The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-18
HiRRIET OsBORNEs rNs4yITY.
Marriage Followed by Brntanty and tie.
peated Attempt. ut Suicide.


Harriet Osborne was caught by Will
liamshurgh police officer M shn WIS about to
throw herself from Chnpman's wharf Into Now
town creek on Monday evening. In the police
station In tho night che knotlrd her stockings
together and with the trimmings torn from her
dress tried to hang herself TO one OF the bars Of
the cell door. She was cut down and rcsusci-
tatcd and. IA n matter OF precaution, placed in
irons. The next morning she was sent to tho
asylum for tho insane in Patbush. Her lntcst
attempt ~ Kill herself Is the ninth since July
20. 1916.
Harriet Oehorne, or, NJ sho sometimes calls
herself, Hester Jane Morrill, lived In u tene-
mcnt In Sixth street and supported her mother
by working as seamstrces. Sho was very
beautiful her long golden hair lowing to her
waist and her light blue eyes dancing with hap
piness. Despite her mothers objections. in June.
1875. she gave her hand In marriage to John
Morrill,. n young man who lived In the same
block an old srhoolmat9 and friend of her
childhood. Soon after the marriage several
young women in tho house arranged to have n
small party and celebrate tho event Harriet
was the life ot the party. Beer having been
provided the pnrty was continued until u ate
hour. and when the young husband reached
But she did not heed him, and the party had To
be broken w, morrill, went to his room and,
according TO Ilnrriets story beat her until
ward Harriet was taken III. and her mind
became affected. Then her husband abandoned
her and went to Virginia. The young wife, on
her recovery, tried To get employment. but with
out success. The alteration of mind returned
and her mother had to lock her in room.
Harriet escaped from the room on the morn
ing Vt the 29th Of July. 1875. and wandered ab-
sently In the streets. and late in the evening
straying to the pier at Delaney street. she
was about To leap into the East river when n
roundsman prevented her. Her mother was
sent for Previous to her arrival Harriet was
detected in drinking from small phial and on
searching hrr me police found TWO small not
ties OF lHudanum. Under the advice OF the
.hpialh ier mnIner to9k her home' w,th the IN
t"nitun ~ sending her the lunatic Asylum on
BHrkwel's Island. Harriet escaped the next
dry, and late IN the evening was rescued by u
snip carp"nte us she was standing h"nt for
ward ON the string piece OF the pier at Clinton
street she was locked in her room again. Two
days later she escaped and ut about 10 o'clock
i'm tn" evening was taken To the Twenty second
street police station by an officer. To- whom she
had been handed over 10y two young men. who
from The pier at Eighteenth street. In Bellevue
Hospital That evening she escaped from tue
night Waterman. but was caught ~ she WAS tot
terlng on the edge oi the wharf about 10 plunge
into tn" river. Aiterward. IN u ward III the hos
p.tal. she tried t. open an artery ny biting her
wrist. aud the attendants had trouble with her
while thty Were dressing her wound, because
She tore III tho handages rs fast ~ they We're
bound on. She was then bound hand and foot.
and placed in "a guarded cell. She was sent to
the Lunatic Asylum. bat WAS dis 'hargcd two
weeks later rs cured.
She was thereafter rational for several months
| Then her Old despodrny returned She went
| out one morning. and IN the evening an officer
| took her to the Charles street police station
| She told the 'rgcani. after considerable Iu.s-
| uoning. that she had taken Paris green Ia the
morning. sulphatc Of zlnc IN tn. afternoon. and
dose OF iaudanun Just belore nor arrest. She
| bought the posOn- ut different drug stores
| with what little money she had. 4 stomach
| pump saved her, and after two days treatment
| IN Bellevue Hospital she was discharged. Two
weeks aitprWard she escaped from the custody
| OF her mother and was found wandering IN the
- ltf na a. ~
the Ildridge street police station ascertain"d
that she had taken an excessive dose Of lauda-
mum. Antldotrs were given and She recovered.
Only n dirty red dress and "A dirtier petticoat
covered her person. She WAS bareiouted and
barohraded her hair Struggling III knotty locks
around nor neck, Hrr features Wcr" sharp, and
her eyes glttrred. Her manner WAS that Of the
| cunning Of the insane.
The following morning the woman who snid
| she was Hhrrirts mother took her away. She
| could not say that she would take her home; for
| she had no home really. They existed on what
| little they could beg or pick up in a cellar In
| Forsyth street. Pushing aside n rickety gate
and passing through narrow. dark alley. the
over the steps leading below. Little. dirty faced
children peeped around AN adjoining passage
way with staring eyes. and pointed with trrm-
bling fingers into the darkness below. Descend
ing over loose ston" steps, damp place " Tia
an earthly smell WIS reached. Ashes. de-
chy"d wood, AMI broken bottles and earth"n-
| WIRE covered the floor y single. narrow line
Of light pierced the darkness. Closer scrutiny
showed that there was low door IA partition
nrrosS the collar. AT first Il kno X VIA unnn-
| SNerrd A thiri kuu"k, anu tn" door was
] opened about hall Il loot. In one corner Of
| IN" vi, tched room was a small cooking stove.
| on which Wis u pan with three cold potatoes in
! ~ Athroe-legged stool beside IL rOnuhiod the
| iuru tire. ragged mattress on bunch #
| straw In another corner could mot Doe called "a
| bed. small. dirt egrmed window aud n
| TN lamp with a smoky chimney furnished
| lirht. The woman who opened the door was
| erHy-haired and stout Pulling out a spike
| in u board against the front wall. tho woman
plcNrd w her lamp. AMI entered the narrow
| sllt disclosed. and INTO another small room Ill
rectly under the steps leading from the street
| Co the story alnyc. On "A bunch of straw IN "a
| corner was Harriet Osborne. asleep. The
woman shook her. and she sat up. Tho eX-
| preston Of low cunning returned to her
| features, and she eyed her visitor sharply.
| Tho woman spoke Of her as her daughter. al
| though there was not tho slightest resemblance
| between them. and muttered curses against
| morrill,. the young husband The story Of the
girls life was told there, Harriet occasionally
| cOutradicting her mother. As ia. visitor start
ed a. 20 away Harriet said: You won't see
me again. for Iii Kill myself yet. She had
evidently recognized the writer A. one who had
seen her in the hand- Of the police three times