The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-31
RALEIGH WOMAN SUICIDES.

! zone More Unfortunate, Rashly Impor-
/ tunate, Gone to Her Death"
/ Mamie Mays, d!ssolute woman about
- years Of age, who made her home at
the house of Matte Allen, on Fourth
! street, between Church and Castle
streets, committed suicide this morning
! AZ IL 30 O'Clock by blowing out her
! brains with pistol. While in her room
sac put the weapon to her head and
| sent a bullet through her temple. She
/ died in few moments afterwards. 1t
is said she had quarreled with her lover
| and decided to end her life. She was
formerly from Raleigh.-Wilmingto
| Messenger.
| Another inmate Of the House Of
! Deaf tn has taken her jorney to the
| Unknown.
1t must ever be so. The grim spectre
walks within its dingy walls, and one
by one, at intervals never rare, lays
violent hands upon victim. The blot
tiers in police stations, the records of
hospitals always contain the last sad
chapter of their life-story.
1t is not always the sinless heart
that breaks-not always the innocent
soul that finds life burden greater
than it can bear.
In the above short clipping from the
Wilmington paper is written most
pathetic story-a tragedy of home and.
owe and shame and death.
Mamie Mays was not her name. Why
she chose it no one knows. Perhaps
she chose it because the world offered
her naught else but the promise of
misery, the mark of Fate.
Her true name was Nettie Blake. She
was not high born, but her parents are
honest, true people. And with them,
ess than two years ago, she was living
happily. Then came the fatal step, and
then another and one eventful night she
anne not back home again and the door
was closed against her forever.
She was young and beautiful-the
inmates Of the House of Death too often
ire. Her beauty made her vain and
3anity breu weakness. Now her course
vas that which always leads to such an
nd as tLat she has met
Soon she went away and at first life
eemed fair enough. Music and wine
md admiration made gay the vicious
,xistence and the dance of Death went
nerrily on from dark to dawn. But
UGH things grow tiresome and then
ONES the misery of misspent life. SO
came to Nettie Blake. She wrote,
skiing that the past be buried and
me be allowed to come back home |
t cost much effort, many tears, to write |
hat letter. But she sent it, and then |
waited the answer. y
She waited many weary days, hoping !
lgainst hope; but it never came. Her |
heart was wrung with the anguish of |
'egret at her Maynard course, and she |
came herself, like the Prodigal to ask |
forgiveness and mercy. She never. got |
urther than the gate. There was no |
mercy in the parental heart-her sin had |
heen too great to be forgotten.
Sadly fine young woman turned away |
nd went back to the old life-back to |
Re House of Death. Now the grief I
md repentance turned to indifference /
md the downward course became more |
rapid. From place TO place she went /
IN feverish conquest of gayety and for /
zetfulress. But she found it not until |
he crashing pistol ball ended the strug |
gle.
re could not live and carry always !
in her mind the thought of her sin and |
Wednesday night after a quarrel with
her lover she took her life. Her nature
ceased to find sympathy with her sur
roundings, its gayety, its death-like en-
9s9
The news of the suicide reached here |
Yesterday morning in a telegram to Chief |
of Police Norwood, asking what dis
position should be- made of the body. |
The telegram was turned over to
the girls father who still unforgiving, |
wired the Wilmington authorities to |
bury the body in that cityg @t
.;n1
potter's field was given one more occu-
pant, the city furnished one more pine
box. N
And the devils dance in the House OF
Death goes merrily on.
Coughs and colds need not |