Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1899-08-03
THE DROWNING.
snestire Pierce Was Not the Brightest
of Girls and Suffered From Head


1t may be that the Coroner's inaust will
demonstrate why unfortunate Ernestine
Fierce should have drowned Thursday in
the placid waters of East Lake. 1t is not
oy any means certain. however, as there
does not seem to be very much tangible
evidence procurable
so far as learned, no one was near the
girl when she entered the waters of East
Lake, either by accident or design. and
no one has yet been found who had seen
the girl near the water, excepting when
she walked by the Ferracute machine
shops.
The girl was twenty-five years old, a
daughter of Daniel Pierce, living on the
Burlington road, and the father and an
other girl recognized the unfortunate
young woman as she lay upon the shaded
banks of the pretty lake, cold in death.
Accident or suicide? Evidence of both.
but natural conclusions seem to point to
the former The girl was norose, not
right mentally and she suffered from
attacks OF vertigo. She may have pre-
meditated suicide and actually drowned
herself, but from all appearance, the girl
fell into the pond while suffering from
one of the dizzy attacks.
Had she committed suicide after pre-
meditation she would probably have re-
moved her hat, and most certainly the
gold spectacles which she had over her
eyes. Had she contemplated going in
the water, she would have almost GER
ta'r'y removed the glasses. Overcome
by vertigo and falling in the water, the
results would have been exactly as pre-
sented. Her hat would have been found
near the body, and her spectaces would
have been found upon her person.
When the body was found, it was float
ing with the face down. Had the girl de-
liberately drowned herself, it is more
than likely the body would have sunk,
not to rise for some days. The hands
would have been clenched, while yester-
day the fingers were open and entirely
free from any stiffness. The countenance
was placid and serene. not distorted in
single degree. Every indication points
to the girl having unconsciously fallen
into the water, face downward, and died
of suffocation.
In conversation with her father the
Coroner learned that the girl was some
what respondent yesterday morning and
in an ugly mood she declared she would
not stay home any longer, but would go
to somebody's house to work. She said
she was tired of living there, but never
intimated that she intended committing
suicide.
The girl was down town Wednesday
morning walking around and was seen
by several persons. She was also seen
by persons to go up to Mr.. Oberlip
Smiths house about an hour before her
body was seen floating in East Lake.
He sister when questioned said she had
never heard Ernestine say one word
about killing herself. 1t was said by
one of the family that the girl mad never
been exactly right intellectually since
she had an attack of typhoid fever.
The girl had been domestic in the
family of Oberlin Smith and it is sup
posed that she was on her way to the
residence at Lockwood yesterday and
honse suddenly changed her mind and
either determined to die just as she
reached the boat house on the edge of the
lake, or was overcome by dizziness and
fell in the water.
There was footprint on some sand on
the wharf at the boat house, which cor
responded with the size shoe worn by
Miss Pierce, indicating the point where
she had gone overheard. The water is
about waist deep, but step or two out in
the lake is over ones head. She must
have been in the water an hour when dis
covered, but was too far gone for resusci-
tation, although an effort was made to do
so.