Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-11
.SLAYS BOSOM FRIEND
Oemented Woman Teacher
Shoots Girl Associate.
THEN COMMITS SUICIDE
Both Managers Of Fashionable Bos'
ton School.
GRADUATES OF WELLESLEY
M,1rderess Had Escaned From a
GRADUATES OF WELLESLEY
Murderess Had Escaped From a
Sanitarium and Was Being
Cared for Over Night.

fering from melancholia, due to over
work, Miss Sarah Chamberlain Weed
Of Philadelphia, shot and killed Miss
Elizabeth Bailey Hardee Of East Savan-
nah, Ga. and then committed suicide at
the Laurens School, a fashionable board
ing school for girls in the Fen
way district today. The bodies OF
the two women were found in bed to-
day by Mrs. Page. the matron OF the
school. The Laurens School was estab-
lished last fall by Miss Hardee and Miss
Weed. On October l, the day the school
opened, Miss Weed broke down as a result
Of overwork. and was committed TO
sanitarium in order to be treated TOT
nervous prostraion.
Last night Miss Weed escaped from the
sanitarium and made her way to tine
school She appeared to be badly deranged
mentally. A fruitless attempt was made
to communicate with the authorities OF the
sanitarium, and at length Miss Hardee
succeeded in getting Miss Weed to go To
bed in Miss Hardee's chamber on the
third floor Of the school building. Miss
Hardee retired with Miss Weed.
Both women were awakened by Mrs
Page about am. and notified that they
must get up If they were to catch the
1885 train on which Miss Weed was to bf
taken back to West Newton. Mrs. Page
then left them, and a few moments latel
the shooting occurred Mrs. Page thinks
>f fn
ium must have excited and angered Mis-:
Weed and induced the shooting.
From the nature of the wounds Medtca
Examiner Stedman decided that Miss
Weed had committed suicide by shooting
herself through the right temple, afte'
having shot Miss Hardee through the base
of the brain.
Both College Women.
The dead women are Miss Sarah Cham
berlain Weed of 112 West Willow Grove
avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and
Miss Elizabeth BaHey Hardee of PA
Gwinneth street, East Savannah, Ga.
Each was about thirty-five years OF age
and they had been intimate friends since
their graduation from Wellesley College,
Miss Harlee receiving her diploma in
1894, while Miss Weed received hers a
year later. Miss Hardee was an instruc-
tor in mathematics at Wellesley in 1893
and 1900, and since that time had been
teaching in Vermont. Miss Weed had
also been teaching in various sections OF
the country.
Last summer the two women decided to
open a boarding school for girls on Au-
dubon road, in the Fenway. OCTOBER l.
the day upon which the Laurens School,
as they called it. was opened, Miss Weed
broke down as q result of overWork, ana
was taken to a sanitarlum IN west New
ton. where she had since been under
treatment for nervous prosIral'oh. wnie n
at the santarium Miss Weed had oeen
subject to severe attacks Of melancholia,
Escaped Her Keepers.
Last night she escaped from the sani-
tarium and made her way to Laurens
School, Miss Hardee volunteered TO care
for her during the night pending her re-
turn to the sanitarium.
Miss Weed behaved in a peculiar man
ner. according to the teachers, wandering
aimlessly about the school building and
making some strange or IN
coherent remark.
At length Miss Hardee persuaded Miss
Weed to retire. and the demented woman
followed her to her own chamber on the
third floor of the school.
When Mrs. Page, the matron or the
school, went to Miss Hardees room TINS
mornine to awaken her she was shocked
to find both women dead in bed. Miss
Hardee had been shot through the base
of the brain. while there was a bullet
wound in Miss Weeds right temple
revolver, with two chambers empty, was
lying on Miss Weeds breast.
Coroner's Verdict.
Medical Examiner Stedman, after view
ing the bodies. declared that Miss Weed
had committed suicide after having killed
Miss Hardee.
The pupils at the school, about forty In
number, are the daughters of wealthy
parents from all sections Of the country.