The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-12
KILLED HERSELF WITH GAS
was THE SUICIDE A WIDOW Or A
DESERTED WHEY

Said She Was the widow of British Army
Onncer-A Although Apparently Poor, Mrs.
Seiiey Left Nearly $4,000 in Savings
Was Threatened with Biiudness.
Mrs. Margaret J. Sciley, n lodger for the past
i've months at Mrs. Harriet Coolies boarding
house. at 2Os West Eleventh street. where she
was understood to be the widow OF an English
officer, committed suicide on Tuesday night by
inhaling Illuminating gas. Fear of impending
blindness is supposed to have prompted her
suicide. Mrs. Sciley was a stout woman, nenrly
90 years old, with white hair. She had an
afTable manner, but was very re,lcent about
her personal affairs. 1t was supposed at the
boarding house that she was a person OF meaErs
means, and all the tenants were astonished
when the police made the discovery that tho
dead woman had bnnkbooks representing de-
posts Of nearly $4,000 in tho Greenwich and
Blocker savings banks and the Manhattan
Bank for Savings.
Mrs. Sciley engaged n hall bedroom on the
top floor OF the boarding house on July /. and
paid tho rent promptly each week, taking her
meals at restaurants In the neighborhood She
was plainly dressed, and appeared TO be In
Strengthened circumstances, although she told
Mrs. Goble that she obtained a monthly pension
of s75 from the British Government, her hus-
band having been a Major in the English army
service. After n time Mrs. seiley conlded to
Mrs. Goble that che had two married sons in
this city. who were graduates of the Stevens
Institute Electrical School. and were soon to go
to Russia to take places as engineers. Mrs.
Seiley appeared 10. be very devout, ana attended
services every night NJ the Manhattan Temple
at Seventh avenue and Fourteenth street.
Both Mrs. .Seiley's eyes were affected by
e1tnrne,s. and a Fortnight ago she consulted .
went All operation she would probably lose her
sight. She told the lnndlady that she would
On Monday. unknown to the lRndlndy, she
drew $3.50 from the bank. which she apparently
turn that 10 was going next day 10 start for
Russia to j1in his brother, who had gone abroad
Mrs. Seiiey on tuesday asked to have tho
window of the hall bedroom nailed up. She
locked the door on going to the room early IN
the evening. stopped up the keyhole and cracks
with rags. and maze alright the register in the
undressinE. went TO bed. The odor Of escaping
gas led TO the discovery of the suicide about 3
o,slse ho, ysss5er tbs p sf'sen OF III. H dbsri soe s.,e ss
station. They found the bank books and two
rocketbooks CONTAINING about 500 in bills and
BANK, sl.7a5; ,Bieecksr Bank: $500. and
Manhattan Bank. S1.02Q. Against these she
had recently drawn out about $500.
The police also discovered among the corre-
Of inquiry t,i Il to C, CHEF iHfprT Of the
81. Louis police. indicating that she was not .
IT, letter was writIen in september. 1894.
when Mrs. Seiley lived at 232 East l2sth street
She had asked for information about Major
John w. Seiley. who is supposed to have been
the husband OF the dead woman.
Chief Harrigan said that Seiley lived at 400S
De!par avenue. where Mrs. Seiley, his wife,
kept a boarding house. and that for two years
previous the couple had lived at $500 Olive street.
Chief Harrigan added that Major Seiley was q
salesman for the wholesale whiskey firm OF
Benz Brothers at st. Paul. MINI.
Coroner Dobbs recognized the dead woman
instantly.
~ have known her by sight" he said. for
the last forty years. She is an old resident OF
the Ninth ward, but there was always some
thing mysterious about her. l did not know
that she was married."