Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-10-11
Fearful Tragedy I'm New YOrk-A Daugh.
ter Shoots Herself TO Escape Her Fathers
Bruta 1tty.

Fearful Tragedy In New YOrk-A Daugn"
ter shoots Herself TO Escape Her Father's
Bruta 1itY.
From the New York Times.
very remarkable and distressing case Of at
tempted self.deslruetion occurred on Sunday even
ing at the residence of Mr. Enoch Griffith, No. 22l
West Thirty-slxth street. the principaln the tragedy
being Miss Josephine g. Lyon, 4 young lady whe is
represented by her friends to be possessed of more
than ordinary beauty and intelligence.
Attending the sad affair are very peculiar Cir
cCmstances, which were related to the writer by
Mrs Griffith, the lady of the house in which the
cur renee TRANSFERRED and other persons to whom
the facts relative to the history of the unfortunate
young woman are perfectly familiar From these
statements j. appears that Miss Lyon who is but IL
years of age was forced in February last to leave
the house of her parents, in First street, to es-
cape falling into a snare which had been laid for
her destruction. Her father, who years ago, was
in well-to-do circumstances and kept extensive
| livery stable at the corner of Grand and Mercer
streets met with reverses in his business and even
| tually became reduced almost to want.
! With the disappearance of his property. runs
the story he seemed to lose all affection for his
family, and several occasions he made disgrace
full propositions to his daughter suggest ting that
the wages of her iniquity would secure them at
least the means of subsistence. Such unnatural
| lures the young woman invariably repealed but
seemingly without diverting the purpose OF her pa
rent, as on several occasions subsequently young
men were brought to the house and attempt was
made to bend her to their designs. She states that
during the last few days of her stay at her fathers
house it became necessary for her to lock and bar
ricade the door of her bedroom to protect herself
from violence at the hands of a man whose inten
lions toward her were abetted by her parent Or
Sunday the 10th of February, this person called Il
see her. and attempted, evidently with a base pur
pose in view to make her insensible with chlOrO
| form She detected the odor of the narcotic, AM
unable to bear the torment to which she had beef
subjected any longer, she fled from the house.
That evening she called upon the family of Nh
! Jennings, with whom in some degree she was init
mate, and disclosed to them all her troubles, en-
treating that temporary shelter might be afforde
her. Her request was complied with, and IN tn
course of few weeks she obtained q situation t
nurse an invalid lady in MacdOugal street. Will
filling this position her father by means learS
/ ed where she was, and in June last he caused he
l TO be arrested and taken before Justice QuackeI
BUSH at Jefferson Market on the charge of being
l. dsobedient child. The magistrate demonstrate
t with her, and ADVISED her to go home with her p'
c rent assuring her that in case she would refus
:, IMPRISONMENT would be the alternative.
z The poor girl, however, persstently declined
accompany her father and. finding it was useless
talk with her any further the Justice consigned he
J. to a CELL where she passed the night Next mornlr
e she was again brought before him, and in reply
5 his demand if she were ready to return to h
fathers house, she besought that he would send h
IL anywhere else but there. In the interval, hOweve
proper representations of the merits of the case hf
been made to the Magistrate and he told her, 70 h
great Joy that she might return to the residence
E. her friend on MacdCugal street This she did, b
K a constant fear that her father would abduct he
d made her life miserable, and in the hope of elud
his presence she about six weeks since went to liz
he at the house of Mr.. Griffith. That gentleman HI
ID known her from her infancy, and was perfectly
miliar with the circumstances of her history, al
Is that of her family. tie at once accorded her Sh
I'd ter and she has been living his house sine
I'd although it not long after she had taken up
residence there that her father traced her and
r noyed her by his prosecutions.
IS, Recently ne instituted proceedings against \
oil Griffith in of the civil courts. charging him WI
he having abducted the young lady, and laying I
tn damages at SIS 900. Under these circumstan(
ng Miss Lyon became very Respondent in mind,
IS Mrs Griffith states for the past week two she
es at times appeared to be perfectly miserable.
ne Sunday. however she seemed to be more cheer
in than she had been for acme days previously, and
to family did not entertain the slightest apprehens
st of her tragic intention She retired TO her bedro
at about o'clock in the afternoon, and nothing
zee again of her until CT in the evening, when
| report of pistol proceeding from her room on
lg, second story alarmed the family, who were asst
ny bled in the parlor on the first floor. fastening
me stairs Mr.. Griffith found that the young woman
US, shot herself with revolver which she had secrE
OF procured. Dr. Burdick of west Thirty-siX str
m was at once summoned, and found her unconsciC
ich bleeding from wound in the abdomen. The
on had entered the epigastric region, little to the
the of the medium line, and lodging in the stomach,
ms fiictnp an injury which in all probability will pr
the | fatal On anulication of restoratives the pat
CHI revived sufficiently to state that she had given
hat wound herself. DR.. Burdick called DR.. Carnec
hen to his assistance and after consultation the case
lte pronounced hopeless, except in the contingency
the ball not having perforated the stomach IN
Ort places but even in such case her chances of IL
hat are extremely slight At late hour last eveI
out the unfortunate girl was still alive and in full
up ession of her faculties. She to rejoice IN
to fact that her condition is 80 preCariOus, and
was that even should she recover she will repeat thu
and tempt on her life