The San Francisco call., 1897-11-07
Details of the Unhappy Act
Are Received by Her
Parents.
- Was VISITING HER GRANDFATHER.
Ahle Melancholy She Ended Her
Life by Hanging in Her
Room.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANc1sco CALL !

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALI
90S Broadway, Nov. 6.
John d. Ackerman, an attorney of this
city, received the news this evening that
his daughter. Edna, bright girl 20 years
OF age, had committed suicide while on
visit to her grandfather in Honolulu.
Miss Edna Ackerman was graduate of
the Oakland High School OF the class OF
'95 and has hundreds of friends in this
city. Thirteen months ago she went to
Hawaii to visit her grandfather, who is
planter at Kona. She has kept up con-
tinual correspondence with her family IN
this city, who reside at 6i2 Ninth street,
and in her last letters seemed more cheer
ful than ever. Even one OF her last acts
was to select some Hawaiian photographs
Tor her sisters in this city, and after her
death they we're found with the names OF
her sisters pinned to them.
On the 23d OF last month Miss Acker-
man was in her usual good spirits. She
left the breakfast table and went out of
the house, and was not seen after IL
o clock. AS the young lady did not re-
turn 10 lunch her absence caused no COM
ment, as she had frequently t. ken solitary
walks in the orange grove, and it was
presumed that she had gone there.
During the afternoon her grandfather
became alarmed aud a search was made
for the missing girl. A visit was made
rO the grove and all around the house,
> and finally some one went to her room.
i ne door was locked and II was thought
that the girl was not home, but on look
ing through the window the searchers
we're Mortified 10 see her body hanging
from BEAM The door was broken open,
GIL the body was cold and must have
been dead a least three hours
I'll was very evident that the girl had
, .g.e to her room with The intention of
ending her lite as soon as she left her
re lalives. While the gayety OF her man
'Iier was attracting the attention OF others
she. was calmly preparing for death. The
unhappy girl had stood on a chair to ad-
just the moose and then jumped off.
j. ID: Alderman, VINO Is a land attorney
having offices on Mont gomery street, San
Francisco, received several letters from
his father in Honolulu this afternoon,
and no one can offer any reason for the
young womaus suicide.
II have Just read all about 1t In my let
iers,' sa d Edna's father Tonight, ''and
every body says they cannot give single
reason for Ednas strange conduct. Ten
minutes before leaving the people IN the
house on my iather's plantation she was
perfectly happy and in the best OF spirits.
A few DAYS previously she had expressed
her desire 10 remain another year and was
: quite contented. A. times l have known
her 10 be melancholy and to like to be
left TO herself, but we never noticed any
Thing that would lead US 10 suppcee that
she conIem plated anything like lhis.
When al times she would be overcome
with such spells she would go 10 her
friends till she felt better. Edna was OF
very high-strung temperament and ex-
II mely sensitive. She was very br1gh
gtrl, and after graduating from the high
school she studied Tor time at the uni
versity. She went TO her grandiathers
over year ago. She has several sisters,
but she was the general favoTite with my
father, and she was as pleased 10 Vlsi! him
as he was 10 have her there.
''Tnere was not anything found in her
room that would explain the sad affair,
and my father tells me ii is the most
mysterious affair in his experience"
Mrs. Ackerman, the mother, says that
\ Eina Was such good girl and usually of
3 ch happy disposition that she must
have brooded considerably over something
10 have caused determination to end rer
lie. 'Wnen she lett here first" said Mrs.
Ackerman, her letters were cheerful and
Edna was ev IDENTITY happy. During The
ras:-Year We have met wi h some trou Bile,
and Edna must have heard Of it and al
lowed herself o become melancholy about
/. When L last wrote [ told her 10 be
cheerful and not tC worry, but suppose
2 Il OF homesickness came over her and
she could not shake it Of.
Two years and a half ago, when the
cIsss..o 80, Oakland High School, gradu-
ated a The First Con rega iional Church,
the young girl who is now in a Hawaiian
gfaTe was cne of the most con picuous
figures on the platform when DR.. J. K.
Mclean handed her a diploma. Her
school years were mark by close atten-
tom TO study and her cheerful nature
NJ ade her most OF friends.
In Honolulu she had plenty of young
fr ends and her life was never lonely, for
.her grandfather's place is near an Episeo-
allan church, the mem bership OF which is
largely composed of young people. 1t is
the general verdict of those conversant
with the facts that Edna Ackerman took
Eer life while suffering from temporary