The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-11-29
Self Help Invaluable,


Let those who sneer at wOmanis effort
to become industrially independent read
the following item, which is going the
: rounds of the newspapers, and then
sneer If they can. 1t is the tale of
thousands. What women need more
than anything else is industrial educa-
tion.
The suicide of an American girl in
London occurred under very sad cir
cumstanees, about three weeks ago.
She drowned herself at Waterloo bridge,
and the motives which impelled her to
the act are vividly set forth in this letter
which she left behind her: 'rThe crime
that | am about to commit, and what l
suffer hereafter, is nothing compared to
my present misery. Alone in London,
not a penny or friend to advise or lend
| a helping hand; tired and weary with
! looking for something to do, failing in
every way, fOOtsOre and heartweary,
prefer death to the dawning of another
wretched morning. l have only been in
/ Britain nine weeks. / came as nursery
/ governess with a lady from America to
/ Wick, in Scotland, where she discharged
/ me, refusing to pay my passage back,
/ giving me my wages, e3 los. After my
expenses to London, l found myself in
this great city with only 5s. What was
l to do? | sold my watch. The paltTy
sum 1 obtained for that soon went in
paying for my board and in looking for
a situation. Now / am destitute. Every
day is a misery to me. No friend, no
hope, no money; what is left? o God
OF heaven, have mercy oA n poor help
less sinner! Thou knOwest how have
striven against this, but fate is against
me. / cannot tread the path of sin, for
my dead mother will be watching me.
Fatherless, mOtherless, home l have
none. Oh, for the rarity of Christian
hearts! am now mad; for days | have
foreseen that this would be the end.
May all who hear of my death forgive
me, and may God Almighty do so, be-
| fore whose bar I must soon appear.
/ Farewell to all, to this beautiful and yet
wretched world. Alice Blanche Oswald.
lam twenty years of age the 18th of this
month";
Almost equally sad is the following
item which we cut from the Desert
Nelrs. How can any woman think
patiently of the miserable dependence
which compelled this poor woman to
accept such sOrdid wretch for a hus-
band? What a fate to be bound for life
/ to such man, and to accept even such
q lot as a blessing!-
Last night, or at an early hour this
morning, a woman, q native of Sweden
and about fOrty-One years old, attempted
| to commit suicide by hanging. When
/ found by a police officer she was in a
state of insensibility, hanging with a
/ cord around her neck, and the other end
attached to the knob of n door, in the
rear of Stopper & Hannak's saloon, East
Temple Street. a letter was found be-
| side her, which was directed to n man
who had seduced her, by whom she was
I rr-l,O lnA 1nfalxr fla1arfod
/ her The unfortunate woman was taken
to the City Hall, and her alleged Sc
dueer, also a Scandinavian, was arrested,
and was brought before Justice Clinton
/ this morning, on q charge brought under
/ the 2lst section of the laws Of Utah, re-
/ lating to debauching, etc, any woman
previously of chaste character. The eX-
animation clearly indicated that the
woman was very simple minded, and
/ that the accused had induced her to
yield to his opportunities by proposals
of marriage, and that after accomplish
/ ing his vile purposes, he deserted her.
which resulted in her attempting to
! take her own life.
Mr.. Hoge acted as counsel on the part
of the prosecution, and Mr.. w. X.
| Keithley for the defense, and both made
speeches at the conclusion of the evil
dence Their elOquence, however, was
all "wasted on the desert air" for the
court decided that the prisoner be bound
over in $1,000 bonds to answer at the
next regular term of the Probate Court.
Mr.. Keithley protested that the bonds
were excessive, but the Justice was in
exorable. Mr.. Keithley then held q
short consultation with the prisoner,
after which he drew the attention of the
court to the fact that the statute under
which the charge was brought provided
that, if the accused was ready to marry
the party injured by the committal of
the crime charged, further proceedings
be stopped, and stated that the accused
was not ready to give bonds for his ap-
pearance at the Probate Court, but was
willing, then and there, to enter into the
bonds of matrimOny with the woman he
had injured. The court room was pretty
well filled, and on this announcement
being made, all the spectators signified
their approval by laughing, while the
court expressed its feelings in a serene
smile. The parties then stood up before
Justice Clinton, who pronounced the
marriage ceremony, making them man
and wife; the bride, who had heretofore
appeared in very respondent cOndi-
tion, suddenly frightened up at the
cheerful aspect matters had assumed,
and at the conclusion of the affair, both
parties received the congratulations OF
friends and acquaintances. Those who
witnessed these strange proceedings
were both interested and amused, ana
left the court laughing about ana COM
menting upon the affair. AS the matter
terminated as it did, we withhold the
names of the principal actors III thls
drama in real life