Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-07
IDA LA MONTAENE,
The Tragic Fate of the Famed Balloon.
lists Only Daughter-Her Attempt
at SeIf-Slaughter Probably
Successful.

Cincinnati Enquirer: The self-shooting of
Ida La Montana, alias Vic Sayers, was the
text of the talk OF the town yesterday. The
interest deepened when IL became known
that the eminent surgeon, DIR. W. w. Daw-
son, had expressed an opinion unfavorable to
the poor girls recovery, and increased still
further when her sad history became known,
with the fact that she was the only daughter
of the famed French Canadian balloonist, La
Montaine, and that she had not long led life
of sin. Her little life-story is briefly but sadly
told in the following telegram:
Special Dispatch to the Enqulrerl
SOUTH BEND, IND, July 3-Ida La Mon
tame, OF whom you inquire, is the only daugh-
ter of John La Montana, the noted and I'M
fortunate French balloonist, whose thrilling
experiences on Lake Ontario and in the Can
ada forests, on descending from one of his
aerial flights, are still fresh in the minds of
the public. She would have been twenty
years old November 18th next. Since the
death of her mother, which occurred when
she was three years old, she has lived with
her grandparents on her mothers side, Mr..
and Mrs. Francis Ferry, of this place. They
are very respectable people, who are over
whelmed with grief at her sad fate. Her
father died nine years ago in this city. Ida
left here about one year ago for Chicago to
enter theatrical life, and, as supposed, had
played in several southern cities, and Lastly
in yours. Up to the time of her leaving here
she was considered a respectable, as well as
quite handsome girl, and when here only a
few weeks ago no one knew anything against
her good mime. About week ago she wrote
home, stating that she was sick, and asking
if she could come home again to live. Her
grandmother neglected to write until day,
and was about doing so when the news of her
attempted suicide was received. 1t is intended
that she shall be brought here if she lives.
TOO late, will be the sympathizing COM
ment of many heart on the closing lines,
for at present writing Thursday morning) 1t
is not thought that the girl can recover from
her self-infIcted wound. The Enquirer's re-
porter left her IN great pain at half past two
o'clock yesterday morning. She continued
restless in spite of opiates until nine o'clock,
when DR.. Tom Minor, the health officer, and
DR.. Dawson arrived at the house, No. 100
Smith street, and made an examination. An
attempt to locate the ball was soon aban-
doned, Dr.Dawson deciding that it had taken
a lateral direction after entering the right
side, and probably lodged in the abdomen.
AS before intimated, he expressed the grav-
est view of the case, and at once advised the
removal of the patient to the Good Samaritan
hospital, where, under the experienced care
of Sister Anthony, she would have the best
plished successfully, Miss Belle johnson,
with characteristic generosity, engaging a
room in the pay department, where Ida
could have every comfort. At noon a further
examination was made, and the prediction
looked to fatal result. During the after
noon change for the better took place,
and DIR. Dawson grew hopeful. At
eleven o clock last night, however, he received
the following report at his offices from the
internes of the hospital: Temperature, one
hundred and two; respiration, thirty -four;
pulse, one hundred and twenty FOUR and
his comment on the latter figure was
trouble, adding to the Enquirer reporter:
She is not out of danger by any means. :"
The afternoon papers, in commenting on the
affair, fell into one or two errors 1t was told
ON the authority of some one at Frank
Wrights, that not only last week she received
one hundred and eighty dollars from Mr.
Jim NJ Laughlin, of the Brown elevator, the
Jim" of the letters published in the En-
quirer. This seems to be a mis- statement,
as Mr.. M Laughlin, facing the unfortunate
affair. regretfully, manfully, and admitting
the liaison, denies having been so lavish, or
being able so TO be. An error also crept into
the EHquirer's report, in so far as it was
sand that Miss La Montaine had drawn a
revolver on Discon, in the Atlantic garden. at
the time of the diamond-ring episode. She