The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-09
GAS, THEN A JUMP.
The Former Failed But the
Latter Brought Death.
Hiss s!Ls The UNFORTUNATE.
Melancholla Because of a Niece's
Death and Sickn ,ss re Cause
oithe Tragic Dea h Tie
Victims Neck Bro.
ken-A Promi.
nenr Woman


RGDscca "A lance, breathing her neck
and fracturing her skull 1t was case Of
suicide and one which has CAUSED more OF
a sensation than any that has occurred in
Wilmington for many years.
The HanCe home is we'll filed with
boarders, many of whom were warm
friends Of Miss Rile and IL few minutes
after the hUrriiying discovery HAD been
made the entire house was in an uproar.
The tragedy occurred about Is o'clock.
James v Martin, butcher in Third
street market, and who lives at Ninth and
Adams streets, was the only eye witness.
He says that rs he was passing tho house
his attention was attracted by Il choking
noise, which came from fourth story
window The trees being SO thick on the
corner Mr., Martin says he could see no
one AT the window, but he heard shutters
open and in another instance Il crashing
sound among the trees.
He looked upard Ill his amaZement saw
the body OF Il woman deCending with
frighttul velocity. In an instant tharc
was duh thud and the body lay notion
less five feet from him 1t had Struck the
hard pavement head foremost and rolled
ovoftO the side Of the gutter, the water in
which was soon transformed into rcd
liquid by the wOlnan's blood. MIR. Martin
was paralyled with fear for an instant. 1t
was such sight that he had never before
witnessed. He wanted to place the I'M
fortunate woman in a comfortable posi-
ton, believing that there might be spark
of HE in her body, but when he drew near
her his heart failed him.
1t was sight which would have made
the strongest man weep. He TUNED his
head and hurried around the corner to the
Office of Dr. Carmichael whom he SUM
moned, then awakened the occupants Of
the boarding house
In the meantime some one at Bralbury's
stable, q square below, saw the body on
the pavement and tclephonel the fact to
the station house whom Sergeant Harry
Welsh and officer Dl Mare were detailed
to the corner which upon reaching thUy
found DR.. Carmichael, Mr.. Martin and a
dozen OF the hotel bonrdars. Tho doctor
had examined the bedy and pronounced
life extinct, Death had been instantanG-
Gus, tho neck having been broken
The fractured skull ulone.would have
been sufficient to cause Instant death.
Aftpt this, which required but few
minutes examination, the body was car
ried into the house and later removed by
Deputy Coroner Chandler to the home Of
Mrs Thomas H. Messenger, II sister, at
No 1905 West Fifth street, where it now
il and from whence the funeral will take
place.
Miss Rile's death was most tragic Sho
had first attempted to Asphyxiate herself
and before doing SO had planned death
more CuOragGOusy than has been known
here 1t was about O'Clock when she
went up stairs.
She took plunge in the bath tub, had
attired herself in clean linen, then pro.
Ceeded to do away with herself in the
quietest possible manner and without the
suspicion OF any QUE in the large house.
The course she determined upon was as.
phyxiatlon and to preclude all possibility
of the esca pc of the deadly fumes she
Caulkod the seams Of the doors, the open
ings beneath them and the easements Of
the windows with rags and paper. She
took Il sheet from the bed and placed it
over the door transOm. There was nothing
that escaped the fatclul foresight of tho
woman so determined upon self destruo
ton.
The gas was turned on, but it evidently
escaped very slowly. OF course there is no
one who knows what time it was when
Miss Rile co'Hplccd her planw but it
could not have been very long before her
dead body wa, fund, Physicians agree
TINT asphyXI&tiOn would have resulted III
an hour after the gas was turned On, but
Miss Rilo evidently did not wait that long.
Sic lungcd for death, ami wien 1t did not
come as soon rs sho expected lie arose
from the bed and with but night dress
On hoislcd the WiEdow and Jumped Gus.
She knew that meant certain death, and
her wish wa fulfilled.
The sight Mrs. Rtlo's roam presented
moved oYory ne in the house to toars. Ii
T. = unGiJulyd sui,!0, auG inquest hs
ing deemed unnecessary, Mr.. Chandler
gave rIitiHHtc Of death from dislOCut-
ed neck and fractured skull