Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-03-28
Sensational Suicide of a Prosecuted Girl.

Miss Jessie White, the 19-year-old
daughter of James s. White, an old
resident of Joliet, Ill, committed
suicide last week in most sensational
manner. She drove in buggy up and
down Chicago street, in Joliet, sever
al times, bowling and smiling to ac-
ouaintances. Finally, when nearly
in front of u hotel, she stopped the
horse, drew revolver from box and
shot herself through the heart. Sew
eral gentlemen rushed to the carriage
lust in time to catch her body as it
was falling into the steet. 1t is be-
lieyed that the young lady was de-
mented, as the result of long series
of prosecutions at the hand of an
ANONYMOUS letter-writer who has been
ANNOYING her for three years. Every
young man who met her at party
or dance and received an introduce
ton to her has received anonymous
letters from some jealous person who
had fallen in love with Jessie, and
whose attentions she had evidently
repulsed. All the local papers re-
ceived similar letters in the same
handwriting directed against the
Young lady. The letters were all
turned over TO the authorities, ana
the police and detectives were put on
the watch for the prosecutor. Flnal-
Is a cousin of Miss Jessie, David
White. was arrested and tried III the
Ciru ali Court, our no positive evil
| drno-. could bn obtained, aud the
| .rial rrsu ted merely IN his being
bound over to keep the peace. After
! the trial was over ii was hoped by all
| the friends o. Miss White that she
woaid be lett in peace, bur the perSe.
cutting letters still sept coming 10 her,
TO her people, To al the society young
gentlemen III town, and TO all VINO
| could possibly be influenced III any
way bv the epistleS OF the Jealous
writer. The young lady and her tam
| iy We're constantly kept i'll state of
terror; letters were dropped on their
| door steps, showed under their doors,
| sent in every way, till the young la
dies were afraid to go out of their
| home. Finally Miss Jessie was sent
away for awhile TO the East. But
| this did not stop the letter-writer
who was SO artfully pursuing the
beautiful and distracted girl. All the
detectives brought into requisition
| could not entrap the villain, so after
three years of this kind of tor ure the
poor hunted girl became so distracted
| that she could bear it no longer. In
the box in which she had the revolver
was found letter addressed to her
family, in which she says: lam tired
of life and ain going TO shoot myself,
and deny the letter writer the peas
ure of doing it. Three years is long
enough TO be tortured by him, and
there are no prospects of any peace
| for me as long as live, and inaSmuch
as he has promised to take my life, L
really think he means TO, and now he
never shall. If he finds any pleasure
in torturing me hope he wi be sat
isfied now, for he has driven me to de-
stroy my soul. All | have to say now
is for you to forget and forgive Inc
| for the wicked act | am about to COM
NIT. Now, dear folks, love you al
so dearly could not live if any Of
you were to be taken from me. l
waut you all to think it is all for the
best that l should leave this world"
She also gives directions as to how
she shall be buried, who shall officiate,
and names the pall-bearers she desires.