Newport weekly independent., 1903-05-22
sIN wATERY GRAVE.
Fourteen Year Old Idella Johnson Commits Suicide Monday Night BysJumping From Bridge Into Lake B ouy Recovered
 Early Tuesday
 Morning

Idella Johnson, girl of but four teen years of age, the daughter of q we'll known family, who came here from Woodruff county 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 Uniting her body to the placid waters lake.
 hadows of night were gather
 svuen 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 a 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- meath 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 aud spent sew eral days at the home of Gus Beard, relative living near the fair grounds.
 When Mir. Wallace saw that she had started on her way, he walked on to- ward the butcher shop, but Hill still felt anxious as to the girls intentions and thought to watch her by follow ing in the rear. When Miss Johnson had little more than reached the center of the bridge and MT. Hill was on the western approach, she sudden 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 MT. Wallace. Both heard the splash of the water as it received it's victim, but no boat could be secured in time to rescue the girl.
 Until two next morning, the work of dredging the lake was kept up by untiring friends, when it was tempo rarily abandoned. At six thirty next morning, the form of the drowned could be seen entangled in some brush immediately under the bridge, and the remains were forthwith removed to the undertaking rooms of R. F. Drummond. The work of embalming proved very difficult, but the natural color was finally restored.
 The deceased seems to have been affected with melancholia for some time and brooded upon her unhappi- ness until the extremity of suicide ap- pealed to her as relief from trouble.
 An inquest was to have been held Tuesday afternoon, but Coroner liar rison had not reached here at press hour.
 The remains will be taken to Me Crory Wednesday, the former home of the family. A mother, father and three brothers, Robert, John and Jud are grief stricken and to them we would extend the sympathy of friends. SCHOOL BOARD