Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-09-30
LOCAL AFFAIRS.


YOUNG WoAANs BODY FOUND N TER CHRISTI
ANA-wAe 1T SUICIDE 2-rsoUreT ny THE COZ.
! oEER, LAST EVENING.
On Friday afternoon, between and 9 clock,
as Captain Edward Blizzard was crossing from
Pennsgrove to this city in skiff, lie saw in
the Christiana, just below the month Of tho
Brandywine, some object floating in the water
Thinking at first that 1T was dog, he rowed
toward it, and found to lis horror that it was
the head OF human body, the hair on
which, done up with hair-pins, showed
TO be that OF \ woman. The
steamboat ..Fel'on bad just passed. and The
body was floating in the "wake' 80 that it may
have been brought to the surface by the passage
OF the boat Capt. Blizzard attached line TO /,
drew it aboard, and brought it to tie city. Il
was then taken in charge by Coroner Groves.
and recognized as the body OF Mary Jane Grribb
young woman 2s to 80 years old, the daughter
OF Thomas Is. Grubb, farmer residing on rhs
toulk road in Brandywine Hundred. She had
been missing since Sunday night last when che
left the house Of Wm. g. Pierce, 1902 King at,
m N TINS city, to go to Brandywine NJ. T. Church in
Fox, undertaken, Sixth and shipley streets, when
the following facts were ELECTED
DR.. A. H. G.imshAw testified to making & kr.
pericial examination Of the body, but found no
marks of violence. The eyelids we're lAcerated
and torn, caused probably by being propelled
with the face downward over gravel, or it might
have been caused by boat passing overit. The
email bono in the right eye socket connecting
with the nose was crushed. but the bridge of the
nose was firm. The body had the appearance OF
having been in tue water 4 or 6 days, and had
lost its rigidity.
Captain Edward Blizzard testified to tho find.
ing of the body az already noted.
William G. Pierce said the deceased came to
his house on Wednesday, the 18th, and stayed
there until Sunday evening last. On that even
ing she started about 81 O'Clock to go to prayer
meeting in the Brandywiue NJ. l.. church. Not
returning, the family remained up to late hour
for her, and finally concluded that she had gone
to her fathers. Upon inquiry from her mother
in market on Wednesday it was ascertained that
she had not been at home, and upon further in
quiry it Was ascertained that she had not been
seen at church on Sunday evening. She com
planned of head ache on Saturday or Sunday,
but WAS cheerful in the evening, ate a hearty
supper. and talked with the children before start
ing for church. Do not think she did the
deed herself, for she was always afraid
Of dying. She never lad any company" WAS
aged about 28 or so, and never known to
take walk down tho Brandywine. Though sho
was sometimes queer, she was not crazy or in
sane. She WAS as right as could be when she
left for church.
William d. Wiley testified that he cuther shoe
strings, they being tied together, but not around
the ankle, when the body was found
Rebecca A. Webster WAS a near neighbor, and
knew the deceased or years ago. She was
very quiet pions girl, and Swas often unwell but
not crazy. She had bad spell OF brain fever
about years ago, and WAS out OF her head Mt
that time, but considered her no more insane
than other people,
William q. Tsley, and Rachel A. Tslley cor
roborated Mrs. Webster.
William G. Pierce, being recalled at the in
stance of juror, said SHE was not insane when
she left for church, but he did not know What
the state of her mind might have been half M
hour afterwards. She WAS sometimes subject
to spells, and would talk lightly.
1t seems that II the unfortunate girl commit
ted suicide, she must have done 30, upon cross
ing tho Branoywine, on her way to church. Her
feet being tied together sugsesta the idea Of
foul play, but there WAS no other evidence OF
this, aud she probably, with the desperate pur-
pose of the moment, stopped down and fastened
her shoe-strings before taking the fatal plunge.
One thing is to be remarked-that the body,
when found was not much swollen, nor decom-
posed. Undertaken Fox expressed tho opinion
| TINT it could not have been in the water since
Sunday night i. would have be~n Eek more de-
composed. The probability js. hoEever. that, 1t
has boon, and that II the suicide was eoumitfed
on Sunday evening, the body has been floating,
since, down the Brandywine to The CnristianA.
/ The only additional evidence offered was
that OF DR.. E. G. Shortlidge, who was the family
physician in 1871, Mt which time he WAS called
npon to render medical assistance to Miss
Grubb in an attack of brain fever. He thought
that she WAS mentally deranged, and had been
Sc before her sickness.
He gave it ss his opinion that the lady conf
mitted suicide under one Of those insane spells.
There being no other evidence, the jury after
| some deliberation, came to the conclusion that
Miss Grubb committed suicide, and rendered
verdict accordingly.
The funeral of deceased took place from the
nndertakers office, at Sixth and Shipley streets,
on Saturday afternoon A large number OF re-
remains to silosm cemetery, where they were
inferred,