The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-22

Washington, Dec. 21.-Miss Leila Her
bert, daughter of ex-Secretary of the
Navy Herbert, died at her home in this
city this morning as the result of a
! fall from the third story of her home on
New Hampshire avenue, in the most
! fashionable part of the city, just off
Dupont Circle.
The sudden death and tragic features
surrounding it were great shock to
! the great circle of friends she had
made in the course of her life in Wash
! ington as the daughter of popular
representative in congress from the
! south, and later one of the cabinet cir
cles of ladies, when she presided over
her fathers household during the four
years he was secretary of the navy, I'M
der the last Cleveland administration.
ORIGIN OF MALADY.
Her death was traceable indirectly to
an accident while horseback riding in
her native state of Alabama about two
months ago. She always had been en-
Enthusiastically fond of riding, and while
paying a visit to her old home rode a
horse that had not been broken. 1t
stumbled and she was thrown violently
to the ground, sustaining severe inju-
ries to her back. She was brought
back to Washington, but recovery was
exceedingly slow, and it was not until
last Sunday that she was able to go
out of the house. On that day she went
driving for the first time since the acct
dent, and DR.. w. w. Johnson the at
tending physician, noticed considerable
improvement.
CASE OF SUICIDE.
The death was reported to police
headquarters as a case of suicide due
to melancholia and temporary aberra-
ton of mind as the result of long
illness.
This afternoon the following author
lied statement was made by a gentle
man familiar with all the facts:
Miss Herbert, at the time of the oc-
currence was suffering from acute
melancholia. 1t developed several weeks
ago as the result of being thrown from
her horse last spring.
The melancholia was not insanity
in the sense of being accompanied by
decisions. AT the time there was pro-
found depression. AS is always the case
in this disease, there was danger that
suicidal tendencies would develop. For
this reason, nurses were provided to
maintain the closest Matchfulness. No
suicidal tendency developed, however,
until yesterday, when, for the first
time, Miss Herbert made an attempt
to get out of the window, but was re-
strained by the nurse. This led to adj
ditional caution, and two nurses alter
mated in constant watchfulneSS. She
was at all times rational, quiet and gen.
tie, and it was supposed the disease
would yield to treatment.
CUT AN ARTERY.
Early this morning the nurse on duty
noticed a small spot of blood on the
meant, but the invalid endeavored to
pass it by lightly on making an in
vestigation, however, the nurse found
that the under bed clothes were satu-
rated with blood, and that Miss Her
bert had severed the artery of her wrist
with a pair of scissors. Feeling that
the emergency was great the nurse
fastened to the door and gave an
alarm. In this momentary withdrawal
from the bedside Miss Herbert leaped
out and sprang from the window. The
plunge was made headforemost so that
she lighted on the top of her head on
the pavement This. alone was suffi-
ciert to have caused her death from
conclusion of the brain, and it was
doubtless the immediate cause. A cur
sorry examination showed that the skull
was fractured. The severing of the ar
terry would have resulted fatally When
the physician reached her, Miss Her
bert was still breathing, but died about
an hour after the leap"
The coroner returned verdict of su-
icide through temporary insanity. AS
the facts were clear he decided that an
inquest was unnecessary.