The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-07-23
Two Distressing Suicides.

Miss Maggie Chamberlain. who has been
residing with her sisters on the Elkton road,
about mile from Newark, wandered from
home, ON Thursday evening of last week
and could not be found until about clock
the next afternoon, when her body was
discovered lying in William McConaughey'S
mill race. On Thursday, Just before her
disappearance she and her two sisters had
been sitting upon the front porch, but, as
the air was growing cool, they went in the
house. Maggie said she wanted "A drink of
water and she and one of her sisters went
after it. On the way the sisters stopped to
show her some apples which had been got
ten that day. At the same time she made
some remarks about them, but, as her com
panion made no reply, turned to see why
she kept silent. TO her surprise. Maggie
was nowhere to be seen. Search was i'm
mediately made, but it availed nothing.
\eighbor> Were notified, and they hunted
with torches the adjoining woods and fields
and during the entire night aud the next
day squads Of Inen and boys were on the
lookout up to the hour at which The body
was found. The deceased had been in II
feeble state OF health for some months and
was at times confined to her bed. She was
thought however, to be much better of late.
She was buried on Saturday afternoon last,
The Wilmington papers contain accounts
of the suicide OF Miss Boyd, equally dis
trcssing;
Miss ADELAIDE Boyd, aged - years, daugh-
ter Of H. John lloyd, Il physician of this
city, committed suicide on Monday night
at her fathers residence, No. SOi jefferson
street, by taking dose of strYchnine.
The startling event was y shocking sur
prise to the family, heiug entirely uneX-
pected aud attended by no premonitury hap
penings. t'uring thu evening the young
woman was IN cheerful frame of mind,
and eptertalpea some young lady visitors
with unusual liraci;y. She retired to bed
with her sister about 1870 o'clock, and
must have taken the dose soon after but no
one saw any indication of having made such
Il rash step
About an hour after retiring the poison
Gus Strychnine began to take effect, and
the victim suffered cXcruciating main. She
awoke her sister and reQlly iEftrmed her
of what she had done. The sister prompt
ly aroused the rest OF the family and DR..
ter's life, but without avail. DIR. Smith
Cooper, of Seventh and Jefferson Streets
the nearest physician. was summoned, and
he ut once administered a dose of Sulphate
of zinc and tartar emetic. This produced
slight vomiting, but not sufficient to bring
up the large dose of poison that had been
taken. During all her suffering the young
woman retained perfect GOODNESS, and talked
freely of her rash act. she said she Oh
tanned the Strychnine FROM hpr fathers
medicine chest and took an unusually large
dose in order to etfectually accomplish her
purpose DIR. Boyd says the quantity she
took was sufficient to kill IL dozen men,
Before her death she said she had looked
into the subject of poisonS, and selected
strychnine because there is no positive anti
dote for its effects while thereare numerous
antidotes for arsenic, laGdanUm and other
poisons. itter endHrins tlarfEl sTNerings,
the young TGi;aE died Eetw.es u and !
O'Clock
For this rash and distressing act no rea-
son can be positively assigned, beyond the
fact that Miss Boyd was known to enter
tain Il groundless fear that the family would
soon be overtaken by poverty, DIR. Boyd
having recently lost some property in Ches-
ter county, Pa. The family, however. pos
sessed ample means outside of this loss. and
DR. Boyd enjoys fair practice t'n,ieI this
fear of poverty Miss Boyd secured a situl-
ton at IichenStein.S Storeand entered upon
her duties on the afternoon previous to her
DEATH although her mother offered her Il
large sum of money if she would not &C
cept the situation That evening she re-
turned from the store IL = Up. cSscd state
of mind, bat suoa leSained her usual cheer
fulness, and, rs above stated, was unually
sprighty and conviral.