The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-30
THE "NINNIE FRENCH" MYSTERY.
GA TALE OF TWO CITES %
How UnsOphiStcated Young Girls Are ROped
In and How They Are Not.
TWO TALES WITH ONE MORAL.
A Visit to an Uptown Female
Boarding House.

rockwell, by her own hand, rev days ago, as an-
nounced IN these columns, has. from the beauty tho
Social positlon and accomplishments OF the young
woman, attracted more than ordinary attention to
her CASE the assumed air OF mystery which sur
rounded her parting moments and her dying deciar-
alton That she was stranger in the city and had
been taken IN, and that the cause OF her suicide
should 90 to the with her. did heighten the
curiosity aroused by her rash act.
DR.. Walter II. Fleming. OF West Thirty. first street,
who has been frequently called to attend patients
in Mrs. Heatns house, in the same street, and who
was promptly called In to attend Minnie French Is
strongly Of the opinion that Minnie and her sister
were strangers IN New York, and that they were
taken to Kate Heath's place without any knowledge
on their part Of the character Of the house. The
story, as told by The dead woman and her sister, Is
A STRANGE ONE IF TRUE
but there are many weak points about II which
hardly admit OF It's acceptance as truth. Minnie
was certainly beautiful woman In every respect
physically, and one whom 1t is easy to believe would
have had numerous sutors for her hand
and heart and the tale turns as usual upon
disappointed early love- which begot moroseness ana
melancholy, a shrinking from fashionable society
the subsequent growth OF despair aud development
OF insanity, which led her many occasions before
to attempt Eer own destruction, Those symptoms
had been noticed ana carefully watched by her
mother and epfaiher, her own father having died
while she was quite young who took every possible
means TO counteact II. They privately summoned
IRON New York, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Rochester
and other cities the best and
MUST EXPERT PHYSICIANS
acquainted with brain and nervous diseases TO at
tend the young woman at her home in GOldsb0rO
n. q. One OF those medical gentlemen. who took
her TO his own home and family for better treat
ment, 1t Is said wrote TO her mother that Virginia
had something the matter with her; that ne didn't
know she was such u wicked gIrl and that he was
glad she was gong 10 saratoga, 6c., al OF
which Is not IN the remOtest degree Ike the produc.
ton OF an intelligent physician. 1t readily
GOllsbOrO Charlottesville, In botn Of which
cities 1t is said she resided aud that she was de-
votedly attached TO her mother. But that a fond
mother would allow her daughter, under these cir.
cumstances, to travel alone 10 all the fashionable
watering places OF the North ana to engage IN tho
whlrl OF gddy life presented ut those places IL
hardly supposable albeit fictitious DR.. Jones Is
But TO meet this embarrassment and the apparent
neglect OF the parents for permitting her TO ba
II Is further stated that her mother was loo III TO
come North ana her step-father was absent from
home. and It therefore deyoyed upon friend OF 'ns
come on and attend TO her. But how did Virginia
Rockwell, alias Minnie French, get to
MADAME nEATn'S BAGNIO
without knowing the character Of the placer Tho
explanation thus given--Minnie and her sister or
step-sister, Grace Archer,1 came hther has Deen
stated, perfect strangers Tney put up AT the st.
Nicholas Hotel, but the noise and hustle OF Broad.
day-Juy s--t,e sisters ordered carriage ana TOOK
a drive IN Central Park The driver was, OF course,
obliging fellow, as are most OF his craft and ma
ponted out all the objects interest In that charm
ing retreat. When they were about TO return ia
the city they very naturally asked Jehu II hd
could not take them 20 quiet boarding house,
where Virginia might escape the noise OF the
public thOroughiare. The amiable Jenu at once
ordered HIM 10 drive there Tney entered that
place on the evening Of SATURDAY, July $, and on
@ s io neTecy aea
herself (hlc, could not bear the degradation aud IN
moment Of loneliness shot herself ia the LEFT
breast The costly ana inagnincent furniture OF the
house deceived the young women at first, but, as
the friends say. the girls kept themselves isolated
from every one IN The house.
There can be no question that the deceased
woman was reared IN the life OF luxury, and was
highly educated Her manners and conversation
and everything ABOUT ner indicated tnrs. she spoke
French, German. Spanish anu Italian IL Is said,
with nuency. But why should such highly edu-
Gated and
INTELLIGENT PERSON CHANGE HER NAME?
And why did her quOndam sister change hers asof
The reason h that Minnie Virginia, the reader
peases, designed to take her life before she lefl
home, and that she did not want her friends, and
especially her travelling companion, to be-
dlsgraced by u suicide OF their name. But
1t seems mat this reason did not weigh very much
with her she had fired the fatal shot. On Mon
day, July 10, she was taken TO Bellevue Hospital
and placed IN ward 80, where she was visited daily
by two young men, who went early and stayed late.
and who were addressed by both the young women
IN terms OF cndearmcnI ana great familiarity. How
came they so we'll acquainted with TWO sirangersf
IL was eight O'Clock Ia the evening when the uIOr-
tunate creature was admitted To Bellevue, accom-
PANIED by ner assumed sister. VINO gave her name
as Grace Archer They were both very lady
like and Grace remarkably dndent for one
coming from brothel, much so as To attract tnd
attention OF the alnable Warden Brennan, tina
nurse and the attending physician. AT her request
Mr.. Brennan telegraphed To Il Mr. Archer, Rich
mond Va, and, though sending the despatch In such
q vague manner, received reply making inquiry
whether Minnie French was under his care and
what was her condition. TINS despatch was signed
Richmond and when 1t was shown TO Grace Sue
! appeared to be very indignant, and told Warden
Brennan that ne need not reply TO It, But he did,
ana a gentleman came on, whom the young woman
addressed as Robert,
DucKY DARLING LOVE,
and such Ike eXtravagani terms OF affection. Tho
excitement consequent upon taking many
wounded persons To Bellevue on the day or the riot,
July u, merered with her resi-, and request waa
made that she might be provided with private
room. But rs there Is no sucn room ia Bellevue for
patients screen was placed around her bed as the
next best thing that could be done and on the fol-
Kept by Mrs Emma Benedict, &C 1870 East
She had here the constant attendance
OF two Protestant ministers and her male rriends
and sister, ana everything that could be done Ia
make her last hours comfortable was done. There
was saving OF expense for anything that was
necessary Instead OF gorying in her suicidal acu
the unfortunate woman declared while in Bellevue
that she had never before attempted self-dcsiruc-
ton and that she greatly regretted her act, and
n she recovered she would Ut once return home.
She was buried IN Greenwood and 'her Sccret' was
RED away will appear In the sequel
HERALD reporter called at the house OF Mrs.,
Heatn az III est Thirtyfrst street, yesterday to
inquire as 10
THE TRUTH OF CERTAIN STATEMENTS
made IN the newspaper reports as TO the mode By
which Miss Rockwell, or MINNIE French, had
found her way the shelter OF Tits establishments
Mrs. Heath was frank ana communicative In refer.
ence 10 Miss Rockwell and evidently spoke the
truth. 1t Is to be regretted for the sake OF the
romance IN this story that Mrs. Heath
should be so well able to dispel anV
attractive ausions IN this direction for dtspe Them
she certainly does. When the sister of Miss Rock
well called At Mrs. hcaths 10 arrange board for
herself and her SISTER" there Is no doubt knew
the character Of The house. She saw visitors there
and knew that their visits were not ON the side OF
virtue Instead OF minnie" being so shocked as
the circumstance OF finding herself In "a house Of
Ill repute as TO throw the balance or her reason
over, and thus to her take her fe the fact
was that minnie" met, by appointment and passed
the night with well known gambler at thiS
THE ONLY TwO NIGHTS
that she iorr N hna