The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-22
SOCIETY WOMAN A SUICIDE.
THE DAUGHTER OF EX-sECRETARY
HERBERT ENDS HER LIFE,


Her Fathers House at washing
ton While Suffering From Tempo
rary Alteration of the Mind Due
to MeIanchOIia Following an Ill
ness-Her Condition Due to II Fall
From "a Horse.
Washington, Dec. 21.-Miss Leila Her
bert, daughter of ex-Secretary of the Navy
Herbert died at the family residence here
to-day. She was a pretty woman of the
blonde type and a great favorite in society
during the Cleveland administration She
was one of the cabinet circle, presiding
over her fathers household during the
four years he was Secretary of the Navy
under the last Cleveland administration.
The cause of Miss Herbert's death was
a fall from third story window of her
residence on New Hampshire avenue this
morning. The fall is believed to have been
accidental, while some claim that she
threw herself out with suicidal intent. The
fall completely severed the spinal column,
and she died in few minutes.
Her death was traceable indirectly to an
accident while horseback riding in Vir-
ginia about two months ago. She always
had been enthusiastically fond of riding,
and started out one day on a horse that
had not been well broken. 1t stumbled
and she was thrown violently to the
ground, sustaining severe injuries to her
back. She was brought back 10 Washing
ton, 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 accident and Dr. W. w. john
ston, the attending physician, noticed con-
siderable improvement.
This morning she was unusually bright
and cheerful and chatted animatedly
with her married sister. Mrs. Micou, who
made her home with the secretary and his
daughter
1t has been Miss Herbert's custom for
several years to take her breakfast in her
ROOM and later prepare for the social OBJ
legations of the day. Shortly before 10
O'Clock she dressed to go down stairs, but
instead of descending to the parlor went
TO the rear room of the third story of her
nome, whence she fell to the ground, sus-
tanning injuries which caused her death
before Dr. Johnston could arrive on the
scane.
Her father was not at home at the time,
being on his way here from Alabama
The death was reported to police head
quarters as a case of suicide due to melan-
cholia and temporary alteration of mind
as the result of a long illness, but friends
OF the family this evening say that the
fall was the result of an accident
Miss Leila Herbert was the eldest daugh-
ter of ex-Secretary Herbert's three chill
dren and was a charming figure in Wash
ington society. She came here with her
father to Washington when he was elect
ed to congress, and at once took charge
of his household affairs, making the Her
bert home one of the most attractive and
comfortable in Washington. from the splr-
it of true southern hospitality, which gave
it an atmosphere of it's own among fash
ionable homes.
When her father became Secretary of
the Navy in President Cleveland's second
administration Miss Herbert was called
upon to take her place in the circle OF
cabinet ladies, where she met with sue
cess the heavy social responsibilities plac-
ed upon her youthful shoulders.
Socially, she was exceedingly popular
and her presence was sought at all gath
erings. Her social triumphs here were re-
peated in Europe, where she went to at
tend the great naval demonstration at
Kiel. Within the past year she has not
enjoyed robust health but this only in
duced her to redouble her devotion to out
of-door sports and exercise, and it was
while regaining her health by outdoor
riding that she met the accident that in
directly resulted in her death
This afternoon the following authoriz-
ed statement was made by a gentleman
familiar with all of the facts of the sui
cide Miss Herbert, at the time of the
occurrence, was suffering from acute mel
ancholta. 1t developed several weeks ago
as the final result of injuries received by
being thrown from her horse last spring.
The melancholia was not insanity in the
sense of being accompanied by delusions.
AT the same time there was profound
s1p sell n aG a 1Irrax H.,
this type of disease there was great dan
ger that suicidal tendencies would devel-
op For this reason, nurses were pro-
Vided to maintain the closest watch. No
suicidal tendency developed, however, un-
til yesterday, when, for the first time
Miss Herbert made an attempt to get out
of the window, but was restrained by the
nurse. This led to additional caution and
two nurses alternated in constant watch
fulness of the patient. She was at all
times rational quiet and gentle and it
was supposed the disease would yield to
treatment. Early this morning the nurse
on duty noticed small spot of blood on
the bed coverings. She inquired what it
meant, but the invalid endeavored to pass
it by lightly. On making an investigation
however, the nurse found that the under
bedclothes were saturated with blood
and that Miss Herbert had
severed an artery of her
wrist with pair of scissors. Feeling that
the emergency was great, the nurse has
tened to the door and called an alarm. In
this momentary withdrawal from the bed
side, 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 asphalt pavement.
This injury alone was sufficient to have
caused death from concussion and it was
doubtless the immediate cause. Aside from
this. a cursory examination indicated that
the skull was fractured. The severance of
the artery also would have resulted fa-
tally When the physician reached her
Miss Herbert was still breathing, but died
about an hour after the leap"
The coroner delivered a verdict of sui
eide during temporary insanity. AS the
facts in the case were clear, he decided
that an inquest was unnecessary.
Ex-Secretary Herbert reached Washing
ton at 10 o'clock tonight, having been on
his way from Alabama to spend the
Christmas holidays with his family, when
the news of his daughters death met
him on the train. The funeral services