The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-12-24
SUICIDE.
Amelia KIevis Hangs Herself Durin.
n Fit OF Lunacy.

Amelia klevfs Hangs herseii Ds
n Fit OF Lnnacy.
Saturday evening, about five o'clock, a
rumor was circulated on the streets thaI
a suicide had been committed at LOUIS
Swsbacker's, No. 1861 Main street, ana
immediately a REGISTER reporter was
dispstched hither to ascertain the facts.
Long before the reporter arrived al tne
place great crowd had gathered IN
front of the store eager to get G limpse
of the unfortunate, who was Amelia
Klevis, q domestic employed by Mrs.
Swabacker. The fatal deed was committed
in the cellar of the residence, where TIE
Girl had gone some time during the
afternoon and tied small cotton rope
about one.fourth of an inch IN size,
through knot hole in one o! the Jolst, IN
such a manner as to allow the two ehds
to hang down sufficiently far to tie
around her neck. She then put some
cotton cloth around her neck, IN order TO
prevent the rope making mark IL the
flesh, and then stood upon small dry
goods box and tied the rope about her
neck in such a way as to bring the knot
directly under her chin. After every
thing had been completed, she kicked
the box from under herself and
SWUNG INTO ETERNITY.
g She was not missed by any member OF
the family-as all were busy during the
afternoon in the store-until about b
o'clock, her usual hour 10 begin to pre-
pare supper. Upon visiting the kitchen,
MIR. Swsbacker did not find the girl, and
consequently begun to look about
the house and call for her to "get sup
per-" After having called her number
of times without having had response,
he begun to go about the house and ex.
anime the rooms for her. Still he could
not find her, but thought that she had
gone out to purchase some Christmas
gift In the meantime Mrs Swabacker
Informed her husband that 'Mely had
not gone out, as she never left the door
open which led into the cellar from the
kitchen. Thinking probably that she
might be in the cellar, he descended and
called 'Mely several times. Hearing no
answer, and upon looking around he
found
THE OBJECT OF HIS SEARCH
suspended from q joice just to the right
of the foot of the stairs. AT once he
gave the alarm, and Squire Caldwell was
notified OF the fact. The Squire empan-
neled the following jury: Major a lder-
son, Foreman, Joshua Burnley, j. b.
Russell, George Lohes, Joseph Price,
Emanuel Blum. l.. f. Stitel, Godfrey
Winzenreid, Daniel Schambra, Charles
Buckley, l. 9. Carpenter and John Gold
enberg, all OF whom went to the cellar
where the girl was still hanging, and
there viewed the corpse after 1t had been
cut down. After an examination by
DR.. T. B. Campbell. who was called in,
it was ascertained that the victims neck
had not been broken, but that she died
from strangulstion. From the cellar the
coroners Jury adjourned to the kitchen
above, and then heard the statement OF
Mr.. Swabacker rs given above. The
statement of another witness corrobo-
rated what Mr.. S. gave. The verdict OF
the Jury was that "Amelia Klevls came
to her death by her own hand while
laboring unGer fit of insanity"
1t was shown on evidence that about
two months ago the girl showed
SIGNS OF INSANITY,
and gradually grew worse in the meian-
choly spells which came upon her. She
was induced to 60 TO DR.. Olmsted who
prescribed for her, and she at once began
to grow better, until her friends
had hopes that she would thoroughly re-
cover. When suffering with this spell Mr..
Swsbacker told her that she had better
90 home, but the girl cried and said it
would kill her. She remained at Mr..
SIS and improved very much until
about two weeks ego, when she began to
have melancholy spells and would talk
of Samheimmer, who suicljed some time
ago. About eight or ten DAYS ago she
visited the residence of Officer Baum, oil
the Eighth ward, and asked Mrs. Baum
what she thought OF Samhelmmer's death
by suicide. Mrs Baum remOE strated with
aEd told her that it was wrong. Shortly
afterwards she was talking with her step
mother, who resides Al No. 1923 Eof
street. and told her there was some money
in her trunk and how 1t could be found II
anything should happen. She gave the
money to her step-mother and said that
the clothing she had was fer a small
sister. Poison was found IN tho girls
trunk by her step mother, who scolded
her for having it about. 1t was thrown
away and the girl promised not TO allow
herself to get any more. On many oc-
cssions she has been heard to remark
that she was tired OF this world
that il had used her so bad,
that she wanted to die. That
she intended committing the terrible
act, is q self evident fact. rs she had
made sill preparations possible. She Is
spoken OF MS having been II good and in
dustrious girl, sDd VOL liked by Ill who
knew her. A streak of insanity is traced
back through her mothers family. Her
mother was in the asylum about nineteen
years ago, and died SIX or seven years Al
forwards, not IN the asylum but on Eotf
street between Thirty-sixth ana Thirty
senth streets. The suicide would have
been Il years of age on the 18th OF Feb.
ruary, had she lived until that date. The
remains were removed ut s o'clock to her
step mothers house from which they
will be inferred to-day.