The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-04
THE SUICIDE OF MAMIE MAYS

THE SUICIDE OF MAMIE MAYS
The Testimony at tho Inquest Yesterday
The Act Was the Result Of MomentAry
Oesperation-The Remains Inferred In
Bellevue Cemetery.
The Messenger yesterday morning
chronfcled the tragic death OF Mamie
Mays, who shot herself with a pistol
through the temp yeste1fay morn
ing about 1890 o'clock at thc~house of
Matte Allen. The young woman was
originally from Raleigh and her right
name was Helen Blake, aged 10 years.
She s1nos herself by a window in Matte
Aliens room, and the pistol with which
she did the rash deed was a 80 caTfbre
-Self-acting revolver, which she found
underneath the pillow on h bed. The
ball went in at the right temple and
addged under the skin of the left tenn
s4le.
coroner Jacobs was notified of the
suicide shortly after it occurred, and
yesterday he telegraphed the chief of
police of Raleigh to find out and mott
fly her relatives, If she had any. "A tel
father requesting that THE body he
buried here and that the particulars
be forwarded to him.
In order to make an Investigation
into the killing of the unfortunate
woman, Coroner Jacobs the
following jury of inquest: John NJ.
Wright, C.. Z. Collins, John H. Hill,
Thomas H. Hawkins. Elijah Lane, and
John ID. Franklin.
THE jury went to Matte Aliens
house, 515 South Fourth street, between
Castle and Church streets, at 10 O'Clock,
viewed the body and held an inquest
over the remains.
Matte Allen, being duly sworn, testi-
fled ais follows:
Last night, between IL and / o'clock,
Mamie Mays came in my room and
said She wanted to go down town,
Then rang UP for a carriage and then
u rang UP n told them not to send it.
As soon as 7 went out of the room
she rang UP for it again. when I
came back into the room she said I
might as we'll let her go, as she in
TENDED going anyway, that the car
rfage would be here all right, and 1
said 1T did not make amy difference,
you will not go. Then she went Of
THE room and said she woud go If she
had to walk. She went up stairs and
dressed herself and came down. I
caught her at THE foot of the stairs
land pulled her in my room and would
not let her go out. She said she
would go if she had to sit up all night,
laid said, ooh, you don't know how
blue I am; Z wish I were dead.' She
said: You might as we'll let me
1go 7 am going to kill that young man
and then myself. I wish you would
kill me. Loan me the pistol and I will
Shoot myself. / only want it for a few
minutes and I will make an end to my
life Then the door bell rang and I
left her in my room to go to the door
ITO keep her from going out in the car
rfage. She then said: You see, the
carriage came all right. 4 wish / were
dead and in hi! AT that time I
heard Eva Styles scream and run out
of the THE report of the pistol
rang out and Eva said, oh, Miss Mat
tie, she has shot herself i ram up
stairs and woke UP Malmie Edwards.
We tried to get a doctor but did mo-
succeed until after h had died"
Mamie Edwards, being sworn, testi-
fled as follows:
Matte Allen woke me up and I
ran down stairs and picked Mamie
Mays up and placed her ON the bed.
I found her pulse beating and tele-
phoned for a doctor and DR.. Russell
came, but not Until she was dead"
Eva Styles was sworn and her state
ment corroborated the foregoing state
ments.
The jury found for it's verdict, THAT
the deceased came to her death from "a
gunshot wound inflicted by her own
hand
The funeral of the deceased took
place yesterday afternoon at 4 O'Clock
from Matte Aliens house and was
conducted by the Rev. DR.. Strange,
rector of st. James Episcopal church.
The interment was made at Bellevue
cemetery, and there was placed on the
a beautiful cross of carnations,
hyacinths, yiolets and smilax.