Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-05-23
THE UNKNOWN SUICIDE.
A Melancholy Tale of Despair ana
II Death. s..

SIR-By q series of circumstances
which am not at liberty to reveal |
have become acquainted with the facts
of the life and the events leading up to
and eliminating in the death OF the
suicide known as E. X. Harrington.
For private reasons and for the sake Of
convenience, the assumed name-for as
sumed it is-shall be retained in relat-
ing her story. s,g,
Some eleven years ago a Southern
city, famed for its beautiful daughters,
witnessed the wedding of one of its
most charming bellies with gentleman
as well known for his fine looks and skill
in all manly attainments rs for his abll-
tiles as a lawyer. He was about thirty
six years old, she twenty-three. Every
thing was more than usually auspicious;
all seemed to indicate one of those rare
unions in which both parties are Of such
mental and physical perfection as to
promise life of more than common
happiness. AS she stood at the altar
glowing in the flush of womanhood and
ioy, few who saw the ceremony could
have imagined that her lovely form
lovely as poets dream-would
to-day be mouldering in the grave
of nameless pauper. For some
weeks after the marriage, its ap-
pointments and costumes continued TO
furnish subject of conversation to an.
ticipative maids and reminiscent ma
irons. Time flew past on golden wings,
and then came the war. The husband
enlisted, Of course, and went to the field
with the rank of colonel in the army Of
the Confederate States of America The
wife retired to a plantation in the upper
part of Georgia. Here she remained
until 1864, when she contrived to pass
the lines and come to New York. She
did this in consequence of her husband
having been taken prisoner, and allowed
to live in the city on parole. Before
long some vague rumors which she had
heard in the South we're intensified and
strengthened into conviction by Colonel
Harrington's conduct. In a word, he
had been publicly charged with being
coward, and his reluctance to seek, and
even avoidance of an exchange, con-
frmed the accusations. Loving him so
intensely as she did, this disgrace to his
manhood afflicted her most keenly. 1t
was not long before he perceived by her
manner that something was wrong, and
by persistent questioning at length OBJ
tanned the truth. He, naturally, in
dignantly denied the imputation, but
when she pressed him-at whatever
cost of sorrow to herself-to again join
the Confederate forces, he refused hotly;
and, on her persistently urging it, so far
forgot himself as to strike her. Nor was
this brutality of single occurrence. But,
although suffering the most poignant
anguish, her love for him remained
strong and earnest as when 6rstmarried.
And il was the very excess of this love
which rendered her so utterly miserable.
She had no children on whom to bestow
her corroded affection, and though de-
spising thoroughly him to whom fate had
linked her, still loved him fondly. It can
be easily seen how such feelings, con-
flicting and yet alike, would operate.
As time went on, the knowledge that his
wife considered him n coward, led Col
onel Harrington to take to hard drink
ing. Then the misery Of his poor wife
was. If possible, intensified. She would
not leave nun. Win Tue hoil-uDhNSdtiohi
known only to women, she clung TO him,
and continued to present the curious
spectacle-not so rare, by the way-of
wife cherishing a man whom she knows
70 be contemplate. Needless it is to
saw that her favor was sought by hume
rons admirers, but sought in vain. She
remained true to her husband; true as
the needle to the pole, The hard drin k
ing went on, the brutality increased, her
misery rose daily, but never to the hight
of heaven. Three years ago, after a
stormy scene with her husband, drunk
as was only too customary, she fled
wildly from the house, with the intention
of drowning herself Fortunately, or
not as the case may be, she was met by
a friend, dissuaded from her purpose,
and taken home to fall into an almost
fatal illness. On her recovery it was
the same life over again, the same treat
ment, the same sorrow, and the same
never conquerable love. To her inti-
mate friends she often spoke Of suicide,
and defended its moral right, saying
tbaf there were some wrongs, some mise
res which pEly a selfinhicted death