The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-20
SUICIDE FOLLOWS FIRE.
THE FIRE WAS RTED BIZ 4
FIVE YE1R-oLD BOY.

seventeen Yenr-OId Mamie Lynch Had LEFT
tho Chiid Alone. so HcciinE Responsible
she Poisoned Herself Rather Than Face
Her Brothers, whose Homo was Harmed Out.
Rather than face her brothers, for whom she
kept house, fearing that they would blame her
because the house caught fire during her alb
soncc, on Monday afternoon, 17.year-old
Mamie Lynch went to hor sisters house to
sleep, and during the night. committed suicide
by poison.
Since her sister Josephine's marriage, several
years ago, Mamie had been housokocper for
the two brothers, Jerry, who Is o payer, and
Cornelius, who is q photographer. their mother
and father being long dead. With the Lynches
In their rooms at 20 Oliver street lived the
widow Holland and her 8 year-old son Willy.
Tho girl took care of the youngster and was
far moro fond of him than most OF tho girls Oh
tho ncighborhood are Of their own brothers.
On Monday afternoon Mamie went down to
the corner to buy tho supper, leaving Willy to
his own devices in the house. Unfortunately
those devices were n box OF matches, which
furnished plenty Of amusement for the boy
until he set the window curtains ahre and
scorched himself. Then ho yelled vociferously,
and Mrs. Patrick Nolan from tho floor below
ran up and hauled him out Just In time. A
FIRE alarm was rung, and when the fremen
went away thore was no FIRE left and no home;
only an u~nsiRhtly mass Of soaked and charred
remnants. Leading the fearful Willy by tho
hand, Mrs. Nolan went down the street to take
the news TO the little housekeeper. She met
your house is burnt out" she said. '.and
its lucky Willy 10 that he amt burnt, too"
The girl looked at Mrs. Nolan for a moment,
pressed hcr hands upon her breast, and CO.
saint! Ant. i fS, Hs'" .s exchange S,t the i. Irish ,hO WON;
aha'd take 1T that much to heart
Picking the girl up, she carried her into the
nearest l house, : where she h revived H,yTsSdd; Then Mrs; Mrs.
ment, but no sooner had the girl set eyes On
the wreck Of her homo than she broke down and
1T vas my. fault for leaving Willie alOne,"
she sobbed. How can / over face the boys!',,
Mrs: Nolan. You couldn't help it, and they'll
be the first to say So
Lei me go away" said Mamie. i couldn't
SO it was settled that she should spend the
night with her married sister, Mrs. Smith, at 3
Willie with her. When her brothers came
hone their first question was:
when they learned OF her terror they were
for toing around to Mrs. Smiths and telling
thought it would be better TO wait until tho
girl, who is; OF an extremely nervous tempera-
went Off to a friends place for the night. Mrs.
Smith put Mamie and Willie Holland In the
front room. Charles smith, her husband, got
In late md went around 10 look at the Lynch
rooms. where he got wet feet for his pains.
This brought on a chill after he reached home,
and his vito got up to look for ,whiskcy. but
couldn't find any. 80 she decided to wake
Mamie up and take the girl with her when she
went out to get some. But Mamie wouldn't
wake up. The boy awoke and drew away
from His companion wlimpcring that she was
'all cold" Mrs. Smith touched her face and
drew back. There was no MISLEADING that cold.
ness. The girl was dead. This was about
l:30 A. VI.
1t was supposed that she had died OF heart
disease, supcrinduCed by the shock caused by
the fire, but the policeman who was called in
decided that the body must not be removed.
CorOucr's Physician Donlin visited the house
yesterday and was assured by all the neigh
bors that 1t was Il case of heart disease. But
DR.. Donlin does not give death certificates
until he has made an examination. He opened
Mamie Lynch's mouth and saw traces of q
green powder there. Then he ordered the body
removed TO an undertaking shop. where he per:
formed the autopsy and found that the girl had
died Of paris green. Where she got 1t Mrs.
Smith does not know. Everybody who knows
the Lynches was .incrcdulous yesterday that
the girl had committed suicide, and insisted
that 1t must have been heart disease, because,
they said she had no reason ~to.fcar her. brothers,
who always treated her kindly. 1t is probable
that she was n morbidly nervous girl and that
self. blame for the fire SO preyed upon her that
she preferred TO die rather than see her brothers
again.