The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-04-23
Tragedy in Hannibal.
A Suicide Committed with Terri
BILE Earnestness and DeliberatiOn.
From, the Hannibal Clipper of Thursday.

p'tiN Va ~
fount. in Bear creek, ut tho foot of Fifth
street, opposite the Badger State Lum-
Der yard. The Clipper reporter has
tened to the spot and found that the ter
rible news was too true, for theIc, float
inc on the water, with the back OF the
head and 4 portion of the clothing visi-
bic, was the body of Il III At the
edge of the water Was 4 stake driven in
the ground, to which u cord was attach
ell to the corpse, or cOrpscs. a lew
persons bp this time had collected 1T
the spot, and 4 short distance back was
a little boo weeping violently, in COM
pany with Elder Challener, of the
Church, who was ~enGeayoring to con-
sole him. This little boy, about twelve
wears of AGE. was named Willie Irwin,
and it wa his mother and only little Sis
ter. Lottie, about five years Of age, who
were sleeping their last sleep in the
cold and muddy waters. Willie said
| that his mother, Mrs. +. L.. Irwin, in
company with his little sister Lottie, left
home about Z O'Clock last night, and he
asked his mother where she was going.
The ONLY answer she made was that She
| would he back soon, requesting him to
| STAY at home until she returned. The
body of the child had not yet been seen,
| but there seemed to be Il settled con
| yict;on with all present that it had shar-
ed the fate of the mother. Mrs. Irwin
| or the little girl did not return home
during the night, and that fact being re-
ported to the neighborS, suspicious were
aroused, and this morning, a few min
utes before 9 o'clock, NJ, ssrs, L. ). Hal
Ger and James MunsOn discovered q
woman's tracks going to the water ut
this point. They saw the rope attach
ed to the stake, which at first appeared
to them to be Il trot line. Taking hold
of the rope, the body Of the woman at
| once floatcd to the surface.
This morning the following letter, adj
dressed to Mrs. G. \. Smith, Sedalia.
Mo-, who is Il sister Of Mrs. Irwin, by
whom the letter was written, was found.
The letter was in pencil mark, and Is
supposed to have been written late yes
terday evening. At its commencement
the hand seems to have been firm and
steady. but at its close the writing indl-
Gated that it trembled violently. The
letter is IT'S follows:
My DEAR SISTER, feel rs if | had
| rather die than live. Do not grievc after
me. What is life when it is Il drag like
mine. Willie thinks he will 90 to Mr..
,Johnson'S to live. | wish You would
take him. 1t would he too much en-
pensr for Mr.. Smith 10 take charge of
my business, but | want Mr.. Smith to
see that Mr.. Johnson does right. If YOU
lived here | would rather YOU would take
tull control of it. and wish you would,
if you can. But if YOU do not want to,
let Johnson do it; and if you do take
Willie to live with you, make him learn
to work. Put him at some trade; also,
make him mind you and do what Is
! ri~ht. Oh. do try to make 4 useful man
Of him. 1t is IN awful thing to think OF
me taking my life. but | have made Il
hcrrar of myself. Do not grieve after
me, but forgive me and forget me, for
have made a total wreck of myself and
| children. f. L. IRWIN.
p. S.-Carroll. take what few wear
| inc clothing have, and take some OF
the bed clothing. If Willie lives with
YOU. take al! of the bed clothing; any
thing Won want. take it. My spoons
are in Willie's trunk; You keep them
for him. Oh, forgive me-forgive me.
f l.. ERWIN
Several hundred persons had now
gathered at the edge of the water,
waiting eagerly for further develop
ments. Coroner Dick appeared with a
Jury, the rope vas drawn in. and then
the horrible fact was revealed that The
mother had become cXccutiOner OF her
child. for there in her arms, the two
bodies bound securely together by the
rope, the check of the little girl resting
ON her mothers. were the two bodies,
purple, swollen and cold in death.
The water here was but little over I
feet deep; the binding of the bodies to-
gcther, and attaching the rope to the
Stake. showed Il will and dcliberatenesS
of purpose by the mother. in this des-
perate deed, truly remarkable.
The INQUEST.
The bodies were examined by Drs.
Lamb and Clayton. and no marks OF
violence found. Mr.. Craig was sworn
and stated as follows:
..NIrS. Irwin came to my house last
Monday morning. She said while there
she was in so much trouble. she didn't
want to live. She said she had thought
over everything. and had q great mind
to make away with ferself. [ thought
she was one of the best women in Han
nibal. and before her trouble / thought
she was a strong minded woman. Last
Monday morning she had just received
Il letter from the man she was to have
married last fall, and this seemed to
have troubled her more than ever. This