The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-31
DROWNED At slOUx FALLS
miss Gertrude Hayward Ended Her
Life Thursday Afternoon IN
the Sioux River.

The friends OF Miss Gertrude Hay
ward were startled and horritieo
upon receiving the intelligence late
Thursday afternoon from the corone.
at Sioux Falls that the young lady
had drowned herself in the Sioux
river, which passes through the
heart OF the city. The Information
was telephoned 20 Mrs. S. b.
Thompson, OF The Mitchell.
The departure of Miss Hayward
for Sioux Falls was made Wednesday
evening via the Omaha road and was
unknown to any OF her friends or
relatives, the latter being Mr.. aud
Mrs. Seth Gardner. The young lady
has been employed at the grocery
store Of Z. w. Hoon as clerk Tut for
the past two or three weeks has
been taking q vacation. For a week
OF more she has been suffering in
tensely with an liberated tooth.
She had returned to her work at
the Hoon grocery Tuesday, but on
Wednesday afternoon she went out
of the store to get something done to
het tooth 20 alleviate the pain. She
went to the home of Mr.. Thompson
at the hotel a little before six O'Clock
and they invited her out to supper,
and as she did not appear in the
dining 100 they SEM for her and it
was discovered she had left the
hotel. but thought nothing of it, as
it was supposed she had either gone
TO the Hoon residence or to her
aunt's, Mrs. Gardner. Not appearing
at the Hoon residence during the
evening they supposed Miss Hayward
had gone to the hotel TO remain owe
snigltl. as she had frequently done
before, and specially OF that night,
as it was very stormy.
Thursday incoming after Mrs.
ThoMpson and Mrs. Hoon had
learned that Miss Hayward had been
at neither home over night they
started a search for her. ..telephoning
every possible place in town where she
might possibly 90. TO remain over
might. They we're very much o
ried over her absence, and could not
account for it in any way.
Friday morning Sheriff Cook in
Formed Mr.. Thompson tbat on We'd
nesday evening Miss Hayward
walked up to the court house about
8 O'Clock and laid down or the lawn
near the hedge east OF the court
house. She remained a few minutes
and got up and went away. Shortly
atterward she returned again and
laid down. but after that he did see
her again.
This morning Mrs. Thompson re-
ceived a registered package from the
dead girl from Sioux Falls. 1t con-
tanned some iewel1y that Mrs.
Thompson had given her in the past.
a gold watch, S64 in money and a
letter. In the letter the girl gave
an iDtimation of her plans, stating
that she could not endure the pain
another night what she had suffered
the night before: that she was going
to rest at the same place where they
had rested before; that they were
not to hunt for her as they would he
unable to find her. After bidding
Mrs. Thompson goodbye the letter
closed.
The motive for the unfortunate
act Of the young lady cannot be
adiscelned by her friends, none of
whom can fathom the slightest
foundation for her taking her lie.
She has made her home with the
Thompson family for several years
aud she has always been "a welcome
visitor since she has been working
elsewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson
both speak in the highest tertus of
the deceased girl and loved and re-
=specNed her TO an unlimited degree
The annOuticemn Mt of her death
affected them very much. The
same kind Of a report was given by
MI. aud Mrs. lloon and they bad
bscOMe very much attached to her
while she ~as in their EMPLOY. Sew
efal months ago Miss Hayward
.sprcvrd up on a claim out west OF
Chamberlain.
This morning her uncle, Seth
Gardner, vent Y to Sioux Falls to
take charge of the body. The
mother OF the deceased girls lives
at Fairbanks, Iowa, and he expects 10
take the body there for interment.
The Sioux Falls Press makes the
following statement concerning the
events leading up to the young girls
suicide, although the statement
Made therein with reference to Miss
Hayward being seer in
with a young nan Wednesday after
noon is erroneous, as she did not
aeaYe Mitchell until Wednesday even
ang. 1t was simply a case OF mis-