Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-11-19
A Sad Story.

A LOST VIRGINIA GIRL SHOOTS HERSELF
THROUGH THE HEART IN NEw YORK
END OF TWO BAD LIvEs-THE WAGES
OF SIN IS DEATH,
&C., &C., &c.
On Tuesday evening last, at ITS Fifth
Avenue, New York city, q young girl
named Minnie Roane, natiyeof Virginia,
committed suicide 10y shooting herself
through the heart. The n. Y, ':Sun" Of
Wednesday says:
AS far dis can be asceltained, Miss Roane
came to New York from Richmond, Va,
about tuur years ago, leaving two brothers
Ill iier native Town, and Il married sister III
Baltimore. Twelve months ago she met
Mi. Tnomas b. Whitney, wealthy and
extensively KNOWN brewer, and became at
taclled to him. He engaged handsome
suite Ut apartments i'll the Fifth Avenue
Building" furnished them elegantly, aud
began 10 keep house with Miss Koane.
They had one servant, d colored woman,
VINO describes their life as having been en-
tirely unrutlied, each seeming to- be devoted
to the Uther. Miss Roane, however, was
undoubtedly quick tempered, and exceed
ingly jealous, frequently upDraiding Mr..
Whitney for his aLtentiu II to other women.
She seems, also, to have distrusted herself.
for on several occasions she begged the
colored servant not to leave her alone.
AT tie Inquest Mr.. Whitney testified In
regard to the suicide. He SAID that Tues
day evening he returnei home to No. us
Fifth avenue about his usual time, and had
"a conversation With Miss koane about an
hour before dlnner-tllne: her name Was
Be ty Roane, DuL She Went by the lame OF
Mnugee; size spoke Of Il lady he used to
vlSlL, and became excited, but soon cooled
down; and they afterwards dlileu together
as usual, drinking several glasses Ut beer
dun ing tue meal: after uInneI he rested on
a lounge Ill tile parlor, When she told nln
size wanted some chestnuls; he told her TO
send out l0r SUlle, and lie vent to sleep;
he WAS iiWoke by Miss Roane, who Said,
s'Iom, you don'b Care for lne; got up and
laid down on the bed iii the next room and
fell asleep; WAS aNoke u second time by
Miss Roane, who said, tom, II you don u
get UP now and take me III your arms you
will regreG it forever; he SAID, "M1ngee,
don't bother me-" aud again fell asleep,
and soon after he heard THE report OF II
pistol. and went into the parlor and found
her lying on the sofa: he said, "Mngre,
my God! have you Shot your5elf!'' but she
did not answer, and gasped for BREATH; lie
rang the bell TOR the colured servant, anu
Went to the Fifth Avenue HoCel for d doc
tor: Miss Roane was frequently low
spirited, and was OF a nervous and exc table
disposition; they had always been on good
| terms, and SHE had often SAID, 'Tom, if
lose Your afectio.. can never allow my
self TO live;n when he first saw her he no.
ticed pistol lying by her side, AID found
her dress near tile breast burned and blood
stained.
This testimony was subs tantlated by that
of the servant woman, aud the jury RETURN
ed Il verdict OF sef-iiif1icted death.
The body OF the dead girl was packed in
ice i'll the back room OF the undertaken s,
at No. st Sixth avenue. She was bru-
nette, about Il Years of age. Her features
were small and regular, aad her eyes were
large and dark. Her nair Was black and
plainly dressed back from her face.
THE FL NERAL.
The funeral took place at an undertaker'S
in that city on Thursday morning. The
body Was con tanned in Il polished rosewood
coffin, the handsomeSt, the undertaken said :,
that they had ever furnished for IL funeral
The inside Was lined til white satin,
plated to resemble q rising sun. Tie
mountings were of massive solid silver, and
on the plate were the following words:
"Mingee Roanes died November 9, 1875,
aged twenty-one years.
Mr. Whitney, Miss Roane's lover, SEEM
ed utterly broken down, and for Il long
time was unable to control his emotions
sufficiently to strew the blossoms sci cted
from the profusion Of flowers that had been
sent by his friends. The chief mourner
is probably thirty years of age, about
the medium height, and rather slight an.
delicate He is something more than good
looking. His father, a handsome, digni-
fled old gentleman, having been summoned
from his home i'll Philadelphia on Wednes-
day, stood yesterday with his son beside
the coffin. He had contributed largely to
the elaborate floral display that covered
the lid after it had been closed, and en-
numbered the room in which the funeral
services were performed. There were
CT, sses, broken pillars. harps, crowns and
anchors, constructed OF tute roses, japon-
icas, lilies calnelias and vioiets, all with
cards attached bearing the names of the
gvers. One superb column stood four
feet high, and besides the coffin stood
cross and an anchor valued at $50 each.
There were many friends, but not
single relative OF the dead girl at the cere-
mony. kilograms had been sent to her
kinstolks in Baltimore us well as in Rich
mond, Va, but elected no answer. About
twenty persons listened to the funeral ser
vices, conducted by Rev. Nathaniel w.
Conkling, pastor of the Rul gers Presby-
terrain Church. After the services Mr..
head, the co1fin was closed and The funeral
coltege Of five or six carriages moved away
to Greenwood Cemetery.
WHO SHE WAS.
A Richmond IVA J letter to the New
York ''Herald'' contributes the following
information in regard to the unfortunate
young girl who, in a fit of jealousy or an
ger, committed suicide at No. $50, Fifth
avenue. New York, on Tuesday evening:
"Minnie Roane was native of King
William county, in this State, and belong
ed to one OF the most noted f. +. VS..
Her parents were related closely to the
family of Hon. ,Vm Roant, former goY-
eInor Of Virginia, and her grand uncle was
a judge of the State Court Of Appeals, and
at one time a United States Senator. Her
mother died while herself and a sister
named Belle were quite young, to which
may probably be attributed the cause of
their misfortnnes and terrible fateS. About
six years ago these two girls, Minnie and
Belle, ran away from their home in King
William county, with the avowed inten-
ton of beginning Il life of shame and mis-
cry. They were puri ued, however. and
with the aid OF some distant relatives liv-
ing in this city were captured and return
ed to their home, where, for time they
were kept under the strictest surveillance.
AS soon as this was relaxed they escaped
again, and bent upon leading life of sin
they entered houses of ill-fame in this city.
Minnie left her nearly three years ago
and went to st. Louis, and from thence to
New Yorr, where her history since is we'll
known. Her sister, went to Baltimore,