Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-18
SUICIDE OF A SCHOOL ealRL.
Shooting Herself beeauso Her Father 3,
p0ctod Her Of Stealing Money.

Shooting Herself because Her Fasher Sus-
pSeted Her Of Sealing Money.
Eaie Person, a school girl, fourteen
years Of age, shot herself in the breast al
eight o'clock yesterday morning. at hel
residence No. 173 Tenth avenue, New
York, and died almost Immediately. Hel
excuse for committing SO terrible crime
is that she believed her father suspected
her of theft and she determined to rid him
of her presence. Efie was tender heart
ed little creature and devotedly attached
to her parents and two other sisters that
comprise the family. She was always very
sensitive. Her father, Aaron ID. Person,
is boOk-keeper in piano factory in West
Twenty-6rst street. Last Friday as he wa
leaving the house to 60 to his place OF
business, he remarked that $50 had beer
taken from his trousers pocket some time
during the night. There was much sur
PRISE among the listeners, for the apart
ments occupied by the Person family were
on tho third floor of the building and dis
connected from the other tenants in the
house by spacious Railways, SO that nc
one could have effected an entrance
through the night without breaking in tht
doors leading to Mr.. Persons room. A
search was instituted through the differ
ent rooms, but no trace of the money
could be found. Yesterday morning Mr.. Per
son announced that so had disappeared
in a similar manner. He left for business
without waiting for his breakfast, an
nouncing in anger that some one in hi
own family had taken the money and tha
he would not return until it was brought
to light.
vpI,n ,nf n1c r.
do, wrote a note to Captain McElwain'
asking that detective be sent to tht
house. The note was given to Katie, he
oldest daughter. 1t was then eight o'clocl
in the morning and Katie had not beer
gone over five minutes before a pistol shO
was heard issuing from the kitchen. Mrs
Person was in the parlOr at the time ant
ran quickly in to learn tho cause Of tho
shot. When she reached there she be
held her daughter Efie lying PROSTATE OF
the floor and blood trickling from ;
bullet wound in her breast. Al
her side lay revolver belOngin:
20 her father, with one of the bar
rels discharged. The mother uttered :
piercing shrek and fell beside her daugh
ter's form, while she clutched her wildI!
and called her name in heartrending &C
cents. The young girls pale face turnct
to her mother for a moment and shs
opened her lips as if to speak. The glass.
stare in her eyes betOkened her near ap
proach to death. The mother lifted tn
child's form in her arms and endeavore'
tn stop the flow of blood in her breast
while she asked her, in plying tones
"Why did you do this, Effie ~
The child closed her eyes and murmur
ed family. "Because father suspected u
of taking money!" She said no more, he
head fell back on her mothers knee ant
in another moment the little sufferer wa
dead. A physician was summoned. bu
his services were useless and word was a
once sent to the coroner's Office.
Mr.. Person was found at work ut Iii
Office desk and brought back to his HON
by the report of the tragedy. To a re
porter, who called at noon, he said calml
that the shooting was certainly an accident
the girl having found the pistol in burea
drawer. The police continue the investi
cation. in which the lost money has as
sumcd very prominent part. They cor
slider it passing strange that MIR. PersO
should have suffered such losses withou
informing the police. Mrs. Persons pul
pose in sending the note was evidently t
avoid attracting suspicion in leaving tn
house and to give no one else a chance t.
leave it. 1t is considered probable tha
Effie, knowing that the police had bee
sent for and fearing that they were to Al
rest her, took the fatal step.