The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-17
SHE FELL FULLY 100 FEET
FROM THE NORTHERN PACIFIC
RAILROAD BRIDGE IN SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS
INSANE AS TO sPIRITUALIsM
Her Friends Attribute Her Rash Act
to * Desire to Commune
With Spirits in An
other World.

weakened bodily and mentally by long
illness and by deyoting much time 10
spiritualism, Selma Ostad, twenty eight
years Of age, leaped to her death from
the east end of the Northern Pacific
bridge in South Minneapolis. at an early
hour yesterday morning. The girl had
been suffering from mental trouble for
nearly q week, and 1t was feared that
she would attempt to take her life If left
alone.
Selma was employed by John Gustafe-
sen, proprietor of a boarding house at
30 Seventh avenue South, for the past
five years. She has always borne an
excellent character, being a hard work
ing and religious girl. For the past ear
she suffered from frequent attacks of
pain III the lungs and heart Failing to
secure relief through regular physicians,
she became a spiritualist, imbibing the
doctrines taught by that faith and fol-
lowing its doctrines vigorously She
wanted to become a medium herself and
to that end devoted much of her time
and money to studying the teachings
of the faith. In the course Of time she
became demented on the subject of
materializing spirits, and her friends and
relatives believe that a desire to COM
mune with the dead led her to take the
step that resulted fatally.
HAD BEEN SERIOUSLY. Ill.
The girl was dangerously i'll for a week
previous to Friday, leaving her position
at GuStafsen's boarding house a week
ago Wednesday. She went from there to
the home of Mrs. Edward Bergeson. 1906
Thirteenth avenue South, and on Thurs
day left there TO visit at the house of a
Mrs. Shurgren, Tenth street South She
made this move at the request of Andrew
Larson, young man to whom she was
engaged and who Wanter her to be with
hi ba
time as possible to her. She was far
from being in her right mind Thursday
night and Larson sat up talking with
her until $3.50 a. m. after which she bade
the family good night. and, it was sup
posed, retired to her room. She must
have walked the entire distance to the
Northern Pacific bridge, as it was about
I o clock when she committed he. rash
act.
Ole EHenold, the watchman at the east
ern end of the structure, saw the girl
walking toward the bridge and warned
her of the danger of approaching trains.
When he looked agai the girl was walk
ing out over the river She moved
slowly, and watched the swift running
water beneath with fixed countenance.
The Watchman, realizing that some
thing was wrong, hurried after her, but
before he could reach her she had grasp
ed the iron cable and flung herself into
the stream beneath.
NO TRACE OF HER
The man ran to Young's grocery store,
19 Washington avenue southeast, and
called for assistance. Mr. Young ac-
COmpanied EIlenold back to the scene Of
the tragedy, but no trace of the unfor-
tunate girl could be found. Near the
edge of the stream, caught by cake
of ice, the searchers discovered a hat, a
fur muff and single glove. Nothing
could be seen of the girl, who must have
been killed as soon as she struck the
water. Later in the day the articles
of wearing apparel were identified by the
sister of the dead girl, Amelia Ostad,
who is in the employ of Sophia Carlson,
S34 4,4nth avenue south.
In speaking of the tragedy to the
GI 0 b last evening, Amelia Carlson
said: She was made crazy by these
spiritual mediums, two of whom have
had hold over her for more than a year
past
Selma Ostad came to this country about
eight and one-half years ago from Warm
land, Sweden She has resided in Min
neapolis during the greater part of this
time, working In number of house
holds and bearing a most excellent rep
utation.