San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-08-15
TRACED IN THE SAND.
VIOLET FOSTER GLOVES MESSAGE
AND SUICIDE.
She Was Formerly Governess in a Family
in San Antonio and Drowned Her
self in San Francisco Bay.

per of recent date, DR.. j. NJ
Cain, of this city, noticed an account
of suicide of woman, who drowned
herself in the San Francisco bay. The
woman's name was Violet Foster
Cloves. and the account stated that
her early life was spent in Texas. A
description of the woman was given
istating that she was twenty years old,
pretty and refined. So accurate is
| this that there remains no doubt
but what she is the same Violet Fos-
ter Cloves that lived in San Antonio
two years ago. She was employed as
governess in the family of Mr.. Ligget,
of st. Louis who was mere for the
benefit of his health with mis- family on
Dignowity hill.
She was reared in Philadelphia and
old to earn her own living and went to
old to her own living and went to
Pittsburg. There she worked for a
caterer for a time, but tired of the
life because it offered no chance for
advancement, and she went to st.
Louis. Remaining there several
months she came to San Antonio and
went from here to California, reaching
San Francisco about year ago.
She had taste for music and a
longing for stage career. Her first
employment in San Francisco was as
a governess in a private family.
While thus engaged she met Mrs. NJ.
III. De Young, and to that lady she con-
tided her hopes and ambitions. Mrs.
De Young became interested in the
beautiful girl and promised to assist
her. AS part of the proposed help
a place in the ballet of Carmen" was
secured for her.
For Severalweeks Miss Cloves oc-
cupied a place in the chorus of the
opera, but she attracted far more at
tention than she desired. She was
prettier than the other girls and she
could sing better. She seemed to be
intended for something better, and
later it was learned that the dainty lit
tie chorus girl was taking lessons in
voice culture from a capable instruc-
tor who was paid by Mrs. De Young.
Then the other members of the cast
understood why the girl was so re-
served, so quiet and so different.
One day she left the house and
boarded a street car for the beach.
Her actions were queer and she at
tracted the attention of the conductor.
Fina{ly she asked him for a sheet of
paper and a pencil, and when they
were given to her she wrote another
note to a friend, and asked the con-
ductOr to mail it. When she left the
car the conductor read the unsealed
note, which said:
''The moon is just peeping over the
hills on my way to death. l hope you
are happy tonight. l am in anticipa-
ton of what will happen. DOT"
The conductor of the street car warn
ed the train men on the beach train.
The conductor watched the girl, and
just before reaching the beach he
spoke to her and said that he believed
that she intended to kill herself. She
confessed that such was her pur-
pose.
MY mind is made up" she said
firmly, land tonight will die"
When he arrived at the beach he
warned the men at the life-saving
station, and Richard Blum, one of the
crew, was detailed to watch her.
Blum followed the girl as she walk
ed down the beach. He stood in the
shadow of pier as she gazed out
over the shimmering sea, lighted by
the moon an hour or two above the
horizan. She finally threw herself
on the sand where she could hear the
ripping waves. For an hour she re-
manned motionless. The solitary
watcher in the shadow grew cold and
went for a warmer coat. When he re-
turned the girl was gone.
In the morning her body was found.
She had removed her jacket and
waist and had folded them carefully
before leaving them by a pile under
the pier. Then she had piled sand in
her underskirt, tied her firmly so as to
wait her down, and plunged into the
water. In the cold water her life
less body was restlessly tossed to and
fro until found by the life-savers the
next morning.
The following words were scrib-
bled on the beach: ''Violet Foster
Cloves. Violet loves Kindness, and
she does not always get it in this
country"
THE II. L. BARNARD ESTATE.