The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-11-18
ENDS HER LIFE
Because Her Shabby Clothing Had
Been Commented On
FALLS POISONED TO THE FLOOR

FALLS POISONED TO THE FLOOR
Extremely Pitiful Fate Of Young
Girl in New York Toiling
to Support an Aged
Mother.
A girl killed herself Wednesday in
a big Office in the big Constable build
ing, in New York, before the eyes Of
dozens of other girls employed there
as stenographers like herself, before
the clerks and the managers.
Tenderly nurtured as child in a
comfortable, happy home, when pref
ty, sentive Charlotte Thomas grew to
girlhood this home was swept away.
Her dead fathers estate left legal
tangle that when unravelled found
the family in possession Of only a few
hundred dollars.
There were three brothers in the
family, but these had families, and
seemed able to do no more than take
care Of themselves, so in tiny flat in
the Bronx, with her sorrowing, white
haired mother, the girl lived. The
girl doubtless meant to be very brave
and to 60 out in the workaday world
and make her way. But the world
was rude, hard and little interested
in her. 1t wounded and jostled her.
1t was so cruelty different from the
softness Of the home surroundings that
she had known.
On the eighth floor Of the Constable
building are the Offices of S. Anary
gros, cigarette manufacturer. There
are twenty OF more girls employed
there. Most Of them are said to have
comfortable homes and their salaries
to be only so much pinmoney to them
money to be expended in the purchase
of fashionable clothing and pretty
bits of adornment, dear to the hearts
of young women. The group is chic,
and every member Of it quite pretty.
WAS OF GENTLE BIRTH.
Little Miss Thomas, who went to
work there four weeks ago, was pref
ty, too. She had the black eyes Of the
South. The family come from
Georgia, and several Of her ancestors
bore honored names in the history of
the Confederacy. The family had an
unfortunate business venture in which
the little money that had been left
by the father was swept away. Judge
Kellogg, formerly Of the Court Of
Claims, was Miss ThomaS'S guardian.
What little Of her funds had been in
his hands was gone. Her brother, a
clerk in the Attorney-General'S office
at Albany, had secured his sister the
place OF stenographer at the Anary-
gros offices. 1t is said that her gown
was shabby, and her black gloves
darned in may places, and that her
companions noticed it.
One day one Of the young men in
the office asked the girl, thoughtleSsly,
it is believed, why she didn't fix up
little and dress like the other girls.
He was startled to see the girls hands
60 up to her eyes and her whole small
form shaken by sobs. Not knowing
quite what else to Go, he merely felt
of his carefully arranged recktieS and
walked away. The girls employers,
however, are not to be misjudged in
the matter. 1t got to their ears and
they handed the young man his hat.
MERELY THOUGHT HER QUEER"
The white-haired, broken-hearted
mother Of the girl Wednesday told
how the thoughtless remark Of the
clerk had prayed upon her daughters
mind. Nothing but absolute necessi-
ty of earning the money induced her
to return to the place. She kept to
herself at her work, and her COM
panionS merely regarded her as
queer"
Wednesday Miss Thomas went to
big department store at noon, and
the money that was to have purchased
her luncheon was spent for a two
ounce bottle of carbolic acid. She
must have walked the streets for
awhile, brooding on what she meant
to do, for when she returned the
other girls were already there. She
fingered in the hallway, watching
them pass in front Of her, raising
their hands to remove their stylish
hats. AS the swish Of the silk skirt
of the last Of the girls sounded
through the doorway little Miss
Thomas swiftly raised the bottle to
her lips.
She staggered through the doorway.
She held the bottle aloft. Her face
was livid. A strand Of thick brown
hair had fallen across her brow. Her
little body swayed.
1--WE done it," she said in whisper
that cut sharply through the room
where the amazed groups Of girls and
clerks stood looking at her. I've
done it. l wont suffer any more.
\ MOST r1TIFUL DEATH.
She fell and did not rise, a small,
huddled figure in shabby gown OF
black. Suddenly one Of the girls
screamed. Others ran to corners of
the room, their hands to their eyes.
One girl moved swiftly to the pros
trate figure and knelt beside her.
''Poor little thing" she said and
stocked the brown strand back from
the girls forehead But the act OF
kindness was unknown to Miss
Thomas. She was unconscious and
very near death. Fifteen minutes
later an ambulance surgeon stood
away from the cot or which she lad
been laid and with a brief movement,
drew white linen handkerchief across
the girlish features. a. 6
y ! - IL