The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-12-24

Dist. esssiisG Gccurrencc-A To.sn. wo-
man Leaps from the Fifth STORY Of
the POwhatan Factory.
On Saturday last, shortly after noon, q
man passing in view OF the Powhatan cot.
ton factory, at Powhatan, Baltimore county,
was horrified sat seeing O young woman ap-
pear ut window of the fifth story of that
lofty building and suddenly throw herself
out. The windows of this story recedng
some distance from the line of the lower
stories, the unfortunate woman first struck
the slopiug roof and then, making several
bounds, pitched forward sheer over the
caves of the factory, and plunged down
sixty-iive feet to the ground, where she
struck upon her feet with such force as to
drive the heels of her shoes some inches
into the firm soil, and then fell forward,
striking her head violently against the solid
earth, receiving horrible wounds upon her
forehead, and also breaking both wrists.
Strange to say, the poor creature was not
instantly killed, but actually rose from the
ground and staggered to the factory steps,
where she fell unconscious. In the mean
time Henry Dittman, the man who saw her
jump from the window, ran 10 that side CT
the mill and found the unfortunate woman
lying upon the steps insensible. Dittman
Immediately gave the alarm, and in few
moments she was surrounded by crowd Of
Mortified and sympalhizing employees, who
conveyed her to her boarding house, near
By, where she received the aid of Doctor
Fields aud Monmonicr, who pronounce.
her case hopeless. Portions OF glass
bottle, gravel, and other hard substances
had been driven into her wounds, and
in addition to q number OF cuts and bruises
about the body, her right arm was broken in
two places, and both wrists were fractured.
In FILLING she struck piece Of bottle, which
was driven into her head, and fractured her
skull. Three of her right ribs were broken,
and CHASTITY scalp wound, nearly four inches
III length, extends across her forehead. In
addition to the external injuries, she is also
supposed to lave received serious internal
hurt. After being removed to her boarding.
house on Saturday afternoon she remained
In an unconscious condition until yester-
day morning, when she became conscious,
and NJ intervals talked with her friends.
Yesterday evening, however, She again be-.
came unconscious, and her physicians lave
no hope Of her recovery.
The name Of the poor creature is Julia
Wheeler, u young woman of about twenty
two years of age, who for some years past
has been regarded as one of the most steady
and reliable employees about the factory.
From all the circumstances it would seem
that Miss Wheeler must have been acting
under the influence Of some great secret
grief or alteration OF the mind, as there can
be no doubt that her terrible fall was not ac-
cidental. One week ago last Friday, after
she had finished her days work, about p.
NJ, she went to her clearinghouse, kept
by very worthy German lady named Mrs.
Mary Henry, and finding that her tea was
not ready remarked to Mrs. Henry that she
would 60 out little while and would soon
be back. 1t seems, however, that she did
not return, and nothing further was heard
of her until the morning of Sunday follow
ing, when it was learned that she was ut the
house of her sister, Mrs. Fucker, who re-
sides in Hartford county, about fourteen
miles distant from Powhatan mills. She had
arrived at her sisters house about II o'clock
on Friday night, having walked thither du-
ring the night in her daily working-dreSs.
1t is perhaps needless to say that her sister
was astonished at her unexpected arrival.
Miss Wheeler only explained her visit
by saying that she was stirred and weary
of the life she led": nothing more could
be learned, and she remained at her
sisters house, and seemed TO be en-
loIlODNi, ulllll CuultttJ dilClu Oou,
when she returned with her friends to her
clearinghouse. On Monday she resumed
her work in the warping-room, as usual,
and continued steadily employed until the
occurrence of Saturday last. On this day it
seems that Mrs. Henry, the lady with whom
she boarded, bad sent her dinner to her.
The other employees in the warping-room had
ali left the room except an intimate friend of
Miss Wheeler, named Miss Ellen Martin,
who asked Miss Wheeler what troubled her.
Miss Wheeler said, More than she could
tell" Miss Martin then left the room, and
it was whilst Miss Wheeler was thus alone
that she committed the rash act.
Miss Wheeler has no relatives except an
elder sister, who, as before stated, is the
| wife of wcll-tO-do farmer in Hartford coun-
ty named James Tucker. Her father and
| mother died when she was seven years of age,
and since that time she has lived with Mrs.
Henry, who looks upon her rs a daughter.
| Miss Wheeler'S friends have noticed that for
| the past month or two she seemed out of
| spirits and did not look as well Us usual. For
| the past two years she has been under pro-
| mise Of marriage to L huckster named Leo
pold Monte, who lives in Baltimore county,
| about four miles from Powhatan mills.
Monte is lorty-eight years Of age. The mar
riage has been postponed twice On account
of reluctance on the part of Miss Wheeler.
In last September il was postponed I'M
til january, 1874. Monte was sent for
on sunday morning, and was at the bedside
of Miss Wheeler from Sunday afternoon until
last night. The terrible occurrence seems
to have almost deprived him Of his reason.
Mrs. Tucker, the married sister OF the un-
fortunate gill, was also a close attendant.
When Miss Wheeler first regained conscious
ness yesterday morning she denied having
thrown herself from the window. She
finally acknowledged it to her sister, and
said in cxtenuatlon that 'she had more
trouble than she could bear" Her sister
asked her what led her to commit the rash
act. She answered that she had great
trouble at her heart, and it would be better,
perhaps, to keep it there."-BaH'n1ore
american, 23d.
JAMES L. kEMPER, GovERSoR-ELEcT OF
bo I'll 10 illDStr0tiOO