Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-03-14
COMMITS SUICIDE
BY HANGING
Miss Ellen Marshall In Fit OF Temporary
Insanity Takes Her Own Life.
An Extremely Sad Occurrence.

CLOCK and Wnen discovered the Dou
was still warm but life extinct.
Miss Marshall resided with her
arents, Mr.. and Mrs. Thos. Marshall
near the Lancaster town line four
miles west of the city. For many
years her mother has been an invalid,
requiring constant care and attention
and the task of attending to her wants
fell to a great extent upon Ellen.
Two weeks ago, wearied by the long,
tedious vigil, Miss Marshall came to
Lancaster to visit her aunt, Mrs. Sam
uel Oates-her mothers sister and
at her wish expressed a day or two
after arriving, Mrs. Oates went to
the Marshall home to care for the in
valid mother while Ellen was to re-
main and attend to the household
duties at the Oates domicile.
Cn Friday Miss Marshall went home
but stopped only short time. pro-
ceeding on her way to the farm of W.
H. Welsh two miles beyond. Mrs.
Welsh is daughter Of Samuel Oates
and a cousin to Ellen, and here the
demented woman had passed many
day. In the afternoon Mr.. and Mrs.
Welsh departed from home, leaving
affairs in charge of Miss Marshall and
Mr. Oates who also came there for the
day. Two youngsters, sons Of the
Welshs' were also at home, aged eight
and thirteen. Evening came and
Ellen prepared supper, and at nine
O'Clock Mr.. Oates retired with the
boys leaving Ellen in the kitchen.
Two hours later Mr.. and Mrs. Welsh
returned and upon entering the house
and not seeing any one about sup
posed all had retired. In few mo-
ments after arriving, however, Mrs.
Welsh espied a slip Of paper on the
kitchen table which she picked up
and read. 1t was in Ellen's hand
writing and with pencil was in
scribed the following:
.,,t...'..... '..-..'.t.' ',''.''.''..
DEAR Cousin: Do not let Johnnie and
While 20 TO the barn in the morning
alone. ELLEN.
'.''.' +'--'.
At a loss to comprehend the mean
ing Of the message, Mrs. Welsh called
her father and he arose and also read
the note. Believing it proper to at
once investigate, Mr.. Oates and Mr.
Welsh went to the barn and had but
entered the building when the light
Of their lantern fell upon the form of
Ellen Marshall. suspended, with the
feet about twelve inches from the
barn floor and rope about her neck
connected with beam above.
The body was Immediately cut
down and carried to the house. The
remains were still warm but the at
tempt had been successful as life was
extinct. Telephone messages soon
brought neighbors to the scene and
short time later Dist. Atty. Brown
was notified here. Saturday morning
this official, accompanied by Sheriff
Dickinson and Justice Geo. b. Wheel
er. went to the Welsh farm to investi-
gate and conducted an inquest, JUS
tice Wheeler OBLIGATED in capacity of
coroner and jury was summoned to
serve, composed of joan Wilson, John
d. Beetham, VIII Garthwaite, Thos.
Welsh, Henry Gig and Louis Cooley.
A number of witnesses were exam
ined but the testimony brought out
failed to determine any cause for the
deed other than it was done while the
victim was in a state of temporary
insanity brought on by over exertion
and consequent i'll health. Her tenn
permanent during the day was shown
TO have been nothing unusual or such
as would cause suspicion that so rash
deed was even contemplated.
Another note was introduced in evil
dence written BY the woman in which
was stated that she intended to take
her own life some day; that she be
lieved God would forgive her as he
knew all her trouble. Evidently Miss
Marshall was brooding over the hal
Inclination that her lot in life was to
be on unenviable one and she pre-
ferred to die rather than live and be
burden to others After the testi-
mony had been taken the jury rem
dered a verdict to the effect that de-
ceased came 70 her death BY 40 act e
her own hand
The rope with which the work was
done Miss Marshall obtained from a
vindla,- m the Welsh farm short
distance from the house, which had
been used ay 2 mining party. she
took her station on an empty barrel
which Wa, handy 81, where she ad-
justed the moose aai jumped off. EN-