Newport daily independent., 1903-05-19
ENDS HER LIFE
 IN WATERY GRAVE.
Fourteen Year Old Idella Johnson Commits Suicide Monday Night By Jumping From Bridge Into Lake-B Body Recovered
 Early Tuesday
 Morning.

Idella Johnson, girl of but four teen years of age, the daughter of a well-known family, who came here from Woodruff county a few years ago, ended her young life Monday evening, shortly after eight o'clock, by throwing herself over the railing of the bridge connecting East New port with the city proper and com mitting her body to the placid waters of the lake.
 The shadows of night were gather ing, when the peculiar actions of the girl attracted the attention and prof fers of friendly assistance and advice from passers- by, who chanced to meet her upon the suicidal mission which probably then ruled her mind.
 Robt. Wallace and J. s. Hill return ing to the city met the young girl near the bridge and after passing her, noted that instead of crossing the bridge, she turned aside and passed under the approach upon the west side of the lake. Fearing that some thing must be wrong by the strange actions of the maiden and feeling friendly interest in her welfare, as the family had been neighbors in East Newport. the two men returned to the bridge and MT. Wallace went be- heath the approach. There, bowed in sorrow, her face covered by a handkerchief wet in tears, and crying bitterly, sat the young girl. MT. Wal lace attempted to comfort her in the grief that seemed to have completely overcome her, advising her to return home, for she said she had run off. This she refused to do, but consented
 to go to the home of relatives named
 McNeese in East Newport.
 The father, MT. R. l.. Johnson, had
 passed by in the meantime, looking
 for his daughter as the family at home
 were much worried over her disap- pearance, though it seems that some
 time ago she ran away and spent sew
 eral days at the home of Gus Beard, a ] relative living near the fair grounds.
 W1ges MT. z4ssl. Maslace saw that she had started o6>her way, he walked on to- SH ward the but tAer shop, but Hill still felt anxious S .5o the girls intentions and thought to9 s2tch her by follow ing in the rear. when Miss Johnson had little more than, reached the center of the bridge and Mr. Hill was on the western approach, shespdden- ly quickened her pace, and throwing one limb over the railing cast her body forward into space, where fif- teen feet below lay the still simmer ing waters of the lake.
 The act had been too quickly ac- complished to give time for interven- tion and when MT. Hill saw the fatal plunge, he ran back toward the bank, calling Mir, Wallace. Both heard the splash of the water as it received it's victim, but no boat could be secured III tune to rescue the girl.
 Until two next morning, the work of dredging the lake was kept up by lntiring friends, when it was tempo 'arily abandoned. At six thirty next morning, the form of the drowned | could be seen entangled in some brush under the bridge, and he remains were forthwith removed o the undertaking rooms of R. F. )rummond. The work of embalming proved very difficult, but the natural color was finally restored.
 The deceased seems to have been Infected with melancholia for some ime and brooded upon her unhaDpi- less until the extremity of suicide ap- 'ealed to her as relief from trouble.
 An inquest was to have been held Tuesday afternoon, but Coroner Har- ison had not reached here at press lour.
 The remains will be taken to Me- )rory Wednesday, the former home If the family. A mother, father and hree brothers, Robert, John and Jud re grief stricken and to them we would extend the sympathy of friends.
 PROCEEDINGS OF COUNCIL.