The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-05-01
DROWNED IN A CULVERT.
TERRIBLE FATE or THE WIFE or AN
EPfsCOI. iLI4N MINIS TER.
Result Of n sersows Raiiroad Accident what
Occurred while ~ weary Husband and
Nurse We're Sleeping Finding che BODY.

Nurse We're slice ping Finding thc Body.
The excitement in the villageof Englcwood,
n j.. over the strange death Of the wife Of the
Rev. J. {. Payne the pastor Of 81. Paul's Prot
cstant Episcopal Church in that town. was un-
abltcd Yesterday. Mrs. Payne was the daugh-
ter oi Mr.. T.. W. Andrews who is President of
the American District Telegraph Company. and
largely Interested in the manufacture of the
Gold and Stock Exchange Geographic instru-
mcnts. He is we'll and widely known among
the prominent professional and mercantile men |
of New York.
Mrs Payne was married to the Rev Mr.. J. G. |
Payne about four years ago. and her brilliant |
abilities and the active assistance that she rem
dcrcd her husband in his pastoral duties soon
gained for hcrthc love and esteem of multi
tudc cf friends She WIS Kind to every one and
no one came to her without receiving practical
aid
About five years ago. while Mrs. Payne was on
her way from New York TO Englewood by n train
on the Northern New Jersey rnilrond. the loco
motive ran on the track at Walton. and she
alone of all the passengers was severely in
jurcd She was connrd To- her bed for many
days on account ui a severe injury OF the spine.
Her complaint WIS 20 troublesome that at
length she was taken TO the hospital ut
Iurty-sccond street and Lexington avenue.
IN New York. There she was subject
ed 10 n spinal tr"atm,nt SIM lhr To
\ red hot needle was passed down her spine She
left the hospital in state ~ convalescence. she
never ragainod her health. however. and slowly
drifted into a state Of mental excitement and
muuumanin. She fanci"d that she was pursued
hy enemies who were ever seeking 10 ilnd her
out. and she often said that she would ON somu
duy gct away from her pursuers and hide her.
self $50 completely that no one would ever ilnd
About a year ago she lost little child and
after that she hceamc more peculiar in her
thoughts and fancicS.
About week ago another child was born to
the Rev Mr. Payne, and In" suffering That his
wife underwent added To- her mental nhvrra.
| ton. The paAior vas constantly by the side ~
| his wifi" until about midnight on saturday. AZ
| that time. wenried with constant WATCHING lac
retired g. his roons and cit nurse 10y the bod
side Of his wife. tn" attendant became sleepy,
and leaving tn" sick woman in dor", went into
AN adjoining room. The nurse soon slumi"rcd,
and Mrs. iaync aros,, and throwing table
street. heavy rain had h~'n falling for many
| hours hut she plunged on through the darkness.
While the nur-r slrtt. MIR. rayne awokc. and
going 10 the beds de OF his wir. found that -ho
was absent. II WIS nearly orlock ia The morn
ing and he run Wildly through the IT., hop w.,
| there was no ropy and then he went into tho
| stormy streets ana aroused his nrighbols.
Soon the tdng- were ~pr"ni through Ito
! looking Tor M" missing woman. Men aiootand
! ON horseback wont east AMI west. and walk a
/ four milr-uf EuEi Wood. Many pee .lr searched
! n ihe goveris nl,d along tue pr'rip'se Of the
] l'il s.i,icH all day. y" one could obtain any
v noon color'i hov Ton Ray, ran cvcitcd
" if tilf NNftNNif Nilft' til AI. II. ~ IiuNll ana
-ild that 10, had seen Mr-. Payne IN the wood.
adjoining tho village. She s0t ON stump.
/ said h'. and when she SAW M" r"iulns toward
] 10 q she arose and ran toward m". Then ran
/ N anu that Wa the last -.w Il her
Alter youuL Ray had tod hs story. Mr.. De-
! mott at once despatched 2 wagon that bore
fifteen or twenty men To- the n'ighhorhood ui
! the wood-. great crowd ~ men and hoys
/ followed the team. When the multitude reached
! the forest no nn" WA 10 i' seen. and the CONE
pany Went d -ronsolntely home
" about o'rlueN ia the afternoon. "A small
] fuffs " nj side street about twenty rNN-
street crl,rrt pas ,.,,i under fle ro,l.ilAd Tho
cui,"rt IL about 80 or Loo feet ia length aud :
! NOT more tlan iwuur three feet below the l,Nol
of the road. A. the party stood al the upper
end 81 IA" culNtu. which ls nvhr ia" bhse 81
lofty hil some on" said:
+ there no rla'e n this neighborhood that
The answer Was, let us look in the culvcrt"
The Rev. Mr.. Puyn" WIS on" 81 the PARTY. and
Hunter rrnovrd several oi the fiag-ion,- Ait.r
the man had removed the stones from, the cen-
down through the sand and rubbish that nllci
/ the water course and he upfurned pirc" IT
"f Mr.. iaynd was di'-.iSscd. Word Wa. al
4,n.g sgni To VI, Jnii'7"n thr rhi'I OF me
WIS necessary to obtain his nrrmi~~'"n
hiure tie iu,l> might Ne removed. II" 'aue
utudo Ia the home ui Mr. PAYNE. Then an
alarm WIS sounded from the bell IN the h,fry
of tfle Presbyterian church. AMI ~ tue lnui
notes rang over Inc country me iwimrn AMI
hoi-rmon who Ind been securing ths WOODS
and fields cum" slowly in and gathered about
Dr. Eallwiii ,NUnm"d the body and said that
Mr.. Payne had probably died about twelve
hours before.
some tim" ago Mr.. PAYNE had said frequently
Ia her att. niunt II | g-t away once more. you
won't lsf nhl' 10 find mo. tell Won that
II l~ believed that after -ne uult the hou-" she
ran up tine street 10 thr mouth ~ thc rulNrrt
and driven by her insane fancy that -omr one
WIS pursuing her, she crawled INTO the me- uih
II tbs culN,r r. and then, rhoked 10y the flood IT
water that came down upon her, her body WIS
carried further ami further INTO the drain. until
It WAT caught in Tho sand and debris.
Early in the morning boy had come to the
mouth of the culyert and said that he believed
that MrS, Payn'S body was IN the dram. lie
he was withheld by the people who had gnth b.
cred about the place. II Is now thought that Il
Ice had boon permitted 10 10 IN MR. Payne
would have been rescued.
During ihr day all thee churches in Engcwood
wrrr deserted. Nearly tho cntirecn ngrcgntiuns
of each place of worship were searching FOR the
missing mdv. The Rev Mr.. Payne has b,ru in
I charge OF ST Iauls Church tor about seven
years The church is "A low. Gothic rcd stone
building on Inglr street, in the most fashionable
/ part of En.leWppd. the rretory il "A large two
story bu,ldng Of Gothic architecture and stands
IN a Long slpping. grassy yard tnHt adJons the
Mrs Payne. who IS described as beautiful md
accomplished. was about 80 years old. Her
! husband is about -. II ~ not believed that ~hp
intended To commit suicide" hut that Sh" was
imprisoned in the eulvcrt by he oncomng
flood that the spring rains sent down upon her,
She -oni word 10 u workman IN the ne.ghbor-
hood asking HIM 10 came L. the nous" at vnco
| ana ~. q dry ditch between the house and tho
church Sh" said that IN" ditch must be- four
feet wide. "ight feet long. aud many feet deep
that she had many valuh.s that she wished 10
hide with great care. The workman did not
Tho iunernl OF Mrs, PAYNE is to be from her
house on "Wednesday morning.
NOTES OFFERED .iT 4 DISCOUNT.