Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-05-02
A Belle OF society Found Dead in Her
Room.


! The circumstances attending the sud
den death of Mrs. Annie Gearing, 1
j young lady of high respectability and in
I telligence, who has been recently a CUES
I at the Briggs House, in this city, afford
another and a new phase to the many
melancholy scenes which tTanspire in
/ this city.
A few years ago the deceased, then
I Miss Annie Cannon, was an ornament
among the beauty and fashion OF Louis
/ vile, KY, where she resided with her
parents. Meeting in this city, whittier
/ she had come with her married brother
Mr.. r. II. Cannon, q commission mer-
chant, with a William NJ. Gearing, pro-
bate judge in one Of the interior cour ties
of this state, an intimacy grew up be-
tween them which resulted two years
ago in their marriage. After the bridal
tour they came to Chicago, and boarded
at the Richmond house. While here the
growing c0ldness and many differences
between husband and wife were the sub
ject of remarks among the boarders at
the hotel. A few months after the mar
riage the deceased separated from her
husband and went 70 live with her
mother, in Louisville, Ky. Both became
subsequently reconciled, and 50 remained
until the day of the fatal occurrence.
The numerous friends Of Mrs. Gearing
in this city were startled yesterday by the
report that she had committed suicide,
at the Briggs house. 1t appeared that
she had been on visit to her mother, in
Louisville, for two or three weeks, and,
on Wednesday night, came to Chicago
and stopped at the hotel on her way tr
Princeton, awaiting the arrival of her
L
there, as she learned by a telegraphic
dispatch which he had sent TO her TO
that effect.
On the morning after Mrs. Gearing ar
rived at the Briggs house, the chamber
maid, in making her usual rounds, came
to her door for the purpose of sweeping
her room. She was told by the lady to
lever mind her room that day-that she
was not well, and had pain in the head.
Mrs. Gearing then asked for water and
towels, which were brought to her, when
she closed the door and retired.
The chambermaid did not disturb Mrs
Gearing unit. about noon yesterday. In
the hurry Of perpetual labor she had
passed and repassed the room of the la
dy, but no suspicion was excited until
yesterday, when, approaching the door,
a thought of the deathlike stiffness that
broOded 50 strangely there flashed across
her mind. She knocked at the door, but
there was no tramp Of feet or tone OF
voice tc answer the summons. She
knocked again, but all was silent as the
tomb. Pale with fear, and frantic with
a hideOus thought, she stepped upor a
chair, and, peering through the tTansom,
discovered the cold, dead face Of the
lady!
The affrighted ehambermaid giving
the alarm, a number of the inmates Of
the house opened and entered the room,
and there found the deceased reclining
in the bed, with one arm arched over a
pillOw-the fingers of her left hand
ciasped in her hair, and in the other
hand a bottle half full of chloroform,
and handkerchief which was still held
to her nostrilsI
The body was stiff and cold when dis
covered. The features of the face, beau
tful in life, were now discOlored and
slightly distorted out of their natural ex-
preston of refinement and intelligence
by the effects Of the yapOrous poison. A
single glance around the room told the
observer that the dead girl, before inhal-
ing the fatal vapOr, had carefully disrobed
her person. The garments, useless now
70 their owner, lay carelessly heaped
upon the sofa. Here and there around
the apartment were seen few triffes of
dress, without which a lady's toilet can
not be complete-the belt, the headgear,
a collar, and cuffs. One little eircum-
stance - trivial in itssif, indeed - told
more plainly than any other that when
these garments had been thrown there
upon the sofa, the thoaght of suicide had
not entered into her mind. There is
that about the female dress which NAV
not be seen by men. And no woman
with the knowledge that she is never 10
arise again to things OF earth, will place
her apparel so that its most sacred gar
ments shall be exhibited to the scrutiny
Of the opposite sex.
II is stated by Mrs Zearing's friends
that she had been in the habit of using
chloroform for some years past, and,
though the relations existing between her
and her husband were such as to serious
ly distress a nature reared amid such del
icate influences as characterized hereariy
life, yet teRder regard for the Feelings
of her relatives fOrbids "a fFom casting
any shadow, however light, on the YER
dict OF the jury which heard the evidence
ELECTED at the inquest. The near rela-
tives of the unfortunate girl will, no
doubt, met the intelligence of her sad
death with a seFfGW that will follow them
to ohe close OF their existence, Her
brothers grief is keen and poignant, in
asmUch as the circumstances attending
her demise are apt 70 cast upon her the
suspicion Of suicide, though the evil
dence sdduced points only to an insidi-
Gus, accidental death.