Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-10-15
an Encideut.

kAH 6NCkNHOt,
: strange story Indeed loaje7 pit.fu.
and pathetic. A woman who q. led na,se eii
Mrs. Browne committed suiciI1 at Tie Comp'
ton House. She was alone and Giandless,
had seen the dark side Of life, flunl it 600
much for her and detertsinoi o GU, i,e
Just on the other side Of youth, hut iook hex
secret, and it is buried with her ;Abs was
laid on marble slab in The Morsus. Hpn
dreds came to look al her face, but soc re
her destination. Without home or family
or money, pauper's grave awaited her.
Whether her name was Mrs. Browne or
poison" was tho only commen. offered as
tificalion. In life she was y hgndscuc VIC.
mau. Her clothes and everything about
her betokened culture and refinement She
must have known what disposition would
he made Of her body, and evidently expect
ed no moro OF less tLan an inttrment at Pot
ler'5 Field. Upon her person wac found u
small sum Of money as il meant 20 expedite
this purpose.
Day afte: day, for nearly tw wseka, her
body lay exposed TO the gaze of Inc hun
dreds of curious, idle Or interested persons
who called to see it. That she Was & young
and beautiful woman wes enough at least,
to enlist the idle curiosity of many 9ho cared
not what might become OF the body.
Perhaps she was some heartbroken moth.
er, and yet no mother, surrounded with all
the Joys oflove and family, came forward to
offer decent burial for this unhappy
woman.
No wife or daughter in Christian charity
would save her from a pauper's grave, nor
in all this great city apparently did there
exist for this one victim OF despair and scr
unfortunate woman would have saved her
from the degradation of u pauper's burial.
After she had lain at the Morgue week
there came there young man vino claimed
to identify "Mrs. Browne" as & Mrr. Ada
Browne, of Philadelphia According to his
story Mrs. Browne had left he. husband
some few years since on account Of the ex-
treme cruelty her husband inflicted upon
her. Two children were also left behiud
Whether this be so or not, the woman
this young man thus sought to identify, left
her home, husband and family, in company
HlsI UlUlcCIlI -iIO uiUh e.O UiiC liS 41iSs
Browne of the Compton, House, or some
other Mrs. Browne, lived With this young
man for year or more at e place on Sixth
avenue, near Twenty fifth street.
The young man did not give his name.
He did not dare to, nor did he give any
evidence in support Of bis teat-
mo9y. If be had lived with her be did not
offer to defray the expenses CT decent
al hinfn1 of I,inh
man. who had sent him TO the Morgue, and
then he vanished. He looked well able to
meet these expenses had he so desired
"Alas for the rarity of Christian charity
under the sum-"
Among the visitors at The Morgue last
week were two women, not over thirty, wao
expressed the first words Of real sympalhy
that were uttered in behalf Of the nlyste.
rious suicide. This woman has sinned, they
thought, and is friendless. Were such
fate to befal us, who would give us any
sympathy Whoever this woman is, we
are sisters 10 sorrow, and one good action
perhaps may be always bright spot in our
memory. 1--WE will bury this woman. ]" said
they, "and defray all expenses"
The Evergreen Cemetery on Long Island
contains the remains of more than one un-
happy person, WHO DuU lUT tue Cuhlity vi
strangers would now lie buried at Pot
ter's Field. Here the Actors Fund have
plot also the Order of Eiks and the Sea-
mans Association, which gives sailors Of
whatever nationality decent a1d Christian
burial.
To this cemetery on Thursday afternoon
went hearse, followed by o single carriage.
The hearse contained the body OF Mrs.
Browne the carriage the two erring but
charitable women who, at their own ex-
penso. had saved the Compton House sui
eide from pauper's grave.
Not word was said within the carriage
until the spot selected for the grave was
reached. There the occupants aighted and
silently watched until the coffin was finally
lowered into the grave. One of the women
threw flower-a rose-into the grave with
the last shovelful Of earth.
No headstone marks the place, but rose
bush may blossom there in the spring,
token of love and of the compassion of re-
pentant womau.-N. Y. Herald.