Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-01-23


al will be charged.
\ STRANGE SuICIDE.-On Thursday night
about lO3O o'clock. Miss Isabella Titus,
beautiful and accomplished krN, eightee,, yeasss
of age, committed suicide AZ No. IS West
Twenty fourth street, by shooting herself
through the head Two months ago she ar
rived in this city from her home in Petfer,
Mass, on a visit to her sister, Mrs Gertrude
Galloway, who boards at the house named.
FOR the past four weeks she had been at times
extremely i'll, and occasionally depressed in
spirits, although she was naturally of cheer
tul, happy disposition. She made several re-
marks which ut the time sounded strange to
her friends, but did not raise their suspicious
that she was mcditating Selt.destructlon.
\ few days ago she was walking with her
sister in Broadway Her dress was dragging
in the mud, and her attention being called to
the fact, she said in tone of great depression
1T makes no difference; shall never wear it
again She had pistol of the Smith \
WcsSnn pattern, which friend in Massachu-
>cttS, with whom she had been accustomed to
.hoo, at target, had given her last summer,
Int although the fact ot her possession OF the
weapon was we'll known to her friends. 1t dld
uot raise any alarm, especially as they believed
~he had no cartridges to load 1t with.
On Thursday Miss Titus was out shopping
nearly all day, and after returning home about
: d clock in the evening was observed TO DE very
much depressed in mind. As Mr.. Galloway.
her brother in law, was going up stairs shortly
after O clock he heard a sound which seemed
10 he the click Of pistol in the room OF Miss
Titus and on reaching his own room he sand
Ia his wife that Isabella was loading her pistol.
Mrs Galloway replied chat it could not be, as
she had no cartridges. This incident passed
without further remark. and later in the even
ins Miss Titus was in the parlor, where num-
Der OF friends OF the family were assembled,
but her sadness was not noticed at the Tune.
About 1890 o clock she left the room, blddlDg
the company good-by, aud adding. i shall see
YOU no more, as | am going home tomorrow
The remark seemed strang, as she had not
previously announced her intention. and Mrs.
Galloway accompanied her TO her room and then
entered her own, Miss Titus ;hen ran down
stairs again to the parlor, and said Goodnight
very plaintively 10 Mrs Lewis, another sister also
visiting at the house, after which she went up
stairs again alone, and sitting at the top oi the
flight from the third to the iOurl h floor; with her
vct resting on the first step, placed the muzzlc
Of her revolver to her right temple ana hred'
The noise alarmed the house, and Mrs GALLO
way, rushing from her room, stumbled over
the PROSTATE and bleeding form OF the llsen,
sibie lady stretched upon the floor at the head
of the stairs All the inmates OF the house
were in a moment gathered at the scene OF the
tragedy, and among them, Dr. }. +. Pray,
who has an office in the house, but he saw at
glance that she was beyond surgical ad Inc
bullet had evidently entered the brain, and
the unconscious but still breathing girl was car
ried into the room of her sister, where, IN an
hour afierward, she expired without having
returned to consciousness.
Coroner Herman, assisted by DR.. John
ftor IulI an
tie ease aud the facts which have been nara
ted having been elected. verdict OF death by
suicide was rendered, and the remains then de-
'iycrel to the friends by whom they were last
evening taken to Massachusetts tor burial.
Deceased who was possessed OF the most un-
hlcmished character was intending in short
time to return to Detroit, which was her native
place and where she had spent some time ID
the Convent of the Sacred Heart about year
ago. Her father died some few months ago,
leaving all of his family IN easy circumstances.
~. \. Times.
A MYSTERIOUS AssAssIN.-An unusual de-
gree OF excitement at present exists at ot
Johns College, Fordham Wesehestcr county,
y. T.. owing to the alleged circumstances that
rcpcated attempts have been made by unknown
individuals to assassinate young student from
St Louis, named Benoit. 1t seems that about
:wo weeks ago Benot was awakened from ms
sumbers by cold hand inserted under the bed
clothing and cropping cautiously over. his chest
rs though to find ont the precise location OF the
heart. Through the dim moonlight the stu
dent distinctly beheld the figure Of a man stand
ing by his bedside, and, at once graphing with
the intruder. he shouted Justify for assistance ;
but the unknown being, possessed OF superior
muscular ability, hurled Benoit back upon the
bed and succeeded in making his escape. 1t IS
asserted that next morning long slmrp-polnt
cd knife OF stillctto was found near the bed oc
cupied by the student Between and 0 clock
on Thursday morning the student was again
aroused by the movements Of strange man at
his bedside On his raising an alarm however,
the mysterious visitor rushed out OF the room.
In his flight from the building he was encoun-
tered by the night watchman, who seized the
stranger and at once shouted Tor assistance.
The dcsperado having threatened to shoot the
watchman unless he reliuquished his hold, fired
his pistol, and then by a powerful effort broke
away from his custodian The watchman was
not injured. 1t is said that an attempt was
n"ja r, ,s 70 nE. Rcnot life while he was staying
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel last autumn No
motive can be assigned for the intcnted sacrl-
flee of the student
LONGEVITY. The New York Times men
lions rs instances Of vigorous old age cx Secre-
,arv Seward, who is buslly engaged III writing
his autobiography; Wm. Cullen Bryant, the
veteran editor of the New ! ork Evening Post;
jeremiah S. Black, who still continues his legal
practice: Caleb Cushing the lawyer-staatesman'
who is about to depart for Geneva as the couu.
>rloEthe United States in the Alabama claims
arlitration: Chas. Matthews, the actor: ana
others, to prove that the hustle and connpeli!o'i
and complicated organization OF modern SocetS
are nor 50 fatal to longevity as is generally sup
,o-.d in eases where temperance OF living Is
observed: that no hard work or activity OF intel
I"c, imperil life but the waste which comes from
vicious habits and wild exccsses. THIS We" OF
the subject is probably correct; for although
the eminent examples mentioned come down