The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-03

THE STORY OF THE SELF DESTRUCTION OF MRS.
MURRAY-A BEAUTIFUL wIpow HANGS HER
sELF-oEE VERSION OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES
ORANGE COUNTY GREATLY EXCITED. !
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.I !,
HiLLsBoRo', n. c., July 1, 1873. 7
Orange county has never had such sem
sation as that caused by the suicide of Mrs.
Maria Murray. of which the Dispatch has
been advised in few words by telegraph.
On the day of the suicide there was public
execution. but that occurrence exerted no
interest whatever In comparison with the
suicide.
MrS. Murray resided in Orange county
about four miles from HilSboro'. She was
the widow Of Mr.. William Murray. an
esteemed citizen. She was about twenty.
eight years old, handsome and wealthy, and
before her marriage an acknowledged belle.
Her social position was Of the best. and her
family connections are influential and en-
te lsivc.
Mr.. Murray died about two years ago,
leaving four small Children. Previous to his
death he employed on his plantation man
named White. OF Person county, lis over
seer. or "cropper.' White is married, and
had the reputation of being fellow of low
.uIu VIC Hulll~, Dul llt wen
enough until the death of Mr.. Murray
After that event he began paying attention
to Mrs. Murray. and their intimacy, not
withstanding the disparity of their social
positions and the marriage of White, became
the subject Of much scandal. Mrs. Murray,
hearing of it, made White move out of the
kitchen, which he had been occupying, and
build house for his own use on another
nf fhp pinptntinp Shp tbnn RI
Mrs. White, who she understood had circu-
lated evil reports about her, and finding her
ut home, drew a pistol, and threatened TO
quiet her jealousy by shot. But Mrs
White was not scared and dared her to do
her worst; whereupon Mrs. Murray pocketed
the pistol and left the house.
About two weeks ago the rumorS in re-
gard to White and Mrs. Murray were more
painfully prominent than ever. and White
suddenly disappeared. Mrs. Murray then
announced her intention TO commit suicide,
and attempted to destroy herself, first by
laudanum, then by cutting her throat, and
then by hanging, but each time she was
foied. Her friends then established kind
Of guard over her, and one or more OF
them stayed with her all the time. On Sun
day night last Il Mrs. Brown WAS with her.
and they occupied the same bed. In the
night Mrs. Brown suddenly awoke and
found that her friend had escaped. Search
was immediately instituted, but not until
there had been considerable delay, caused by
having TO send 10 i neighbours for light,
there being no matches in the house. At
length the body of Mrs. Murray was found
in the garnet. \ hank Of yarn, tied
tightly about her neck, WIS attached to Il
hook in the ceiling. She had stood
with one foot on chair and the other on a
chair while adjusting the moose, and had
then dropped between them. When the
discovery was made the body was quite
warm, life not being extinct. and it is posi-
BILE that rcsuSctation was then possible: but
those who found it were SO unnerved by the
sight that Instead of cutting the body down
they ran out 10 call in the neighbors, and
when they arrived Mrs. Murray was dead
from sutlocation.
The coroner's jury have as yet rendered
no verdi t and have adjourned until the 9TH
instant. In the mean time it is hoped that
White will he found, MAX