New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-04
"A WOMANS SHOCKING SUICIDE
THREW HERSELF BEFORE AN ELE-
WAITED TRAIN AND WAS GROUND
TO DEATH.
THE HORRIBLE SIGHT WITNESSED BY \ NUM-
BER OF PEoPIE-sIIE WAS SERVANT
OUT OF EMPLOYMENT.


OUT OF EMPLOYMENT.
One Of the most shocking suicides ever wit
messed IN this city was that of woman who
threw herself under the wheels Of a locomotive
the elevated railroad at Third-ave and one
hundred-and-tw twenty -hfth-st III the full view Of
several persons yesterday morning. Her BODY
cut to pieces and shreds of It were strewn
along the railroad track for a distance OF sixty
feet or fell into the street below The woman
was Mary Erickson. a servant out OF employ
ment. who had been driven 10 desperation by
poverty and desertion. The suicide the
more shocking because in destroying her own
life the woman also killed her unborn child
1t about a. when the woman went
on the platform of the downtown station at
Thrd-ave. and ne-hundred-and- -twentyffth
st. bought ticket walk past the ticket
chopper and took her station at Of the
openings in the guard rail at the edge Of the
platform. She was stout woman about thirty
years old and she blue and white shirt
waist a black alpaca skirt and a sailor hat. and
carried bundle wrapped in a newspaper. Her
appearance was that of ordinary servant,
and she attracted little attention as she stood
waiting for the ne~t down train.
a number of other persons were on the plat
form, waiting for the down train. and those
standing near were Philip Miller. news
boy. and woman. who was a stranger to her
The woman who held the bundle stood with her
feet close 10 the edge Of the platform When
the train was about fifteen feet away from her
she suddenly laid her bundle down or the plat
form She was In crouchrg position When
she dropped the bundle AID with wild cry
that sounded as If it came from a breaking
heart she threw herself face downward on the
track The other woman screamed and almost
tainted at the sight. other persons on the plat
form looked in time 10 the locomotive run
over and mangle the woman on the track
The engineer saw the woman throw herself
In front of the train. He applied the brakes
with full force and also reversed the lever in
desperate effort 10 stop the train but the mo-
mcnturl was too great and the locomotive
wheels passed over the woman body. There
were horrible grinding and crushing sounds as
the train moved on sixty feet further. The
ponderous wheels Of the locomotive cut the
woman's bod N pieces. and then the forward
truck Of the first ca picked UP the fragments
and ground them along oyer tn ties reducing
them to shreCs Men il thc street below saw
a nurb,r Of pieces fall to the pavement
\ multitude Of reorle soon gathered in the
avenue under the station. and many persons ran
ur 10 the platform. which was soon crowded.
Policer,,n and railroad employees gathered up
tho fragments OF the )man's body and placed
thor, in soap box which was carried to the
police station In Fas, One-hundred-and-twenty
sixth-st Late. sand Was scattered over the
railroad track AMI on the pavement beloW 'He
station to remove traces Of blood.
Isaac V Zane and Philip SecliS the enSlheeI
and fireman OF the train. we're arrested ana
taken before a MAGISTRATE. who sent them before
a Coroner Several Witnesses supported their
declaration that IL was impc cssiblc To stop the
train in time To prevent the death oi the woman
Both men will be exonerated
Whon tn, clothing Of the dead woman was e%-
aminad closel~ the police found caro- oi an
@rnrlo,-n,e-t agencv in One-hundred- and twen-
written the adde's Of Mrs. Carl@W AT NO. !.
VS. -h-rdred-a twenty -second-st ~
3D., ar,nlovment ofic- IL said tfat SW"d-
ish ,ro,,ar ealing herself Maui Erickson. had
anulie9 for a situation. and tn" proprietor nau
directed her 10 60 t. the house OF MIs. CafleN.
ia. bundle which the woman laid on ire p.a'-
for.n of the elevated railroad station contained
onlv articles Of clothing ,,..
An hour befor" noon Mar Aincok dS"En'r' ,
nj carrenter living AT No. o'P East Cne-hun-
5ra1 o. nd = thirtv-sxth-st went to the police sta
,;or and said that the woman who commute
en,cid. was Mary Erickson. an unmarrlru
cousin who was ratiVe Of Finland ana cam
N This city about six years ago me N"iiai
nd L,en emnlovel at various houses IN the
t, ntu os a servant Miss Abeck said her father
,ras foo poor to pay for funeral lor MS hie'
"a Tho fragments Of the woman's BODY VIII
Nrai,r Ln hurled in the POttcrs Field She
aa ,,o exclamation Of her dsgraca before she
norpoi,tod suicide and her relatives were not
.,,en aware of her condition. The name oi, me
| norson who was responsive 10Y He' l''S'o' '"''0
! nrohablv will never be known.