Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-15

Attempted Suicide of an American woman-
Her Hallucination.

AtteLnpteO Sulc1tte Oh An American woman
Her Hallucination.
Aspecial cable dispatch to the New York
World from London, dated the 18th, says:
At the Maryiebone street police court today
Mrs. Jane Whitcornb, the wife of ex-State Audi
tor Whitcomb of Minnesota, was charged with
having attempted to commit suicide by taking
| opium in the form Of one ounce of laudanum
at the residence of Lady Sebright. SO Warning
ton Crescent, Paddington, W., with whom she
has been living for long time.
On Wednesday morning Lady Sebright went
to Mrs. Whitcomb's room to wake her up and
found her unconscious She noticed smell OF
laudanum, and hunting about found a bottle
under Mrs. Whitcombs pillow. She i'm
mediately called the servants and shook Mrs.
Whitcomb until the latter partly regained con-
seriousness.
Then policeman and a doctor were called in
and the latter administered an emetic.
Five years ago Mrs. Whitcomb tried to COM
NIT suicide several times at Monte Carlo both
by drowning and poisoning. She is separated
from her husband. who is living in Duluth, and
is a very refined and accomplished woman, who
moves in high circles in England Lady
Sebright and Mrs. Whitcomb are bosom friends.
| and for the last few years Mrs. Whitcomb has
managed farm i'll Algiers for her ladyship.
She has lately appeared depressed on account
of financial troubles and has several times
| threatened to take her life. Previous to taking
| the poison on Wednesday she wrote the follow
| ing letter to Lady Sebright:
Il dying. forbid you ever to speak in public on
religious subjects. If You disobey me will re-
turn and haunt you. May the money you have
| 80 dearly loved and which is the price of my
life be your curse. leave you the curse of q
murdered woman. Jane Whitcomb. 1 forbid
you ever to mention my name"
Lady Sebright said that the prisoner wrote
| this letter to her because she refused to lend
her $500. The prisoner had no claim on her
whatever.
The Roumanian minister. who was acquainted
with the defendant, was present to testify as
to the strange way she had behaved recently
near his house, but he could not speak English
and there WAS no one there to interpret what
he had to say.
Mr.. Welcome of Welcome L Burroughs. the
| American druggists in Holborn, stated that he
had known the prisoner for twenty years and
! also knew her husband intimately years ago in
America.
He had received the following letter from her
on Wednesday:
DEAR Mr.. WELCOME: May ask last sery.
ice at your hsndt Will you send to this adj
dress the addressed stamp at the top of this
paper and have my trunt sent to Mrs. Ham,
mOnd, Fakenham, Norfolk Will you pay what
1t will cost to bury my poor, tired body in some
quiet spot?
Lady Sebright has done me, who thought
her my best friend. such srievous wrong that
| do not wish her to spend penny of her much
loved money for me. But i know how kindly
beats your heart and do not fear to ask you
Dear, delicate death, how sweet the though
Your grateful friend, JANE wHIrcoMB"
MIR. Welcome, being interviewed today, said
that he had no doubt that Mrs. Whitcomb was
! crazy. He had arranged that Minister Lin
coin should look after her interests and COM
municated with her friends in America.
The magistrate remanded her for week and
sent her to the hospital in Holloway jail, where
she will receive every attention.
The Words correspondent called at Hol-
loway jail, but the officials refuse to let any one
see her yet.
Lady Sebright left London last night. Lady
Sebright is the wife of sir John Gage S,,un-
ders Sebright, BART, whom she married in
1865, her maiden name being the Hon. Olivia
Amy Douglas FItz Patrick. She is daughter
OF Baron Castletown.