Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-22
WRAPPED IN MYSTERY
Strange Suicide of Young and Pretty
Annie McEachran, Who
TOOK ROUGH ON RATS AND DIED.
Her Last Words We're to Her Fireman Lover,
Dennis Martin.
NO CAUSE ASSIGNED FOR HER ACT

Pretty Annie McEachran, dark-eyed
maid of II years, committed suicide yester-
| day at the house of her maiden aunt, Miss
| Mary M. McEachran, of 1927 Penn avenue.
just what caused the young girl to COM
init self.murder it is difficult to say. Ac-
cording to her aunt, with whom she lived,
Annie loved young man named Dennis
Martin, and bis coldness was the direct
cause of the rash deed. On the other hand
responsible for the girls death, and hints
that life was made SO unpleasant for Annie
that she became desperate.
The case is at present shrouded in mys-
tery. The girl died with her lips sealed.
and her friends either cannot or will not
make her story public. The facts, as far as
known, are these: Annie has lived with
her aunt for number of years Until
two weeks ago she was as gay
and light-hearted as young girl
should be. She assisted her aunt, who is a
dressmaker, and spent the best part of her
leisure hours with Dennis Martin, whom
she first met some IA months ago.
Tired of Life and Wanted to Die.
Two weeks ago, so the aunt says, Annie
suddenly became moody and out of sorts,
but refused to offer any explanation for the
change. Mr.. Martin continued to call. and
as late as Saturday afternoon he and Annie
went out for long walk. At an early
hour yesterday morning the girl was up and
about. She greeted her aunt pleasantly
and appeared to be in fairly good spirits.
Shortly after 8 o'clock she retired to an
inner room and returning few moments
later shocked her aunt by saving: "Auntie,
I am tired of life; I've taken poison; Let me
die"
AS she spoke, she staggered, and before
her aunt could realize the truth, she fell
face downward on the floor of the shop.
The aunt called in the neighbors and with
in the little room in the rear of the shop.
She sent for Dr.. McKibben who responded
Immediately.
After he had examined Annie, the man of
medicine said: ''She has taken rough on
rats, think, and she cannot live the day
out Send for priest"
By hard work the doctor reused the girl,
who, in disjointed sentences confessed that
she had bought and swallowed an ounce of
the poison and that she was anxious to die.
Sent for Her Fireman Lover.
Someone went for Father Tobin, of st.
Marv's Church, and he came. This was
about o'clock in the afternoon. Annie
asked the priest to bring Dennis Martin to
her Father Tobin sent messenger to en-
gine house No. 6, which is Just
around the corner on Forty-6fth
street, and in ten minutes Mar
tin was at Annie's bedside. The
young couple conversed in whispers for
han hn + h..
Martins eyes were wet and the girl was
breathing heavily. Then the priest ad-
ministered the last rites of the church and
went away So did Martin. Thanks to the
doctors skill the girl fingered for hours,
but midway between the hours of and
10 in the evening she gave up the
hopeless struggle and died. The last words
she uttered were these: 'I'm going; poor,
poor Dennis"
The dead girls aunt was in an unhappy
frame of mind last night. She sat in the
rear of her little shop surrounded BY a
group of solemn-faced neighbors. In the
rear room her dead niece lay on cot partly
covered with a sheet
sT don't want to say anything" she said,
in response to the usual queries. "Annie
loved Dennis Martin, and he and she have
been keeping company for over IL months"
Fireman Martin Tells His Story.
Dennis Martin is . man of % or there
abouts with dark. stubby moustache and
a soft voice. He is fireman and has been
a member of Company No. for over
a year. Martin was found at the Empire
house late last night. When told of An
nie's death, he said: eyes, have been WIS., |
iting the girl for about year, but have
always treated her right, and she |
e1onerated me this afternoon before
Father Tobin. She said that was in no |
way responsible. She told me something |
else, but swore to her that 1 wouldn't |
make it known and 1 won't. don't think |
she was happily situated. Iwent to Chief |
Coates this afternoon and told him all about |
it. You had better talk to him.
William Coates, the Assistant Chief of |
the Fire Department, corroborated Martin, |
and said: "Dennis is a fine young man and |
q splendid fireman. 1 believe his story. |
If doubted it should have suspended |
him at once. / am sure no one regrets this |
affair more than he.
Annie's mother died several years ago,
but her father is living and is an inmate of |
the Soldiers Home at Dayton. Ohio
Coroner Heron was notified and has |
charge of the case