The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-02
DEATH BEFORE DIsHONOR.
Singular and Distressing Case of Suicide
I'm Wcst Thirty-sixth street.

Singular and Distressing Case OF Suicide
I'm West Thirsy-sixth street.
peculiar and truly distressing tragedy occurred at
No. 22l West Thirty -sxth street Sunday evening.
mo particulars Of the case furnished reporter
yesterday, follows IN the month of February
last young and really beautiful GIRL named Josephine
Clifton Lyon, forced 10 quit the residence Of ber
parents in First street. in consequences, she says Of
the repeated and apparently determined efforts OF her
father to induce her to lead the life Of coure
nn She lied to the residence of friend Of hers named
Jennings, where sbe remained In safety until she could
procure suitable boarding house Subsequently, a ,he
month Of March, she went to live with married lady ia
Aacdousal street. Here she remained until Juno
when her father, discovering her place OF conceement
had her arrested and brought before Justice
Quackenbush. She refused the house OF her pa
rents however, and notwithstsn ding was locked up
In lonely cell all night, in the morning her determine
tion not shaken in the least The magistrate finding
that all efforts TO effect . reconciliation between tho
ther and daughter useless, discharged Josephine
and told her to to her friends After staying
few months longer in hacdougal street, the girl by
taton went to the residence OF Mr. Enoch Grih mar
ried gentleman residing at 22l West Thirty sixth street.
With Mr.. Grifnth's family, whom she had known from
her infancy, would suppose that she would lived
naPPy - rontened but, unfortunately, such not
the case Al times --ould become quite melancholy
and cry II her heart wouiu ~-..k whsr ..n.s
what the matter, her nvariable ans~~.~-..
al afraid my bsckhearted father will
come here day and take me away, and
would rather die than live with him."
The commencement OF . civil suit Tor abduction against
Mr. Grintbs by Josephine's father, served
her fears and heavily did the affair weigh upon her
mind that she possessed herself Of . revolver, and
threatened shoot her father and herself too, any
tempt made TO deprive her Of her freedom. Mrs.
Griihs used every means 70 quiet the fears Of the
heartbroken cresture but in vain; despair took pos
session Of her SOUL and she determined 10 end all her
earthly troubles in suicides grave. On than
occasion she purchased the purpose self
destruction, but ber love and respect for the family OF
Mr. Grths prevented her from carrying out her desire
day or ago. however she thought she discovered
agent Of her fathers lurking about the house, and,
fearful that effort would be made 70 abdoct her, she
tion Of suicide. Accordingly, on Sunday evening,
when Mr. and Mrs Grnths sitting in the parlor,
curing pistol rom the bureau placed the muzzs TO her
chest and pulled the fatal trigger Inc did not
ploee, however and i wa. not until she mad .red se
OF the weapon. The report Of the pistol soon
brought the entire family To- the room, and
entering the apartment they found poor
Josephine tying welteripg in a pool Of blood
DR.. Burdck West Thirty sixth street, instantly
summoned the relief OF The dy Ing girl He found Jo-
rephine lying on the bed In q .yncopc, but by
Of stmuans and hot applications 70 the feet and
conscousness Upon probing the wound the physician
found that the ball had entered the epigastrc gon
little 70 the left Of the medean line, wounding the da-
phragm Subsequent discoveries showed that besides
cutting through the diaphragm the ball had pierced the
stomach The patient, after raiying, vomited large
seemed averse wing any thing done whereby
covery might be effected saying she determined to
emps aua a suicide '' Her msapsp wa. o~c cool and !.
clear and distinct voice she related the cause
rssh %peSS her to the the
counted 70 DR.. Burdick, Mr. Griths and Others runs
Her father time engaged in the livery busi
ness and well but OF late by OF fortune
he was reduced TO penury Driven 70 desperation, he
resor,cd 10 The unnatural obtain hvel-
hood, namely. the prostitution Of his daughter But
JotephiIe, who according TO all accounts good an
vrtuous gl, spurned the base proposal with scorn and
threatened TO leave her parents roof The was re
pcated 1ncredulous il may appear, Josephine says
that every arhcc vas used 70 make her lead life OF
shame by him rho should lave been her guardian and
protector. At night she forced 70 place her bed
against The bedroom door 10 guard against Intrusion,
and on occasion she said effort made 10 de-
privc her o. her BY Of cloroform. Finding
that her father determined that she should become
a wanion, the 23th 81 February last she lea her
| parents roof, and sought thst protection among
| strangers which denied her At home. With
| the rest Of her history our readers are already
| familiar Josephine stated that she about
teen years or and that the attempts the part OF
father to force her 10 become courtezan commenced
fully three years II only within the last year
however. that his conduct became unbcarabc and
rendered her nigh matter Of dire necessity.
Ir. CarnOclian was Ia attendance upon the wounded
girl yesterday aud after holding consultation with tho
other physiciars, the pronounced hopeless.
Last evening when reporter visited the OF the
tragedy, Dr. Burdick informed him that although there
visible change in the patient, still the chances
ten 20 against her recovery II the
bah bad not passed out Of the stomach,
and had only made wound In that organ
be thought there chance loi her recovery but be
afraid the bullet had passed through aud through the
stomach and lodged where In tae spinal region In
which case death was almost certain.
Josephine requests that her father may not he per.
m'tted 10 accompany her remains 10 their asl resting
place, and also she does wish 70 be buried In
Greenwood She did not give the for Der dslike
10 the cemetery in question: but supposed thai abe
has horror Of being inferred In the family burying
ground where she night day lie beside the aatbor
Of her being and destruction alike
The case 10 very remarkable and when IL
to be Investigated by the Coroner many additional hcs
Of interest will be developed