Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-02-19
a Suicide for Love in Illinois.

The Chicago Tribune gives the de-
tails of painful tragedy which lately
occurred at Dandy, III :, % miles west of
that city
The victim Of this terrible act was a
beautiful and intelligent young girl of
sixteen, named Hannah Weldman, the
daughter of Jonathan Weldman, n we'll
TODD farmer. The deceased although so
young, had grown to the full stature Of
woman. Nearly two years ago fond
ness sprung up between her and young
man of the village, named Frederick A :.
MYERS, and this feeling, rs time passed
on, ripened into the most devoted love.
Appearances would indicate that this af-
fiction was, in a measure, if not fully,
returned, and from the time mentioned
forward to the moment of her death,
their affectionate relations remained I'M
changed. Although all the town viewed
them in the light Of lovers, the parents
Of the girl steadily opposed the relation,
and did all in their power TO sever the
tie that hound these young people to
gether. This opposition seems TO have
been advanced on general principles. 1t
is trle, they avowed personal dislike TO
the young man, and further argued that
Hannah was too young for even a beau !;
but judging from the pecedent Of her
three sisters, every one of whom it is
alleged fled the house before their mar
riage, owing to parental opposition, IT is
TO be surmised that it originated partly
from q hardness Of heart. Last summer
she spent some time with brother in
Wisconsin, and for several weeks past
she had been living with her sister, the
wife of William Jones of Dandy. Du-
ring Thursday she was visited by her
parents. Her father came in the morn
inc. endeavored to intimjdate her, and
when this was found of no avail, her
mother came in the afternoon, and prom
ised they would do well by her hereafter
if she would only return. All overtures
having been rejected, her mother, when
about 10 leave, remarked, " lou must
90 home tomorrow, and if you won't
come Of your own free will, we shall
take you forcibly." To this the daugh-
ter replied. Mother, you will never
take me alive" These were the last
words spoken between them, and the
daugtcr remained true to her PROMISE
Shortly after this occurrence she sat down
by the window, facing the house Of her
lover, less than fifty yards distant, and
for a few moments was engaged in wri-
ting. After supper she was observed to
throw frequent chances at the clock, and
about twenty minutes after Z o'clock she
hastily threw shawl over her head, and
precipitateIy left the house by thu rear
door, leading to the garden, adjoining
the railroad track. In less than ten
minutes the westward bound Geneva ac-
commodalion train, running at speed
of twenty five miles an hour, Numbered
past, and before any alarm concerning
her absence was felt by any one in the
house, her beautiful form, mutiIated be
yond recognition, was found on the track,
within less than stones throw of the
house, by neighbor just returning from
the depot with his evening paper. The
0lti DOCACI'OOOh was lOubn SOtlIO us
lance from her body, and attached to it
was the following note, written in pencil
oyer.-a closely written letter, received
some time before from a lady friend, and
directed to her mother
"MY OWN DEAR FRED Right oppo-
site your house | sit writing this note to
you. For you l must die. / cannot
give you up only in death. You are too
dear to me for us to part from each 9th
er. l suppose the folks will think me
foolish, but | cannot help it. | would
always be in misery. So dearest Fred,
good by. In death l remain your
HANNAH"
On the margin of the letter, in a
scrawl scarcely discernible, was further
written
"May God bless and keep you in the
right. Think of me often"