The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-07
Lifts The Veil Of Mystery Which
Surrounded Her.
HER PARENTS VERY WEALTHY
And Have Long Been Trying to Find
Their Dsughter--Ber Brain became
Clouded by Overwork In student
Days-May Recover Eventually.

GREESFIELD, Mass, Nov. THE at
tempted suicide of miss Greyson" near
Turner's Falls has developed some stert-
ling facts.
II find the people here very pleasant and
kind, but shall remain here only nine
days. II i do not hear from Mrs. Well
man then shall throw myself from the
train"
These words were written by Mary Bar
rell Howitz In her diary. The nine days
expired, and Mrs. Wellman not appear
ing, the girl said TO Mrs. Shattuck OF
Turner's Falls, with whom she was living,
II should like to go to Greenfield this
afternoon"
Permission was given, and an hour or
two later the girl threw herself from the
train on the Turner's Falls branch, neal
the pine woods. with the evident intention
of dashing out her brains.
For nearly an hour she was unconscious
beside tine track. When she was discov-
cred she was taken to the Farren House
and every attention was given her. While
she was in Turner's Falls she was en-.
ployed as domestic, and yet this girl, do
ing the coarse work OF the kitchen, had
been reared In luxury, given the best edu.
and had her education completed at o
leading institute at Zurich.
Back of all this is pitiful story-par.
ents searching for their daughter, she
writing them letters pure of thought and
diction, then cstrangement from her
father because of disordered mind shift
ing from one place TO another SO rapidly
that her parents would not receive her let
ters before she would have located else
where. The story in detail is as follows:
She Acted Queeriy.
A few months ago woman giving the
name of Lena Greyson came to Turner'S
Falls and went 10 the boarding house of
Mrs. c. II. Quimby. She was without
funds, but her clothing showed that she
came from the upper ranks of life. She
asked for work and said she was willing
to work for her board until she could find
q more remunerative situation.
She inserted an advertisement in local
paper soliciting work as a domestic and IL
was answered by w. ID. Russell, the treas
urer Of the Montague Paper company, who
engaged her TO work in his house. The
girl acted strangely as soon as she went
there and slammed the doors and acted in
such way that she wss retained only "a
hours She then returned to Mrs. Quimby,
and while there incurred q bill at the store
of Mr.. Shattuck aud went to his house tc
work until it was liquidated.
1t was while there that she wrote the
entry in her diary with which this story
was begun. After staying at the Farren
House from the time OF the attempt on
her life until last Sunday evening she
was without funds, and it was determined
8 TO take her to Mrs. Quimbly's house
again. Miss Shattuck visited her, and
Miss Greyson, as she was supposed to be,
requested Miss Shattuck to take certain
things from her trunk, which was still at
Mrs Shattuck's residence, aud bring them
to the Farren House.
Miss shattuck's Discovery.
On opening the trunk Miss Shattuck
saw the diary mentioned above. Her sus.
piciops being aroused she opened the book
aud she found that Miss Greyson was not
a menial, but the daughter of Il. b.
Howitz, prosperous lawyer, now retired
from business in Baltimore. The diary
was very volumipous and dated back 70
1885, when she was at school in Europe
and showed she was fitting herself TO be-
come physician.
She seemed to have been happy and
money was furnished by her parents for
everything she could desire. Her mind
became clouied from overwork and her
parents then placed her in an asylum In
America She became embittered against
her father for keeping her under restraint
and the diary showed that after a time she
succeeded in escaping from the asylum
and came north.
1t also shows that she has been en-
ployed in cotton mill at Warren, later az
Christian Temperance Union Of Spring
field, and testimonial from one of them
speaks of her in the highest terms.
There is no doubt whatever of her in.
sanity, and her parents have been notified
of her whereabouts and condition and are
expected to come and care for her. She is
ON n fair vay TO recovery however