Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-26
FEARED EVIL MAGNETISM
SUICIDE OF MARION STEPHENS,
CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST.
Disagreement Among the Church
Leaders Disturbs the Mind OF
Young Woman.

NEW YORK, April 26-victim Of a
nervous breakdown, due to her lear o.
malicious animal magnetism and con-
hfctinR sense of her duty to the faith OF
Christian Science and her love for Mrs
Augusta Stetson, the excommunicated
leader of that cult. Miss Marion Stephens
committed suicide Saturday night by In
haling gas.
BEFORE ending her life. the troubled
disciple had said: Il know that the
church is right but feel that for me, At
least. Augusta stands in the place or
Christ. / cannot meet God except through
her guidance How, then, can l desert
her.
That Miss Stephens suicide was
brought about by the exercise OF ma
licious animal magnetism Is the tneoIy
advanced by some of her friends 10 &C
count for her death. She had conflded TO
them that some mysterious evil innu-
ence seemed to be asserted against her
mentality and. she feared she might nor
he able to oppose her faith against |"
sufficiently to save her NE
Third Scientist to Seek Death.
1t was in the apartments OF her sister
Mrs. Eva Weeks, No. 526 west lllth
street. that Miss Stephens committed sui
eide. hers being the third self-innicteo
death among Christian Scientists to nave
taken place within the last few weeks
That the act was due to great dis
trese of mind was admitted yesterday oy
those most intimate with her
Although exceedingly nervous and much
depressed. Miss Stephens was apparenai1 ,
for the last few months when her sister
Mrs Weeks. left her Saturday evening
Returning to their apartment iater, MI
weeks and her husband were almost
smothered by gas. On the moor or the
- throom. with q rubber tube leading
from the gas jet in her mouth. they found
the body of the suicide. Under her head
was q pillow.
soots hare related and issued q certificate
~ death by Illuminating gas poisoning
9TH suicidal intent The body was for
warfed to Towanda, Pa, for interment.
This was the home town OF Mss
Stephens and where nearly fifteen years
a9n she had taken up the Christian Sci
e1ce teachings. Subsequently she came
70 this city and later became O warm
friend Of Mrs Stetson and one OF ner
stanchest adherents. Then came the
r"nture with Mrs. Eddy. Miss Stephens
was then living with Mrs Stetson. and
directly became greatly troubled by the
fact that there had come division D.
tween Mrs Stetson and the church
Ask Mrs. Eddy's Advice.
What seemed to trouble her most was
that her own loyalty must necessarily
seem to be divided. and to her sister
ana to her intimate friends she was
often heard to bewail the fact that she
could get no guidance. In her distress
Mi.s stephens turned to Mrs. Eddy.
wrofe that she had quilted the home OF
Mrs. Stetson, and asked advice.
Mrs. Eddy's reply. under date OF De-
cember IL, 1909, stated. in part:
at do not presume to give you per-
sonal instruction as to your relations
with other students. All I say Is stated
I'm Christian Science. to be used as a
model. Please ind IL there. and do not
bring your leader into personal con-
hict."
Friends and relatives aver that Miss
Stephens began to show signs OF worry
after the receipt of this letter. She
was on the verge of a breakdown when
members of the family sent her to FL
mira to her sister. There she seemed to
regain health. and q few weeks ago she
returned to this city and resumed her
work as a healer. But In the old en-
vironment her mental troubles came
back.