The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-06
PLUNGED TO DEATH.
An Anglo Indian Professor
Meets a Tragic Fate.
IN THE PRESENCE or HIS WIFE.
Prof. Nash. OF Calcutta University,
Drowned From the Topeka's side
Suicide or Accident


was at the rail 1ith him when he went
overheard The case takes on the shroud
Of mystery as IL Is claimed By some on
the steamer that short time prior 70 tie
fatal plunge Nash repuisea hts Hifes at
tefnpts 70 place her arms around him. but
or the other nand the most Intimate friend
OF Mrs Nash says that the hereaved 20
mans feels that the death was accidental.
whether II was suicide or accident, IL Is
true that Prof Nash had everything 20
live for and little 20 cause suicidal ma
mia lie had been engaged IN educational
work for years and II Is said that MS
name II affixed 10 several important
works on mathematics. While At Cal
cutfa ne did great deal Of original work,
ard II was hts infentiou 20 put this mat
ter In proper form during the coming year
while he and his wife were visiting az
fis mothers home at Reading. England.
prof Nash was a very short and rather
s-out man, ased a. years. English 10 the
backbone and educated at Oxford unit
verxlfy according 20 his own statement.
He had lived IA Calcutta between nine
teen and twenty years. and been most II
not all OF that time professor or mathe-
mates IN the university. which - under
the control OF the English government.
According to his own remarks made while
on the steamer city Of Topeka. he was
married twelve years ago 10 the woman
who Is now IN ;his city mourning his
death. Mrs Nash r. 3 years old. rather
short has n dark complexion and ~ o.
English and irish stock.
come time ago. according 20 Prof Sash's
remarks. the English government gave
him "A leave % absence. and u Vas his IN
tsntlon 20 make an extended pleasure tour
Of the county before arriving a. the
home 81 hts childhood Reading. England
where 10 and sis wife wer. 20 pass
year. They ieft Calcutta some time ago.
and visited the Orient. after which ther
went 20 san Franciseo ana then north
60 Tacoma where they took the steamer
cts 81 Topeka two weeks aEo Tor Alaska.
having purchased round trip tickets AFTER
returning from there they Intended 10 80
60 the Yellowstone Park and fhen or 20
N@w York city where they would take
a steamer across she ocean ~ England.
As h happened the sfateraom hat vas
assigned 70 Mr. ard Mrs Mash was next
20 that occupied b. Nrs. a. e.. Becker 81
washington cftv. an old grag haired lady
who Ras making trip for pleasure. once
during the Journey Mrs. Nash was III aud
Mr. Nash asked Mrs. Becker % do " hat
che could for his wife Airs. Becker says
thar she thus became acquainted with
Prof. and Mrs. Nash and that she never
saw or heard anything To Indicate that
there was trouble between them. Nj.
Nash always spoke Of hts wife as my
darling" and was very solcitous about
her during the time she was ~. lie spoke
about life IN India. and only two hours
before the waters closed over his head
was telling Mrs. Becker Of the work he
Intended 20 do when he reached his
mothers home In old England.
n appears. however. that the professor
spent a considerable part Of the day walk
ing up and down the port side Of the
steamer between the social and smoking
cabins About O'Clock Mrs. Nash came
out on the deck. and according 10 the
opinion OF Carpenter Linn. who was work
ing aft. she made an effort 10 caress him.
but he edged away from her and they
walked along together. but did not ap-
pear 10 he holding any conversation. Mrs.
Nash went into the social cabin, leaving
her husband on the deck alone. but came
ont again after a while and joined him.
They walked up and down the deck for
n short time and then stopped about mid
ships on the port side and both leaned over
the railing. engaging in earnest converse
ton.
suddenly without warning OF any kind.
Prof. Nash tipped forward and as his
feet came up in the air he gave sort Of
kick and slid downward toward the glis-
tening water. Mrs. Nash made frantic Of
fort 10 hold her husbands legs as he went
over the railing. but she was unsuCcess-
ful and saw his body disappear in the
depths below. In the paroxSsm Of grief
that followed this awful sight the poor
woman shrieked for help and fen on her
knees in duplication. In the meantime
Nick pauison. a deckhand who had @it-
messed the scene. ran forward and gave
the alarm OF man overheard"
Capt Wallace had the steamer brought
around az quickly as possible ana boat
was lowered. II was no use. however. for
not a trace of the lost man could be
found 1t is probable that Carpenter
Linn was the last 10 see tho unfortunate
man alive. for he Mas at the stern OF the
boat on the same deck from which the
drowning took place. and as ne heard
the cries Of the bereaved woman and
alarmed deckhand. looked up aud saw
Prof Nash floating on the waves in the
wake Of the steamer FAR asteFn. \ mo
ment later. however. ne was lost TO sight
In a watcry grave.
Capt Wallace vas OF course compelled
70 continue the voyage. and arrived tn
port yesterday morning AZ II o'clock
After the drowning occurred Mrs Nash
was In a state bordering on nervous prcS-
tra,ion, and she was nos left alone at any
time Airs \ G. Becker took a uothcrlv
interest in her. and as soon as Tho
steamer dorked a quincy VAS called and
they went TO the Rainier Grand hotel 4
rcsf-fntclligcnccr reporter called ~ tho
hotel 20 see Mrs Nash bat Mrs Becker
absolutely refused % allow an interview.
She was very indignant al tho tntina-
tion that IL WAS possible Mrs Nash had
not a legal right 20 the name Of Nash
when asked II Mrs. Nash claimed that
the drowning was accidental Mrs. Becker
replied.
'+Of course she does Why should Mr.
Nash have committed suicider lie had
much - live Tor. and certainly no cause
"a XIII himself only two hours before
ne went overheard nc was telling me
about his plans for the future lie was
on his way from Calcutta, India whore
De was professor 81 mathematics TO his
mothers home in England 10 rest for a
year or 50. lie spoke % his work in ruath-
emaues and about his plans for eomnlet-
ing some original work he had In rro-
gresS. he always spoke in terms Of en-
dcarmeOt II his wife. and Il there was
any uupigaS8utDesS between fhctn I aGt
not know Cf 81. I have understood that
Mr.. Nash was "a man ~ con~tacra bic emil
ucnNe ana highly Thought ~ ~ the I'm
ENsh government. ana there VAS Some.
talk - comforting a title on him when he
reached England"
When asked II sire had heard that NJ
Nash spoke two ar three times ~ his
wife In an apparently testing manner
about jumping overheard and thar she
threatened 70 ask the captain 20 have Nfr,,
pat in irons II ne dd nos sfap. she sa{a
that she had never heard a Mont of stl.b