The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-05-18
Those Who Have Sought Rest
Beneath Its Waters
SOME TRIED AND FAILED
The Sad Death of the wife Of the Rev,
DR.. hutchins
Tragic Ending Of Police officer Mcguire
Case Of May Emerson-One OF the
Saddest In the List

reporter. Il don't know whether they
think it is an easy way to die. or just
whether it is because 1t is convenient.
but somehow 1t seems to me that when
people get weary of the struggle for eX-
istence they just want to go off some
where and go to sleep in pond or water
and end it all-that is of course. If death
is the end, which, of course. is debata-
BILE question"
The remark was brought out in talk
ing over the sad death of the unfortun-
ate May Emerson, who drowned herself
in the lake at Westlake park few days
ago on receiving a letter from her moth
err telling her that the doors of her nome
were closed against her. after she mad
been deserted by the man for whom she
had left her husband in San Francisco.
With this as a starter, the conversation
naturally followed the gruesome lead
indicated and the suicide record or
Westlake park.
Even before the park was laid out
and the present lake improved there was
| a death by drowning in the old reser-
voir But this was an accident. several
boys having gone in swimming, one of
whom got beyond his depth and was
drowned.
The first suicide in the lake was that
of Mrs DIR. Hutchins, the wife of the
CONGREGATIONAL minister. Mrs. Hutch
ms had been sick for some time and was
not in her right mind. One evening she
eluded the vigilance of the members of
her family and disappeared. The matter
was reported to the police and search
was made during the night. but no trace
of the missing woman could be found;
The next morning her BODY was 1ounu
in the lake at Westlake.
Some time after this a young woman.
disappointed in love and weary or lie.
tried to drown herself in the lake. but
she was discovered In time and rescued.
The affair caused quite sensation, but
it was huShed up on account of the So
cial prominence of the parties involved.
There was long interval after this.
and then one of the most sensational
tragedies In the history of the city. the
suicide of Police Officer Mcguire took
place at the park. Mcguire was one of
the best known and most popular Off
GERS on the force. He was Mason of
high standing. and was regarded as one
of the last men in the world who would
take his own life. He got into trouble
over money matters. besides getting en-
tangled in several love affairs, and de-
liberately decided to get out of his diff
culties by ending his life. One evening
he hired horse and buggy at livery
stable and after driving about the city
until after midnight. he went out to
Westlake park. Near the summer house
on the west side of the lake he tied his
horse, and walking out into the lake un-
til the water was up to his waist he
first fired two shots in the air from a
large forty-fve calibre revolver, and
then sent a third through his brain.
sinking down into the lake. There was
the usual search. as no one ever thought
of Mac" committing suicide, but the
next day the horse and buggy We're
found hitched by the side of the lake,
and the body was recovered a the spot
where he shot himself, his hat being
found floating on the surface, few feet
away.
The next victim was young woman
who had been employed as a domestic
at the Menlo hotel There was consd-
cradle mystery about the case, and it
was some time before the body was
identified. 1t is supposed that this
woman, too. was disappointed in love.
The next person who tried to end his
life in the park was a youth who was
supposed to be demented. The youth
had been addicted to excessive cigar
cite smoking, which had affected his
health. He stopped the habit, but the
reaction was too great, and he tried to
kill himself. He left note telling his
mother what he intended to do and
started to the park to carry out his in
tention. His mother discovered the note
shortly after it was written, and had
started to the police station for help,
when she met Deputy Consta bic Mug
nemi. to whom she told her story. Mug
nemi jumped into an express wagon and
started al full speed for the park. When
he arrived he found the Respondent
youth in clump of bushes preparing to
cut his throat with a razor. The officer
disarmed the youth and he was sent
home to his mother.
The last on the list was the unfortu-
nate May Emerson. This young woman,
who was only 90 years of age at the time
of her death. had had very checkered
career. She ran away from her husband
in San Francisco something over a year
ago with restaurant waiter and came
to this city. When she left home she
told her people that she was going to
the beach to gather shells When she
did not return her husband thought
that she had met with some accident
and been caught by the rising tide and
drowned. The husband would not be-
lieve that his wife had been false to
him. and for weeks haunted the beach
looking for the body. hoping that the
sea would give up it's dead thereby
ending his dreadful suspense. In the
meantime the woman was in Los Ange-
les. AS usual in such cases the man
for whom the woman had sacrificed so
much tired of her and transferred his
affections to another woman. Then
May Emerson wrote to her mother ask
ing her forgiveness and begging to be
allowed to return home. In time an
dilSN CT Was received, saying lne door
was barred against her. This was the
last straw. and the unfortunate ended
her miserable existence by drowning in
Westlake park over a year after the
time that she was supposed to have per-
ishcd III the waters of the great Pa
cific.
In connection with the death of May
Emerson, the following communication
has been received by The Herald, writ
ten by Ellen Lucy Merriam:
ONE MORE UNFORTUNATE
The latest suicide, accomplished be-
meath the peaceful waters at Westlake,
is perhaps one of the saddest the Los
Angeles press has yet recorded, if such
reports are accurate. And if there is any
comfort to be afforded by such contem-
plation it is that, however much the
newspaper man may be given to fin
pancy and racy sentiment, his heart was
evidently touched and his hand guided
by the softening element of sympathy
in his recital for the weary unfortunata
What chapter of misery did that
splash beneath the waves bring to 4
close; what heart longings and break
ingS ceased, How many tempestuolls
seasons of strife and hopeless disap-
pointment were endured to bring the
weary woman to such despondency
God only knows.
The old story of unrequited love Love
neglected, love forsaken. In the face Of
such misery. does any one feel to accuse
her of past duty trangreSsed? What
ever of error she may have committed
previously cannot ameliorate or excuse
vulgar comment, harsh criticism nor