San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-23
SORROW MADE HER MAD.

Maggie Claxton Sought Death by
Jumping From a Passaic
Precipice.
PAssAIC CITY, N. j., July 2S.-The
residents Of Passaic City, n. j., were
considerably excited yesterday when
it became known that Maggie Clax-
ton, young and handsome woman
of that place, had attempted suicide
by trying to throw herself from the
edge of the precipice overlooking the
falls on the Pasaic river. While pom
dering on the step she was about to
take, the woman was seen by a po-
liceman, and the latter seized her.
Immediately fierce struggle took
place on the brow of the cliff, and,
despite the officers exertions, she
broke away from him, and would
have plunged headlong to death but
for the timely arrival of several men
who were attracted to the scene by
his shouts. Even after they had
seized her 1t was with the greatest
difficulty that she was prevented
from carrying out her rash purpose.
The story of the young woman's
life is a sad one. She is known to
every. one in the town as Maggie
ClaxtoI, who remember her as
young and pretty girl many years
ago. She was unusually light-heart-
ed until two years ago, when she first
met and fell in love with Michael
Talbut. The latter, for few months
after their marriage, was everything
that a hus band could be. Then he
became dissipated, and slowly but
surely liquor claimed him as q victim.
Six months had scarcely elapsed
from the day of their marriage when
all Passaic was startled by tragedy.
Talbut had been shot dead by a
saloon-keeper named Mccarthy. The
former had been drinking in the place
at the time, and became boisterous.
A fracas followed, and when it had
concluded Talbut was lying on the
floor bleeding from a pistol shot
wound, from which he ultimately
died.
Maggie Claxton never recovered
from the shock of her husbands
death. She continued, however, to
live in Passaic, and as the months
rolled by her neighbors began to feel
that she had forgotten it. This, how
ever, was a mistake. She brooded
over it night and day, until finally
the one thought of following her hus-
band took possession of her mind.
She went to the edge of the preci-
pice yesterday and paused on the
brink long enough to be seen by Po-
liceman Gall, who was making his
usual patrol around the falls. e.im-
mediately rushed toward her and
caught her by the arm, at the same
time asking her what she contem.
plated.
"Never mind me-" she said, with a
vacant stare. 81 am about to jump
off this rock, so please leave me in
peace the few short hours L have to
live"
Gall at once seized the woman, and
a desperate struggle ensued. He sue
ceeded in dragging her several yards
away from the brink of the cliff, but
then his strength gave out. The
woman gave every evidence of being
a maniac. The seemed possessed
with super-human strength, and
fought him step by step. At last she
succeeded in completely freeing her
self, then made mad rush toward
what was certain death.
In the mean time, however, several
men who happened to be at work in
the vicinity heard the policeman's
cries. They rushed to the scene just
in time to prevent the frantic woman
from jumping off. The policeman by
that time had somewhat recovered
himself, and at once placed her under
arrest. She was escorted to the sta
ton house where a charge of being a
disorderly person was entered against
her. While in her cell the woman
cried franticalIy to be released and
begged piteously to be allowed to
carry ont her deSDerate inten tiOuS