Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-26
INTO The RIVER.
AN INVALID w0MAN TAKES THE DEs-
PERATE PLUNGE.
Her Clothing Keeps Her Afioat Until
Rescued-Long sicknes IS Was
the Cause.

About o'clock yesterday afternoon per-
sons crossing the Yolo bridge were startled
by the cry that woman had jumped into
| the river. Among those who saw the
| woman make the desperate leap was
George Fay, an employe at the railroad
| shops, who was walking on the bridge with
his wife. He ran TO the Yolo end of the
bridge. and himself and Jesse Dolan, also
a railroad employe, got into row boat as
quickly as possible and pulled out into the
stream after the woman, who was floating
| down with the current. Two other boats
also put out.
Before the boat manned by Fay AID
Dolan reached the woman she had fioated
| down opposite the ffeight-sheds, about
midway between l and ] streets, her cloth
| ing buoying her up. They secured her,
got her into the boat and landed near the
city prison. The woman, who was almost
dead from the effects of the shock she had
received from contact with the ice.co,d
water, was carried into the police station
| as quickly as possible, where her wet gar.
| mems were removed By female trusty
and warm blankets substituted therefor.
u,
ministered restoratives to the patient, who
| soon fell into quiet sleep.
While this was being done, her husband,
an elderly man named Schweitzer, reached
the station, and from him RECORD UNION
| reporter learned the following facts con-
corning the womaD's attem pt 10 drown her.
self:
Mr.. Schwei.zer said he came here last
May with his wife and obtained work as a
mechanic. His wife had been an invalid
Tor several years, and latterly she had occa-
appeared to be affected. A few months
ago, while they were living on Third street,
his wife imagined one night that people
were after her to kill her, and one night
declared that her enemies were in the
house. To satisfy her he took his pistol
and made thorough inspection of the
place.
After that they changed their residence
once or twice, and are now living on 81
street, between Sixth and Seventh. Some
days since his wife began to feel quite bad
again, and after lunch yesterday she ex-
pressed desire to take walk, and thew
set out to go across the river. In passing
China slough he noticed that his wife sew.
ersl times approached the bank and he eau.
toned her to keep away, not dreaming at
the time that such thing as self.destruc-
ton had entered her mind.
They finally reached the railroad bridge
and were crossing on the footwalk, when
suddenly his wife crept under the railing.
and before he could get hold of her, threw
herself into the river, about twenty-five
feet below. Not being swimmer, all he
could do was to give the alarm, and pres
emily some boatmen put out from the Yolo
SIDE IN pursuit of the floating form,
Mr.. SchWpIfZor q SGico 10
deaf, and speaks English so imperfectly
that 1t was difficult to get connected
statement from him.
About O'Clock Mrs. Schweitzer was seen
by the reporter. She had awakened from
her sleep, and was feeling comparatively
well. She talked freely of the affair, and
said that-in her then frame of mind-she
could not understand how she did such a
thing.
1t is crime and a SIM" she said. 'for
one to take her own life, and the Lord
knows l wouldn't take the life of even a
chicken
She said that for seven years she had
been sufferer, and was aware that at
times she hardly knew what she was do
ing. She preferred death to her physical
sufierings, snd longed to be in heaven.
Her husband, she said, was the best man in
the world, but he could do nothing to
benefit her. She felt that she should be
with her relatives and friends in Oakland,
but his work kept h1m Here. she hoped
she would never again give way 10 an i'm
pulse to do herself harm. AS nearly as she
could tell, she was in the water about
twenty minutes. II wore felt shawl" she
said, and it was that that Kept me afoat
so long"
If she should be as well this morning as
she was las. evening, Mrs. Schweitzer will
be removed to her own home.