The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-24

srARTLlNo sutctDE-A Yotnc Gi,l
Hangs Hetsdf IN a Ctllar-The suieide q
. young girl employed rs q domestic In
the family Of Mr.. Louis sWAbaCker, on
Main street near l1th, startled the com.
munity on Saturday evening. Amelia
Keyis, the name Of the unfortunate girl,
was about twenty-five years OF age, and
had,been living At service In Mr.. Swaback.
era family for the past three years, On
Saturday she attended to her duties about
the house as usual, aud was apparently
In the best Of spirits all day. Indeed,
while waiting upon the family At dinner
she seemed unusually gay and lively.
The members Of the family were kept
busy oil the afternoon In Mrs. swaback.
Pr's notion store, In front Of the dwelling
apartments, waiting upon customers,
and did notsee the girl until she was found
cold In death.
About 8 O'Clock Mr.. Swabacker went
10 the kitchen TO zee the girl about getting
The supper, and not finding her there no
went to her room 10 look after her. But
she was not TO be found In the house, and
Mrs. SwabAckers uggested that che might
have gone out for a few moments. Mr..
SW4backer then noticed that trap door
leading to the cellar stood open, and call,
ed his wife's attention 10 the fact. Mrs.
SWGbacker remarked that the girl was
probably down below, as she was not in
the habit Of leaving the trap door open,
Whereupon her husband went to the
open door and called "MelIa" several
times. There being no answer he pro.
cured q candle and went down 10 the eel.
lar, where he found the poor girl hanging
by the neck from jOiSt, quite dead.
A piece OF strong cotton cord had been
passed through knot hole in the joist,
and the two ends slipped through the
double end, thus forming a sailors knot,
The ends were then taken around the
neck and tied under the chin In series
Of slip knots while the victim was stand.
Ing on ANAL box about thirty inches
high. After having made these prepare.
tionS she undoubtedly kicked the box
from underneath her leet, and swung of
into eternity. The rope was not long, her
head being within a few inches Of the
joist. Underneath the moose handker.
chiel had been tied, probably for the pur-
pose Of preventing designation. The
face Of deceased showed no signs Of pain,
and as the neck was not broken death re-.
suited from Btrangulation.
Justice Caldwell, having been notified
Of the suicide, impannelled the following
jury: /. G. Carpenter, John Goldenburg,
Charles Buckley, Godfrey Winzsnreid,
Daniel schambra, L. F. Stifel, Joseph
PAUL, Emanuel Blum, George Lohnes,
J. 3. Russell, Joshua Burley and J. G.
Anderson. After hearing the evidence Of
Mr.. Swabacker, who stated in detail the
facts given above, and Of DR.. Campbell,
who had examined the body, the jury de.
cided that "Amelia Klevis came 10 her
death by her own hand, while laboring
under I'll Of insanity"
The girl had several times, while at
Mr.. Swabackers house, shown signs Of
mental arrangement, and was subject 10
frequent Gts Of melancholy. It Is said
that insanity is hereditary III the family,
and that the girls mother died In an in.
sane asylum. The body was taken in
charge BY the girls stepmother, who lives
In South Wheeling.