Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-09-18
SUICIDE IN A CHIMNEY.
Horrible Death of Policeman's $
Insane Widow.
SHE WAS MISSING ELEVEN DAYS

And Was Found by Chimney sweep.
The Woman Feared Imaginary Credit.
ors and Hid to Avoid Arrest-Crazed
by Her Husbands Death.
New York, Sept. 1s.-Nirs. Mary Ann
Kenny, a beautiful woman of 25 years, who. |
grief stricken at the death of her husband |
became demented, sought death in the most
terrible manner. She lowered herself down
the chimney Of her house and there awaited
death Whether she died under the SLOW
torture Of starvation in her narrow tomb ol
was mercifully suffocated is not known
The body when found had been entombed il
the chimney for eleven days. Policeman
James Kenny married Miss Malloy, an En-
glish girl, Dec /. 1888. She was beautiful
brunette Of small stature and pleasant dis
position. Deeply devoted to her husband
her married life was one Of great happiness,
dinlmed only by the loss of their only child
who died when year old, three years ago
A year ago Kenny contracted cold, which
quickly developed into consumption, from
which he died
Mrs. Kenny was inconsolable in her grief
and her mind began to give way. She be
leved that her husband was still alive and
would return to her. Her brother Daniel
and sister Jane lived with her ON the toT
floor Of the four story tenement house III
Cherry street Every time she heard foot
step on the stairs she would run to the door
ready to welcome her husband Then she
would rush back and say that it was not he,
but was another policeman who had come tC
arrest her.
~ owe sl5,0OO,n she would moan, "and
they intend Go arrest me | hope they will
not take me to the Oak street station, be-
cause James is there. He loves me still, and
we would be disgraeed if should be locl5d
up there Oh, why don't he come TO mel |
could explain it to him
PatrolIing Her Husbands Beat.
At other times she would patrol her late
husbands post at the Roosevelt street ferry
looking for him. Her pretty face was well
known TO the people in that neighborhood-
| They ali sympathized with her and treated
her kindly. She asked them if they had
seen her husband, and they would try t.
/ persuade her to go home. Night and day
she would wander along the docks hoping L
find her dead husband.
Her strange Disappearance.
At 2 .. m Sept she sent servant on al
0rrand, and when the girl returned Mrs
| Kenny had disappeared Search was mad
for her in the hospitals and prisons in thi
city, Brooklyn and Jersey City in the belle
that she had been picked up while wanderin
about, but no trace OF her could be found.
The day after Mrs Kenny disappeared Mr.
Kelly, who lives on the first floor Of the honsi
found that her fire would not burn. Sh
complained to Landlord Cunningham, VIII
keeps a saloon at IL James street, and he SCI
Philip McAllister TO the house nearly tw
weeks later to see what the trouble was. Nj
Allister tied a stone to tile end Of a rope an
lowered it down the chimney. 1t had d
scended but two feet when it struck SOM
thing.
Discovery OF the Body.
BY. sounding with the stone McAllister can
to the conclusion that dead animal was
, the chimney. He gingerly put his han
down, and when it came in contact with ha
he was still more convinced. Another effo
to learn what was there resulted in his draw
ing up handful OF long black hair The
he was horror stricken as the truth fiasht
/. across his mind, and he turned to one Of Il
tenants aud told of his CHASTITY discovery.
Some of the bricks were torn from Il
chimney by the tenants and n lighted cand
) was held over the fiue The light reveolC
S the upturned face Of Mrs Kenny III
Q check rested on her left hand and go
| wedding ring glittered in the candle ligh
:, The face was not discolored at all and WI
: peaceful and calm, not showing a trace
Z the agony she must have suffered.
A Landlords Inhuman Actions.
AT this moment there appeared in Il
crowd Of horror stricken people who ha
! gathered on the roof Landlord Cunningham
: He roughly pushed the grieving sister Of Il
dead woman aside and opened a TRADE
i abuse upon his bartender for removing
i few bricks from the chimney. Miss Malloy
!. sobs were mingled with his curses. His on
thought was the expense of rebuilding {
: chimney He drove the people from his ro
and left the body where it was
When Deputy Coroner Conway reach
the house two hours later Cunningham "
still on guard to prevent the people fro
tearing down the chimney. DR.. Conwa.
Indignation was intense He sent for hrem
and the chimney was demolished.
She Hid TO Avoid Arrest.
The theory advanced is that the woma
still fearing that she was 10 be arrested, r
to the roof to escape and jumped into
flue to hide from her imaginary pursue
Her calm features indicate that feeling
safety predominated in her mind and th
she did not heed the suffering q burns
hunger, whichever she suffered