sincerely. If
you had treated me as you should you would
have found in me devoted friend. What is past
cannot be recalled.
am now far from those that once priced as
friends
Miss Cotton was an intimate friend of Miss
Davis. with whom she has conversed freely
about these matters for year or two past, and
with whom she was most of the day Sunday
and with whom she left all her affairs in charge
averring that she should drown herself. Mis-:
Davis did not believe that she was earnest til
she saw her jump into the fatal stream.
Miss Davis, the roommate Of the two drown
ed girls, has furnished statement of the histo.
ry Of their troubles tn the editor of the Mirror
from which we take the following:-
Miss Davis first became acquainted with Mis-
Cotton two years ago, at Bidceford, Me-, wher,
they were both at work in the mills. She be.
came intimate with her. Soon after her &C.
quaintance commenced young man in Bid de
| ford began to show Miss Cotton many atten
tons, and in time became her acknowledged 10
| yer. An engagement took place, and the tim
was set for the marriage. Miss G. went HON
to Pownal, Me, to make preparations for MARI
age, got ready and returned to b. one week be
fore the day appointed for the nupliai ceremony
when she was informed by her lover that he ha
changed his mind, and concluded not to marry
This event took place year ago last June
l \ q I
ger, but after she was abandoned by one upo
whom all her affections were placed, it was |
her like a deserted home, and she left, and wer
to Lowell, where she staid few weeks, an
then went to Lawrence. She stad at th;
place but short time, and came TO Mancheste
But here as at all other places where she live
since the silver cord of her existence was broker
she could think of nothing but sorrow cloue
| and thick darkness were continually about he
She went to Lynn, hop ng that change
occupation might bring reIiefto her mental so
row. But wounded affection, caused by the d
ception of lover almost at the bridal hour, car
not be healed by mere worldly cares or by d
verting the mind by travel. About seven week
ago she returned to Manchester, unable to |
con.ented anywhere, and then, for the first tim
became acquainted with Miss Cochran. Pc:
sessed of kindred feelings upon one subject the
soon became quite intimate.
Miss Cochran in early life became strong
attached to young man with whom she wei
. to school. They have not seen each 9th
since; but, f r some six years, up to last Marc
they kept up regular and affectionate CORE
pondence, begetting in her mind that he WI
her lover, and would be her husband 1t ma
be that he considered them merely letters
friendship, and had no idea of marrryr
her. Last March he wrote to her, saying tn
she need not write to him again till she rece
ed another letter, from him. She did wri
several letters from which no response cam
and from the moment that the full convictie
flashed upon her mind that she was abandone
her life has been desolate-" Hope deferrt
maketh the heart sad" and dreary, and almo
: unreal, have been the hours since that convi
ton flashed upon her mind. Her tears we
more bitter than those-shed for the dead, ar
yet not consoling. AS she read, edo no n
, write me again" she seemed to lose all col
seriousness OF who she was and where, 81
was.
With minds in such sorrowing state, thre
weeks ago Sunday, Miss Cotton and Nil
Cochran remarked to their room-mate, Mi
Davis in three weeks from to-day we shall di
After that they frequently remarked that the
should drown themselves-that they could N
bear the pain Of living. Of course their re
marks were not taken in earnest. Miss Cote
had told Miss Davis that several times, once
Lowell, she had been on the bank of the riy,
to drown herself, but her courage failed he
The week before the fatal deed they did n,
mention the subject TO any one, and seemed
act as if they had forgotten it. "I did n,
speak OF our drowning during the week, b,
cause wanted 10 leave your mind unnfuence
by anything might say" The other respol
ded 6 For tho ma rao son I bavo hoor Ill,
about it Miss Cochran worked on a DIRE,
till a late hour Saturday evening, and on Sur
day they both appeared as usual till nearl
noon, when they began to pack their trunk
After dinner they devoted most of their time
writing letters, and giving directions about the
affairs, seeming all the time to be in SO goo
spirits that no serious apprehensions were fe
by Miss Davis, or others who had intimation
OF what they had said and done. They ate
hearty supper, and appeared in pleased stat
of mind, till they went up stairs for the la
time. Then, when they were joked about the
talk of drowning themselves, they cried. Mi.
Cotton gave Miss Davis three letters, an
asked her to put them into the Post Office ne,
morning, and also gave her labels for her trunk
and boxes, showing where they were to be sen
A little after dusk they came down stairs dres.
ed in white, and Miss Davis and one other lad
|
thereby their minds might be diverted from til
subject which had become so awful.
They refused in rather a cold way, wake
quietly round the corner of the house and u
the street towards the canal, which was but
few rods off Miss Davis and two other friend
feeling little uneasy, thought they would 70
low after short distance. They did SO, an
upon inquiry found that they had gone up
short street, and turned to the left towards tn
canal bridge. They followed as fast as the
could, and had just got to the bridge, whe
they saw them hurrying TO the side of tn
canal, some three rods above, and jumped i
together, without word or scream, or particl
of hesitation. Miss Cochran sunk to the bo
tom, and was not again seen till her body wa
taken out three quarters of an hour afterward
Miss Cotton sunk and then rose, giving gure
ling sound, and then foated down the cana
Alarm was Immediately given, and a youn
man James Hall, boldly jumped in and caugf
her by the dress as she was sinking again, b.
she was SO heavy, and he was so light that
was not able to save her-Boards and rail