Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-05-04
Singular Suicide Of q Shaker
Mother and Her Daughter.

Singular Suicide Of q Shaker
Mother and Her Daughter.
Cincinnati Commercial.
EARLY on Tuesday evening two women.
who were supposed to be sisters, applied Il,
the Farmers Hotel for accommodation.
The elder registered her name as Sallit
Dill, and that of her companion as Ida
May Dill. A room was assigned to them,
and they returned about half past six
O'Clock and retired. About nine O'Clock
the two went out again and returned about
an hour later The elder notified the clerk
that they were weary, having travelled
considerably, and wished to be called at
eleven o'clock the next day.
At the appointed time a servant raped
at the door and received no answer. He
raped repeatedly, and while be was listen
ing for response he thought he heard
woman groaning. The door was broken
open, and the two women who had engaged
the room were fourd lying on the bed to-
gether The elder was in front, breathing
heavily and unconscious. The younger one
by her side lay with her face to the wall,
dead. On the floor was found bottle Ia
belled "Morphia, which was empty. Both
were dressed. they having only removed
their hats ard combs before lying down.
The breathing woman, IN a c0matOse con-
dition, was removed to the Cincinnati
Hospital, where she died three-quarters of
an hour after her arrival there.
Fourteen years ago there came to the
Shaker settlement of Whitewater, six
miles from Harrison and one mile from
New Haven in this county "a young woman,
who, with her infant daughter in her arms,
sought refuge from world in which she
had met nothing but treachery and disap-
pointment. The father of her child, who
had refused to marry her, was the son of a
wealthy and well-known preacher of In
dianapolis. This was Sallie Dill. She
called the little one, then only a year or
two of age, Ida May Dill. Sallie Dill was
of attractive presence, and one OF her quail
ficationS was fine contralto voice, hat
soon brought her out as leader in the
choir of the ''Church'' or Centre Society Of
the Shakers. In this society this young
women passed IA years, in uneyentful life,
while her child grew up to young woman
hood and tothe experience of the feelings
of fresh warm nature, that could not be
curbed by the restraints imposed by the
people by whom she found herself sur
rounded. A few months ago her liking fer
the society of the younger mt n of the set
Element brought upon her the tongue Of
calumny at the confessional of the So
last her mother was told that she was be-
coming entirely too worldly and must
leave them. The mother loved her daugh-
ter; and after all the appeals that she could
make for her proved to be in vain, she an
nounced her determination to 60 with her.
The elders told her that she could soon
find I. good situation in the world for the
child, and that she could then return to
them.
About three weeks ago mother and
daughter came to this city. One posted in
the ways of the Shakers tells US that it is
likely that all the mother and daughter re-
ceived to start them in life after fourteen
years Of servitude with these people was
not to exceed Sis. Their life in this city
appears to have only two features their
inability to find place where they could
live together permanently, and the wither-
ing answers that the mother must have re-
celved from the Shakers in authority in
answer to her many appeals to let her tax e
her child back with them.
An idea of what was going on in the
minds Of these helpless ones may be CLEANED
from letter written the night before the
suicide. 1t was addressed 10 a young man
who knew and had seen them before. On
Tuesday afternoon the mother called on
him. Yes, erday afternoon he received the
following sad letter:
APRIL q.
DEAR-: suppose you will be surprised at re
eeiving letter from me, and still more at what it
full to give you satisfaction. must thank you for
your many kindnesseS to me and mine. 1t seems
like it has been fate and is STILL to be Outcast
The refusal of one thing and the failure of many
things have brought all this on. Pc: sons whom re
lied upon would not extend the hand Of authority
they promised they would. There is not any who
is really trustworthy aiortals oh, mortas, how
weak they are, making such loud prof ssions and
fulfilling none. Ii you only knew one half | have
gone through you would shed tears of sympathy.
But do not expect any one to enter into my troub
les and feel the weight OF them. l suppose it will
surprise the f"lks some little zen they hear of it.
ida is going with me. Don't think me rash for how
could see her go to ruin. as she certainly would If
she stayed here. And now last farewell. For the
first time, in reality, say farewell.
P. S. trust we will meet on the other side, where
the reunion will not be broken.
To this was added scrap in the girls
writing, as follows:
can't leave you without saying good-by. thank
meet some time, to part no more. Farewell.
IDA MAY.
This letter establishes the fact that the
mother and daughter fully understood each
other. They had come to the conclusion to
die together. and so end their troubles on
this earth, and go together to that future
life in whiuh they evidently trusted.