The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-20
DISAPPEARANCE OF A YOUNG
LADY.


The upper portion Of our city was
thrown into a state Of excitement yester.
day morning by,a report that a young
lady named Bedson had committed sui.
eide by throwing herself in the river,
Many reports were soon in circulation In
regard to the affair, and people visited the
neighborhood by hundreds to ascertain
the truth, Tho young lady, whose full
namC is Sarah Ann Bedson, is about sew.
cnteen years Of age, the daughter OF Mr..
Geo. Bedson, a boilor, who works in tho
Top Mil. Tho residence OF the family IA
q few doors above sylyis' grocery. From
Mr.. Bedson we learned the following
facts in relation to the affair: Mrs. Bed.
son was absent from home Thursday
evening nursing o neighbours sick child
not returning until about 2 o'clock yester.
day morning. During the evening several
young persons came in and sat some time
Miss Bedson tried to induce one of these
visitors to insert her name and after II
"diCd July 1sth," in the death column Of
the family Bible. She not only asked
once but several times, and even asked
her father to write It. After the visitors
had LEFT, Mr.. Bedson and two daughters
tho youngest Il girl oil ten, went up stairs
to retire. Sarah Ann put her sister to
bed and started down stairs; her little
sister called her back and asked If she
was not coming to bed; she replied, "You
and father can sleep here, l will sleep in
the bottom OF the great Ohio river. My
bed is thousands OF yards long and
hundreds Of yards wide" She the1
passed down stairs and out the front
door. Her father hearing her &c
out thought she. was going tC
the neighbours TO where her mother
was, or else going out to set on the porch
Since that time she has not been seen
When her father got up in the morning
he looked in Sarah's bedroom and seeing
two in the bed, went to his work. One
in the bed was Mrs. Bedson, who had
come home unbeknown to her husband
about 2 o'clock in the morning. When
Mr.. Bedson came home to his breakfast
about six O'clock they missed their daugh.
ter and the search at once commenced
Mr.. Bedson remembered seeing her put q
note in the Bible the evening before, and
on opening it the note was found, Of which
the following IS copy:
"Sarah Bedson thinks she will die or
the 18th Of July, simply because she Is
tired Of living" =
seines were at once procured and drawn
in the river, but the body could not be
found. The water being so high, it is
probable that if she did throw herself ir
the river, the body was carried OF. The
parents of Miss Bedson say that she has
frequently of late wished herself dead
She was subject to spells OF stammering
at such times her speech was very imper
feet, and she would become very much
depressed about it. At such times she
would not unlrequently say ~ wish was
in the bottom Of the river; no one would
marry me, cannot go in company and
there is no pleasure for me-"
Miss Bedson worked at Mrs. Rohars
dress making establishment, and on
Thursday she toldthe girls in the shop
that lone would be missing soon." Last
Sunday she gave away all of the little
trinkets and jeTelry that she had, and ever
many Of her clothes. Itisthought that the
real cause of her suicide, for none doubt
but that she is drowned, came from read,
ing trashy novels and cheap literature
She was M inveteratc reader OF such
stuff. Up to late hour last night the
body had not been recovered.