Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-22
A SAD OCCURRENCE.
A Woman Throws Herself from IA Steamer
The Act Supposed to Have Been
Committed in "a Moment of


Insanity.
One of the most distressing fatalities
which we have been called upon to chron-
icle for long time, is the death by drown
ing of Mrs. Maggie +. Smith, wife of Mr..
John X. Smith, pilot of the steamer a.
Williams, which occurred Thursday morn
ing, while the steamer Williams was
making her regular Thursday morning
trip from this city to Essex, n. y. and
return. Yesterday morning, Mrs. Smith
started to visit friends in Essex intending
to return with the boat in the afternoon.
She had stayed with her husband all night
on the steamer and seemed to be in her
usual health and spirits in the morning,
with the exception that she had not rested
very well during the night. When her
husband rose he remarked to her that she
! had not seemed to get much sleep. He
| had walked up two or three times and no
| ticed that she was very restless. Mrs smith
admitted that she had passed a very bad
night but said she had not complained
any for fear of disturbing her husband,
AS the boat was about to start on her
! trip, Mr. Smith told his wife she had bet
ter go down and take brea kfast, and not
wait until he could come from his duties
in che pilot house. Mrs. Smith made no
objection, and her husband left her and
left Essex on her return trip. and when
she was about midway between SaXton S
and Quaker Smiths Point, the cabin boy
came to the pilot house to announce that
breakfast was ready, surprising that he
should find Mrs. Smith there with her hus-
band. Mr.. Smith told the boy that Mrs.
Smith must be down stairs somewhere,
and that he would go and search for her.
Leaving the boat in charge of the boy for
a few moments, he hurried down to his
stateroom and tried to enter but found
the door bolted on the inside He called
and raped, but received no response.
Thoroughly alarmed, Mr.. Smith then re-
turned to the deck, and climbing over the
railing, entered the stateroom through the
window, which he found open. Mrs.
Smith was not be found. Her parasol,
veil and bonnet lay on the cover,
watch and chain lay in the
open case. The distracted husband
Immediately sought out the captain and
informed him of the state of affairs, and
Il thorough search of the boat was made
but without avail. The suppostion is
that Mrs Smith, in momentary tit OF in
sanity, crawled through the stateroon
window and dropped into the lake. The
boat had left the dock about forty
minutes, when the discovery was first
made.
A FREE PRESS reporter saw Mr.. Smith
4
ternoon. In reply to several questions
Mr.. Smith said that his wife had shown
occasional symptoms of dementa for some
time past, but only sufficient to have been
noticed by himself and her most intimate
relatives. She had shown no unusual
signs of being out of her head, yesterday
morning, but had been heard to make the
remark several times within the past two
months that God would not let her live
any longer" Mrs. Smith had also, fol
some time past, complained of bad feel
ing in her head upon returning from
walks, or other exercise, but insisted il
must be her bonnet that caused it.
Mrs. Smith was tortyseven years old
She was formerly Maggie +. Stranahar
of keesevlle, n. Y, and was married tC
Mr.. Smith something over two years ago
being his third wife. Mr.. and Mrs. Smith
have boarded in this city for some time, in
the family of j, H. Stinson, 204 Pine
street. They We're both well liked by
the family, and indeed by all their &C,
quaintances Mr.. Smith is among the
most experienced and best known of oul
lake pilots, and for the last twelve years
has been in the employ of the Lake Cham
plain Transportation company. He Will
have the heartfelt sympathy of the whole
community, and of many friends else
where, in his sad bereavement.