New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-06
CUTS THROAT IN STREET
Her Child Held for Debt, Mrs.
Burns Had Been Despondent.
BORROWS KNIFE FROM MAN
Desperate Act Brings to Light
Story of Hard Struggle of
Former Choir Singer.

Behind the bare announcement on the
police blotter at the West S7th street sta
ton that Mrs. Nellie Burns. of No. 466
Seventh avenue, attempted TO commit sui
eide this morning by slashing her throat
with a knife; sent to Bellevue Hospital. a
prisoner, charged with attempted suicide"
lies story of sorrow and disappointment.
of mothers struggle to provide a home
for her daughter and her final despair
when that daughter was taken from her.
Mrs. Burns approached three men at the
corner of Broadway and 36th street yes
terday morning and asked one Of them to
lend her a pocketknife, as she wanted to
fix her Dress which was torn One of the
men handed her a knife. with the blade
open. She took the knife and, stepping
swiftly aside, drew the blade across her
throat The men ran at her and attempt
ed to take the knife from her grasp. Mrs.
Burns fought desperately. and il was nee
essary to throw her to the ground to wrest
the knife from her. She was then taken
to Bellevue Hospital, where she was placed
in the pSychopathic ward for observation
At No. 466 Seventh avenue, which is a
boarding house run by a Mrs Mcnamara
1t was learned that Mrs. Burns had been
living there about six months with her
daughter, Mary Agnes Burns. twelve years
old. Although Mrs Burns was evidently
accustomed to an easier mode of life, ac-
Cording to other boarders in the house, she
took in washing and did sewing in order
to provide for her daughter. Of whom she
appeared very fond. Little could be
learned of her former life by Mrs. Burnss
neighbors, but it was known that she was
a widow and that her parents we're we'll
TODD and lived in Brooklyn.
After her husbands death Mrs Burns
was forced to make her own living, saying
that she would not appeal to her relatives
for aid. Until about four months ago her
daughter lived with her at the Seventh
avenueShouse, but Mrs. Burns finally put
her in a boarding house with a family in
Tenth avenue, where she could be looked
after while the mother was away at work
Mrs. Burns found it difficult TO stretch
out the small amount of money she earned
sufficiently to maintain herself and child.
and gradually she got behind in her pay
ments for the girls board. The child soon
made herself a warm favorite in the Tenth
avenue boarding house, according 10 the
neighbors, and when the woman who con-
Quoted the place did not receive the money
due her from Mrs. Burns she refused to
give Agnes Mary back to her mother.
Many times did the mother appeal for her
child, but was told that she would not
again her until the debt for her board
was paid This seemed to dishearten Mrs
Burns, and she grew melancholy and in
consOlable. To persons in the house where
she lived she said she could not live with
out her child, and as the weeks passed she
began to act in a peculiar manner. Yes
terday she left the house and said she was
going to see if she could not persuade those
VINO held her child TO give her back
It Is supposed that she made i final ap
peal. and. being again refused, became des-
perate and determined 10 end her unhap-
piness with death While she lay moaning
on cot in the hospital last night she kept
calling for her child to come to her bed
side and nothing that nurses or doctors
could say would comfort her.
1t was learned that Mrs. Burns had for
merly been a singer in the choir Of St.
Mary's Church. in West 10th street. and
that her brother was connected with the
same church. Later in the day Robert G.
FARLEY, an undertaken, of No. 49, Court
street, Brooklyn. was found. He said that
Mrs. Burns is his sister. but that he had
not seen or heard from her in years. When
told that she had tried to kill herself be
cause her child had been taken from her,
Mr.. Farley said he would visit her at the
hospital and see ii he could do anything to
aid her. After leaving the hospital Mr..
Farley said his sister had been unable to
talk owing 10 the wound in her throat.
but that he had learned the name of the
family in Tenth avenue, with whom her
daughter vas living. and would demand Of
them that they return the child TO its