The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
LEILA HERBERT DEAD
TRAGIC END OF THE Ex-SECRE-
TARY OF THE NAvY's DAUGHTER.
-A
Popular Young Woman Sewers the
Artery of "a Wrist and Jumps from
a Third-Story window.
DUE TO TEMPORARY INSANITY
CAUSED BY A FALL FROM A HORSE
ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO.
Long Favorlte In Washington,
Where She Presided over Her Fa-
ther's HOusehoId-0ther Suicides.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.-Miss Leila Her
bert, daughter of ex-Secretary of the Navy
Herbert, of Alabama, committed suicide
this morning by severing an artery and
later jumping from the third story of her
home on New Hampshire avenue, in the
most fashionable part of the city, just off
Dupont circle. The following authorized
statement of the event was made by gen.
tleman familiar with all the facts of the
suicide:
Miss Herbert, at the time of the oc-
currence, was suffering from acute melan-
cholia. 1t developed several weeks ago as
the final result of injuries received by being
thrown from her horse last September. The
melanchola was not insanity in the sense
of being accompanied by delusons. At the
same time there was profound depression,
and as always the case in this type of dis
ease there was great danger that suicidal
tendencies would develop. For this reason
nurses We're provided to maintain the clos
est watchfulness. No suicidal tendency de-
veloped, however, until yesterday, when
for the first time Miss Herbert made an at
tempt to get out of the window, but was
restrained by the nurse. This led to ad-
ditional caution, and two nurses alternated
in constant watchfulness of the patient.
She was at all times rational, quiet and
gentle, and it was supposed the disease
would yield to treatment. Early this morn
ing the nurse on duty noticed a small spot
of blood on the bed coverings. She in
qured what it meant, but the invalid en-
deavored to pass it by lightly. On making
an investigation, however, the nurse found
that the under bed clothes were saturated
with blood and that Miss Herbert had sew
cred the artery of a wrist with a pair
of scissors. Feeling that the emergency
was great, the nurse hastened to the door
and called 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 asphalt pavement. This injury alone
was sufficient to have caused death from
concussion and it was doubtless the i'm
mediate cause. Aside from this, a cursory
examination indicated that the skull was
fractured. The severance of the artery also
would have resultel fatally. When the
physician reached her. Miss Herbert was
still breathing, but died about an hour after
the leap
The sudden death and tragic features sur
rounding it We're a shock to the great circle
of friends Miss Herbert had made in the
course of her life in Washington the
daughter of a popular representative in Con-
gress from the South, and later as one of
the Cabinet circle of ladies when she pre-
sided over her fathers household during the
four years he was secretary of the navy
under the last Cleveland administration. AS
stated by friend of the family her suicide
was traceable indirectly to an accident while
horseback riding in Virginia last Sep
tember. She always had been en-
Enthusiastically fond of riding and
while paying visit to a friend, started
out one day on horse that had not been
we'll broken. 1t stumbled and she was
thrown violently to the ground suffering
sever injuries to her back. She was brought
back to Washington, but recovery was ex-
ceedingly slow, and 1t was not until Sunday
that she was aple to get out of the house.
On that day she went driving, for the first
time since the accident, and DR.. w. Johns
ton, the attending physician, noticed consid-
erable improvement. This morning she TOOK
her own life, as noted above. Her father
was not at home at the time being on his
way here from Alabama. The death was
ported to police headquarters as a case of
suicide, due to meancholia and temporary
alteration of mind, as the result OF a long
illness. The coroner returned q verdict of
suicide during temporary insanity. AS the
facts in the case were clear he decided tLat
inquest was unnecessary.
Ex-Secretary Herbert reached Washing
ton at 10 o'clock tonight, having been on
his way from Alabama to spend the Christ
mas holidays with his family, when the
news of his daughters death met him on
the train. The funeral will be held to-mor-
row, and the remains will be taken to
Montgomery, Ala, for burial beside Miss
Herbert's mother.
Miss Leila Herbert was the eldest of ex
Secretary Herbert's three children, and was
a charming figure in Washington society.
She came with her father to Washington
when he was elected to Congress, and at
once took charge of his household affairs,
making the Herbert home one of the most
attractive and comfortable in Washington
from the spirit of true Southern hospitality
which gave it an atmosphere of its own
among fashionable homes. When her father
became secretary of the navy in President
Clevelands second administration Miss
Herbert was called on to take her place in
the circle of Cabinet ladies, where she met
with success the heavy social responsible
ties placed on her youthful shoulders So
cially she was exceedingly popular and her
presence was sought at all gatherings. Her
social triumphs here were repeated in Eu-
rope where she went to attend the great
naval demonstration at Kiel Within the
past year she has not enjoyed robust health,
but this only induced her to redouble her de-
Votion to out-of-door sports and exercise
and it was while regaining her health by