The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-01-11
GIVES UP ITS DEAD.
Old Lake MICHIGAN Solves the Mystery
OF the Disappearance of
Sister Augusta.
BODY rs WASHED UP BY WAVES

BODY rs WASHED UP BY WAVES
Discovered Floating few Feet From the
Shore by Mrs William Smith who at once
Notifies the Sisters at Kemper Hall.
Body is first identified by Sister Ella as
the Remains of the Former Sister. A
Carefully Planned Suicide.
The disappearance of Sister Augusta
from Kemper Hall on last Tuesday
evening is no longer a mystery, but
the final ending of the tragedy reveals
no stories of broken vows, of romantic
courtships or b1ighted lives, but the
denouement is simply the sad story OF
of a woman, tired with the 1abors of a
life, seeking sweet peace and rest on
the ever throbbing bosom of Lake
Michigan. After almost week of
battle with the waves and surf the
body of the Sister was found floating
on the surf near the shore at the foot
of the steep crag bordering on the
property of the Sisters of St. Mary
used as the St. Mary's summer home.
The remains were found close to the
spot where, as Sister of Charity, the
unfortunate woman was wont to watch
the little waits of the home at their
play during the summer months. Still
CARRIED in her somber robes of the Sis
terhood, with her hands c1asped upon
her breast, the final home coming of
Sister Augusta told little of the story
of her departure, and yet It spoke in
eloquent language of the laying aside
of tired life to test the outcome Of
the great unknown.
The remains were found shortly
after 12.o'c1ock today by Mrs. William
Smith, who resides near the place.
She and her children were walking
along the beach, when one of them saw
the black robe of the dead woman
floating just above the surface of the
water. They at once suspected that
the body was that of the missing Sis
ter and hurried to Kemper Hall to tell
the other Sisters of their find. One by
one the Sisters gathered along the
beach and the remains of their erst-
while worker were tenderly removed
from their resting place in the mighty
deep and placed upon sheet on the
shore. The police were at once noti-
fed that the body had been found and
a jury was summoned by Justice John
C. Slater to view the remains
While the jury was being summoned
Sister Ella, who, in life had been
dear friend of the missing Sister, re-
moved the sheet from the dead Sister,
and after gazing on the 1ife1ess face,
the features of which had been almost
ob1iterated by the incessant pounding
of the waves, turned away with a
tear in her eye and seemed to say a
brief prayer for the departed one.
AS soon as the remains were viewed
by the jury they were removed to the
little reception room in the St. Mary S
Summer Home and prepared for burial
by undertaken Hansen.
The sisters had nothing to do with
this sorrowfu1 duty, all the prepare
tons being left to the chaplain of the
hall. No arrangements for the inter
meut of the remains have as yet been
made public but it is probable that they
will be sent to St. Louis to be buried
at the side of the mother of Sister
Augusta, who is inferred there.
The final ending of the strange
story of the Sister and her disappear
ance will core as a great surprise to
all, It was given out by the Sisters
that the lady was with friends in
st. Louis, and it is evident that this
statement was not made by the Sisters
story of her disappearance, as letter
was received from friend of the Sis
ter in that city which clearly showed
that she had planned to leave the work
of the order and return to the world.
The Sisters at the hall would not
speak in regard to the affair this after
noon, and time alone will tell how
much they knew of the fate of the
missing woman. The causes which
led to the deed are buried with the
past. That it was a case of a care
fully planned suicide none will doubt,
but the reasons that caused Sister
Augusta to take the tragic step are
supposed to have been known ONLY to-
the dead, and the Sisters of St. Mary
were as much surprised as any one
when the waves laid their burden at
their feet this afternoon.
The coroner's jury did not complete
the inquest this afternoon but will
meet tomorrow afternoon TO register
their verdict in the case. The jury
consisted of Fred Huck, W. H. Lamper,
Charles Ha11et, Thomas Dewyer, J. E.
Krich baum and i C New house