Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-16
Dying for Love.
The Suicide of q Chinese Theological Stu- dent in Marietta, Ohio.
 IFrom the Cincinnati aazette.1


 dent in Marietta, Ohio.
 From the Cincinnati Gazettei
 William Newkim, a Celestial, who had been student at Marietta College for few years committed suicide on Monday night in his room at Miss Woodbridge's, on Front street. On that night he refused to eat any supper, and remarked to his fellow boarders that he was going to die. Yesterday morn ing he was found dead in bed. Inquiry at the drug store of McCarkey of Marietta re- yealed the fact that he had purchased hber- al quantity of chloroform on the preceding evening and from a note left there can scarcely be doubt of his deliberate act. It is furthermore stated that the unfortunate Celestial believed himself to be married to girl in Cincinnati named Sophia Hoff, now in the service of Dr. Polasky, and that mutu- al promise of marriage was given. The Celestial lover was devotedly attached to his sweetheart, and, it was asserted, had received several sums of money and letters from her He was finally persuaded to return the letters and becoming Respondent from chagrin final ly determined to take his life. There is | considerable romance in the story which led to the tragic end of the Chinese student. It was love affair from beginning to end. | William Newkim came to this land about. | ten years ago. From the beginning he showed considerable talent for literature and eVinced great desire for mental develop ment. He spent several years in the East, | and being cared for by several Christian gentlemen he was educated in the Christian faith. His talents and his apparent virtue l began to blossom more and more, much | so that wealthy man, Mir. Greene, from | Trenton, N. J., took 8 kindly interest in him, and promised to provide for his education. | Newkim finally developed a desire for the ministry, and his Christian friends cage rly seized the opportunity of providing him with the means of preparing himself for the high l IT. c7a 4<, haa1 r,1fey sionary to China in the interest of the Con- gregational Church. He was sent for that purpose to the Marietta College, little more | than year ago, where from the outset be | diligently applied himself to his theological | studies and he became in the course of time a general favorite with professors and fellow | students He boarded and lodged at Miss Woodbridge's, on Front street. For long l time, day after day, the Celestial student | thought, perhaps. of nothing more serious than his text books and the lectures to which | he eagerly listened. But love came along in the form of a pretty little servant girl, who was engaged at the boarding house last fall. Her name was Sophia Hoff. The theologian | of the Celestial Empire began to converse | with her freely in the corridors of the board l ing house. He spoke intelligently on almost every subject he appeared honest and sin cere in his constantly increasing attentions, | and the result of it all was that a lasting link | of love was established between them, which | only death could part. About four months | ago the girl came to this city and entered the 1 employ of Dr. Po1asky on Cutler street. The course of love ran smoothly. The theologian from the Celestial Empire corresponded regularly, and fervent answers of love were as regularly returned by Sophia. He also l came to see her, and was very devoted. I Nothing unusual transpired until yesterday | morning It was to be sad day for her, and blast the expectations of her life. The early mail yesterday brought her letter from Marietta. It was signed by Miss Woodbridge, and contained request that all the testimo- l nials of good character and good behavior | which she had given Sophia on her departure | for this city should be returned to her. In | the letter she also accuses Sophia of having 1 made several false statements. This letter | completely broke down the spirits of the | poor girl. She was aware how much Miss | Woodbridge was opposed to her affectionate l demonstrations toward the Chinese student, and now her character was to be taken away by the same individual. Later in the day she was told that her lover dead She was heartbroken.
 The cause of the suicide, if it really was one she said. she attributed to the intrigues of Miss Maria Woodbridge at her old board ing house in Marietta. She had been opposed to the attention which the Chinese student had paid Sophia, and had harassed him con- tinuaIlY The letter received in the morning
 
 she had foreboding of the terrible eulmina
 ton which had been divulged to her later on in the day. In answer to the question, ''Dc you believe he committed suicide 20 she said,
 emphatically, No; I am certain he did not
 Newkim was a good Christian, and could not
 have done such deed. I believe that Miss
 Woodbridge harassed him to such an extent
 that he worried continually about me and his
 future happiness and by that means had ar
 attack of heart disease which carried him off.
 I loved him dearly. and know he would do nc
 wrong"
 Mir William M Gleick on Central avenue and his father, Leo GleicE, both acquainted
 with the Chinese student and the servant
 girl, spoke in the highest terms of the intel
 ligence and gentlemanIy bearing of tht
 almond eyed student and of the devotion anc
 fidelity of Sophia Hoff. E'Sophy" had reg
 ularly sent her weekly earnings to the stu
 dent. Only last week she had sent him S4- for ''pin money.'