The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-03-19
ENDS HER LIFE.
a Young Lady in Columbia Commits
Suicide.
SHE SWALLOWED LAUDANUM.
Story of Another Sad Case of Self
Destruction. The Cause
Seems to Have Been
Dependency.

There has been another sad case Of
suicide in Columbia. The State says
Wednesday morning about 7:15 a. m.
Miss Sallie Parham, young lady Of
about 81 years of age. died Of lauda
mum poisoning by her own hand. The
family with whom she boarded on
Marion street say that she was fully
resolved to end her life, having often
expressed that intention during her
residence with them.
Her brother, F. NJ. Parham, who is
employed by the Southern railway,
persuaded her to leave her home in
Union and come to the city about
eight months ago. She secured a
place in Monckton's dry goods store
and shared the room Of her sister, who
boarded with Mr.. D. G. W. Jamison
az 1924 Marion street. After little
while she gave up her situation and
began to solicit subscriptions for a
book, being engaged in this o;cupa-
tiUn at the time Of her death. For the
last week or two she has acted rather
strangely and about ten days ago she
took morphine, but fortunately the
quantity was not sufficient to do more
than to Stupefy her.
Tuesday morning Mrs. Jamison no
ticed that she appeared agitated and
watched her more closely on that ac-
count. Miss Parham made several
rapid trips to Main street and the last
time she returned the house was emp
tv, except for the cook. When Mrs.
Jamison returned she noticed in her
pantry glass with some laudanum
in it. She Immediately went to Miss
Farham, who was lying in bed, and
asked her if she had taken the opiat.
The girl denied it and no more was
thought Of the matter.
About o'clock Miss Parham got
up and took supper with the family
and drank cup of strong coffee,
which it is supposed deadened for a
time the effect Of the laudanum.
Just before going to bed she went
out on the back porch where Wednes-
day morning two empty laudanum
bottles were found. 1t was learned
Wednesday that she had purchased
these two bottles, each from differ
ent druggist, on one Of her trips to
Main street on Tuesday morning.
Between 2 and 3 o'clock Wednesday
morning her sister, who sleeps with
her, was awakened by her fearful
groans and DR.. Query was hastily
summoned. AL that could be done
for the unfortunate girl proved Of no
avail, and she died about / o'clock.
The coroner held the inquest at the
residence at II o'clock Wednesday
morning. Drs. Coward and Fishburne,
who assisted DR.. Guerry, testified that
death was due to opium poisoning.
Mr.. and Mrs. Jamison were also heard,
their testimony coinciding with the
story as already told. The jury rem
dered verdict in accordance with the
facts.
The motive for the deed is hard to
ascertain. Those who knew the
young woman claim that suicide had
been her raonomania since early child
hood. Once when very young she saw
a woman shoot herself and the idea OF
death being made easy by Self-destruc-
lion seems to have seized upon her
mind. Not long ago, when a promin-
ent young physician was found dead
in his armchair, Miss Parham bitter
ly deplored the fact that the accident
had not happened to herself instead of
to another.
Another theory is that she dreaded
death from consumption-a disease
which has fatally attacked many Of
her family. The body will be taken to
Union Friday morning by the brother
and sister.