Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-06-30
The BROOKLYN Suicides.

The excitement attending the late mystic
rious suicides in Clermont avenue, East Brook
lyn, says the New York Times, continues up-
alb tsd. Tits the topic of general conversa-
ton in the public houses and private dwell
ings, at tho street corners and in the public
cppveyances-everywhere in fact the matter
is capyasse1, and opinions and surmises with
out number are expressed but thus far with
OUT any practical result, with the exception OF
ascertainiDg the name OF the unfortunate fe-
male, supposed to have been Sarah Ellen
Watts. Coroner ReddiDg, aided 10y Constable
| Horton and others, have been active 10 e1deav-
| oring 10 throw all tho light possible upon the
mystery that cnshrouds the case
1t is definitely ascertained that the females
| nalns was Tor what she has been called for five
years p.st) Sarsh WiMams, an inmate OF
| house No. 100 Duane street, New York, "a
| house well known by reputatiOn,l Is years OF
age, and is Supposed to have been born in
| England. This house was visited en- Thurs
| day by the Coroner who obtained the trunk OF
| the deceased, and found therein a large nun
Der Of letters written to her by Henry Viii
liams, the name assumed by Horatio N Gus
| lin, mostly love epistles written from Mu Ca
| tine, Iowa, ard from them it appears that this
female has relatives or friends in Illinois
While living in Iowa, he repeatedly urged
her to join him. The intimacy between the
parties mus. have been kept up for several
years; bat the cause that impelled them to
commit suicide does not appear. He was evil
dent in embarrassed circumstances, and st
times Of dissoluto habits.
At 4 o'clock the funeral OF the unfortun ate
woman, Williams, took place at the Church Of
the Messiah, in Adelphi street, near Myrtle
| avenue, Brooklyn. Tho church was filled to
its utmost capacity, ladies occupying all the
seats and most of the space ia the aisles
| There were probably FIVE hundred persons in
| the building. whilst outside there were near
ten thousand persons standing. The services
were conducted by Rev. Mr. Walker, the Rec.
tor of the Church, who made brief discourse
At the conclusion of the service, the coffin was
| opened on the SID zrelI, where the assembly
I took view of the corpse. On the coffin was a
| pisse, inscribed "Ths Unkno9n, aged -
DIED in Brooklyn, June q, 1855"
| Tho Now York Commercial Advertiser, In
commenting On the fstaI occurrence, says:
| "The young mans character appears 10
even more unfsvorab!o liSSt than We sup
| posed, and it is highly probable tat the re-
| port OF his having good reputation q: mem
Der Of ths Baptist Church was untrue II true
\ his hypocrisy is but a darker feature in his
| character. But ls: him sleep. He was per.
niitted to sink into disnOpOrcd grave, and
we have neither right nor inclination to dis
l tur % Il 10 Tcet VI WCUilU Inc hearts O.
/ his relatives, already too deeply lacerated. 1t
| is with tho other suicide that we have to do
| She was exalted into heroine and G. martyr.
| To her all public homer was shown. Suicide
| though she was, a clergyman CT The Protestant
| Episcopal denomination offered his church for
the reception of her reInainG, and volunteered
| his services and a funeral sermon. Money
| flowed freely to purchase adornment and dec
Grafton for the oorpso. A lady, a wife, too,
and mother, we believe, opened her house
tor the funeral ceremony. An undertaken
| came forward with tie gratuitous services Of
his establishment The body was deposited
| in coffin of rich mahogany end on the
plato was Inscribed Tho Unknown. Aged
-. Died June 81, 1885, At the fuue-al, the
church was filed with taaiss
And who was she? On that coffin plate
| should have been inscribed-"Sarah Williams
Prostituts and Self murderer. Took her
Life, in Company with Paramour, June q,
1855" Such vas TIE woman, such were the
facts, with which the populacs synpsthizei:
which nearly two thousand persons, most of
them females hOnored so far as they could :;
which Clergyman eZtraVdgsntly euIogized.
Sarah Williams, thus honofed, almost canon
lzed. was well known woman Of the town.
" a public woman" as one Of the witnesses
described her, lad been such for five years.
and IL is by no means certain that she did not
allure her companion 20 the crime by which
they both peIis5ed. a few weeks ago a 10
torious ppgiiist OF this city was killed in a
drunken brawl, and like false sen:iIreut va,
manifested respecting him.