Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-08-08
A Remarkable Social Tragedy.
SUICIDE OF TWO LADrEs-REsULT OF
DISAPPOINTED SOCIAL HOPES,

In6 CnlCdBO (llI.J pdPOAo oonoe"AAA 100
accounts of the suicide of the suicide OF
two sisters there, in good circumstances
and position. They were ladies OF middle
age, of correct lives, and the clrcum
stances of their lives and deaths are so re-
markable that we copy an extended notice
of them from the press Of that city. 1t is
the strangest piece of reading we have met
for many years. The ''Times'' says:
The two Trowbridge sisters who COM
mitted suicide by hanging on Monday al
ternoon last, leaving their dwarf sister,
Mona, to tell the story OF the tragedy,
were born to a competence, if not to
wealth. They were well educated. They
made good social connections. Ihey nao
more than the average Of personal attrac-
lions. Certainly few girls had better pros
the other Is their mother died, and three
years later their father married again.
The stepmOther was a most amlable W0-
man. but the girls looked on their fathers
remarriage not simply as an act of disre-
spect to their dead mother, but as a rob-
berry of them. From this time the men
tai peculiarities Of the two ladies began to
be conspicuous. They were intelligent
and well-bred, and their society was es-
teemed by many, yet they were capable OF
making the most unkind and untrue &C
cusations against their father, and OF ma
king miserable their stepmother.
The young ladies visited Europe at their
fathers expense. For their convenience
after their return he kept a carriage.
Their surroundings seemed abundantly
satisfactory. But the soreness developed
by their fathers remarrlage was increased
as time slipped by, and the prospect OF
their marrying millionaires and shining In
society became more faint. Advancing
age led their father, twelve years ago, to
retire from business and dispose OF his in
terest to his son-in-laW. This the two
daughters bitterly opposed; 1t was in
their minds one more act OF robbery per-
petrated at their expense Ii their father
remained in business his increasing for
tune would add to their means sooner or
later. If he went out of business 1t would
put an extinguisher on their hopes OF be-
ing rich, and, more than that, it opened
the gates of wealth to their married sis
ter. A very moderate amount OF broodlng
over this new disappointment was enough
to make them see in their fathers retire
ment nothing but an act of hostility to
them and of partiality for the married
daughter.
The father retired with an income of
$4,000 year, but the panic OF 1873 reduc-
ed his means, and he had to dispense with
his carriage. Here was another bitter
disappointment. The one object OF their
existence was to lead the social world, and
the loss of the carriage put an end appar-
emily to this.
In the mean time the constant COM
plants and chickering's Of these two dau5h-
tiers had made their step-mother's Life a
burden to her, and at last they induced
their father to refuse to provide longer for
his wife, and she left her home and re-
turned to Eastern friends. The father
was very fond of his daughters, and sought
by all means in his power to placate them
and preserve peace in the family. In 1875
he began proceedings for divorce from his
wife on charge Of desertion, but the de-
sertion was not very clearly made out.
However, by arrangement, a decree OF
divorce was entered, the husband agree
ing to pay $4,000 as alimony. The wife
died broken hearted two years ago.
About two years ago the two discomfort
ted daughters, who had been joined by
their sister N ona, demanded of their IA
ther that he divide his property with them
then instead of leaving the matter to be
done after his death. He complied, and
worth SIG 900, being two stores numbered
LAT and 149 Halsted street, and a cottage
on Forty-ffth street, and on the youngest
of the three he settled $50 month. The
three had an income of ST. 800 or more.
They refused to see any of their friends.
They took house on the west side, moved
to another one, returned TO the south side,
moving frequently, and had lived at 126
Lanley avenue only since the LIST OF last
May.
A man with grievance may keep him.
self in tolerable mental health by keeping
himself constantly occupied. But these
were not even obliged to do their own
housework. for they kept a servant. They
had no work to do-no real anxiety about
their support, though they created an i'm
aginary anxiety on that point. Things
had not turned out as they hoped. They
were single, in moderate circumstances,
and comparatively unknown, whereas
they had hoped to be married, rich and
observed of all observers. 10 make things
worse, their sister was married and rich,
and rode in her carriage. They had little
to do all day but to contrast their condi-
ton with hers, or with some imaginary
condition which might have been theirs.
They grew into the idea that all the world
was against them, and, having injured
their mental vision in one respect, 1t spec
Oily became untrustworthy in all others
Not content with breaking up their ia.
theirs house, they charged him with Grim
inality, and undoubtedly they believed
that he was guilty, just as they doubtless
fully believed that all the world was trying
to rob and disappoint them. They with.
drew from society, and sat in their house
brooding all day long over their troubles,
came in their eyes the ctliefest things IN
the world. They imagined everybody
knew all about their affairs, and that
nearly everybody was hostile to them.
That tragic self-conceit which led
the older two to decide that the youngest
should live, lest an anxious world should
never know what they died for, character
lied all that they did.
After living on the west side the sisters
concluded that they preferred to live on
the south side, and they called on the Rev.
Charles Hull Everest to know if it would
do for them to return to Plymouth Church.
had been created in the church against
them, and that opposition to their return
would be manifested. AS matter of fact
they were but little known in the church.
Probably not dozen of the people knew
their story, and not one had any feeling of
hostility toward them.
The three sisters were for many years
members of Plymouth church. In many
respects their department was most exem-
plary, and Mr.. Everest regarded them as
devout Christian women, but victims Of
mental disease.
Their wrongs grew ever larger in their
eyes, till at last they seemed to call for
blood. These three daughters discussed
the murder Of their father, to whom they
attributed all their self-created misery, but
this was for some reason abandoned. They
then decided to commit suicide. At first
it was agreed that all three should kill
themselves at once, but their diseased self
gest, who, it was determined, should sur
vive and tell the world what the elder SIS
tiers died for. Methods OF suicide were
discussed, and hanging was selected.
Monday evening they fastened the doors
and windows, dressed themselves carefully
(they always dressed well), drove some
49, - a.