Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-27
Special to Tlmes-Republican.

Ackley, Dec. 27.LWith no means Of
Identifying the body Of young woman
whose lifeless body was found hanging
from the Illinois Central bridge near
this place, the coroner's Jury returned
verdict declaring that the stranger
came to her death by her own hand.
Christmas day there arrived here on
the Illinois Central train from the
west. at noon, a handsome young wom-
an, about % years OF age. She was
well dressed and appeated to be a
young woman OF refinement and edu-
cation. The stranger attracted con-
siderable attention on the streets, as
she spent the greater part Of the after
noon In walking about the outskirts OF
the city. Yesterday afternoon her
lifeless body was brought to town and
placed In charge Of the coroner, who
had been summoned
1t has since developed that the
young woman was firmly resolved to
die, evidenced by the fact that she tried
to procure poison at three different
drug stores. Failing in this she went
to the hardware place OF H A. Miller
and bought about twelve feet Of half
inch rope. This was early in the day.
On her way to the bridge she stopped
at the farm house Of c. Humpke and
inquired for work, and failing to secure
employment proceeded to her doom.
Stopping at the west end Of the
structure, she took her valise, and, at
ter saturating it with kerosene, applied
match. Then. fastening the end OF
the rope to beam overhead, stepped
off a big rock to the frozen bed OF
Beaver creek below. The strand was
evidently too long, for her feet struck
the ice, leaving their imprint. Nothing
daunted, she unloosened the cord, cut
of piece and tried again, but her OBJ
ject was still unaccomplished. The
third time proved successful.
The body was found by Henry
Hemb, farmer, about noon, but 1t
was some time before he could notify
the authorities and they could arrive
at the scene. Her apparel was of the
best and besides the rich clothing there
was found parcel containing an extra
garment and other clothing. A purse
with As cents was also found. She
wore a small diamond ring.
Found pinned to her waist was the
following note:
Please any one who finds me, burn
my body with matches and kerosene,
as have a horror Of being buried in
F,Sa v,u5
relatives. and no one will care"
Much mystery surrounds the affair,
as the woman must have had some
desperate motive in keeping her iden-
tity undiscovered. The note found
pinned to her dress had neither head
ing nor signature, and was written in
pencil on common note paper. Her
object in asking her body to be Gre
mated instead of buried may have been
intended to further forestall attempts
to discover who she Is. While the girl
may have been disappointed in a love
affair, an investigation of the body
failed to show that she had been mis-
led. 1t is thought that she became de-
spondent and resolved to end her life.
The woman was blonde, Of med
ium height and slender build, and
weighed about 100 lbs. She was attired
in light colored shirt waist and blue
skirt and had with her q dark blue
Jacket, blue velvet hat and grey
fur muff. Before jumping from the
bridge she laid her Jacket, muff, hat
and pocketbook on the track.
It is thought that she walked to
the railroad bridge Christmas night
ond rouoainad in that vicinity all night
long, as she did not stay at any of the
adjoining farm houses. When found
her body was still warm, indicating !
that she did not make the fatal leap
from the bridge until short time prev
ious to the finding of the body.
The remains are being held in the
hope that her identity may be dis
covered and her relatives located.