Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-06-04
AIMED TOO HIGH.
Remarkable Case of Suicide in
Connectic ut.
MAUD FISHERS FUTILE STRUGGLE.

She Aspires to an Ideal Christian Life,
Which She Cannot Attain, and Despair
ing, Destroys Herself--A Pure Young
Girls Rash Plunge to the Shore of
Eternity-Her Hours of JOY and sor-
row-A Strange Story.
New BRITAIN, Conn, June 4.-The al
legged mysterious suicide which took place
in the reservoir here Saturday was not
much of a mystery, except as to the condi-
ton of the unfortunate girls mind; for in
stead of the girl being unknown she
was we'll known to large circle of friends
and was one of the best behaved and most
pious girls Ia .he town. Her name was
Maud E. Fisher daughter of decorator
of means, and a general favorite with all
who knew her. A few days before she
took the fatal step she said to the rector
of St. Marks church: II have committed
the unpardouable What shall l dor"
The rector Gained her apparently with
few words of counsel, but not many days
later her lfeless body lay in the bottom of
the reservoir.
Neither Insane Nor Shining.
Maud Fisher was neither insane, 50 far
as can be learned. nor wicked. Her life
was blameless. She was devoted mem
Der of st. Marks church, a pupilin the
Sunday school and a true Christian girl.
All her desires and ambitions seemed cen
tered in her class, in the study of the
Scriptures and the leading of her compan-
ions into the path she trod so consistently.
She was an attractive girl, graceful and
pleasant of countepance. She entered into
~. 8 II t,n
auspices of her church, but held herself
entirely aloof from frivolous amusements.
Her intimates were all of her own sex. At
times she surprised her friends with the
. depth of joy she manifested over the GER
tainty that she was succeeding in her en-
deavor to lead an ideal life, and week
later, perhaps, she would terrify them
with passionate grief because of her I'M
pardonable sinfulness.
Her Ideal Was Too Lofty.
Sometimes when in this latter M od she
would speak vaguely of going away .rom
them forever. She was liked and respected
| for her efforts TO realize a lofty ideal OF
| goodness. When in her respondent moods
she spoke openly of suicide her friends did
not doubt her soundness of mind any more
| than they imagined that she would com
nit an act so foreign to the principles
| dearest to her heart. She kept little
diary, in which she recorded daily the story
| of her struggles, her victories, and her de-
| feats. The diary is the most sacred me-
| mento left her heartbroken parents. To
more than hint at its contents would be
| sacrilege.
Preparing for the Awful Deed.
Last week she was plunged in a fit of
| dependency, but her friends paid little
| attention to il. Saturday morning she
was long time at her desk. She wrote
| letters and addressed them, and she wrote
| in her diary. In the letters she told her
| Sunday school teacher Miss Clark, and
| her classmates that all her aspirations
| towards a worthy life were of DO avail.
| and that she was about to leave them for
| ever The struggle, she said. was more
| than she could endure. Her life was
| bound to be unworthy and she was about
| to end it. In her diary she wrote these
| words: Tonight shall go down street
| and shall also go to church, then shall ]
| go away forever, to the reservoir.
The Plunge to Eternity.
The programme was observed to the let
| At 3 O'Clock she walked down West Main
street to the center of the town where she
met Grace Porter and Carrie Smith, two
| of her nearest friends, who walked back
with her They parted within sight of
Maud's home. Goodbye, girls, - she said.
Il am going to the reservoir. and YOU will
not see me again" They stood facing the
green slopes of the reservoir hill at the
time. The young ladies were startled and
after kissing Maud, followed her Mt dis
| lance The white shawl over her should
ers was enough to ideptify her in the
| gathering darkness butS presently Maud
| took of the shawl, and they could not see
| whether she entered her fathers house or
not. She did not go home True to her
| purpose she went to the reservoir, and re-
| moving one shoe, plunged to her death as
she heard a carriage approaching