St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-07-01
PROMINENT
|. MAN SUICIDES
Well Known Lawyer of New
Orleans Ends His Life
Jumps from the Ferry Boat
Into the River.
The Threat that He Would
Do So Unheeded.
Mind Supposed to. be Tenn
porarily Unbalanced.

Browne. famous in his day as an
admiralty lawyer, conspicuous in re-
form polictical movements and Tor
nearly sixty years identified with the.
Sunday school and church work OF
the Coliseum Place Baptist Church,
&C mmitted suicide yesterday shortly
before noon by jumping into the
river from the ferry-boat Alice
when the boat was midway between
Gretna and the Jackson Avenue
landing.
That he was temporarily unbai-
anced is regarded as certain by all
who knew him and were familiar
with his upright religious life. He
gave no indication of intending to
take his life, however, until short
time before he committed the deed.
Mrs. Henry Gerdes, who lives IN
Gretna, met Mr.. Browne as he was
leaving the ferryboat on the Gretna
| side and he was about to board tne
/ boat. They had known each Other
many years, and in exchanging greet
1ings, Mr.. Browne exclaimed:
/ Goodbye, you will never see ms
again, because | am going to commi
i suicide" She thought he was jest
ling and made light of it. and he In
sisted that he was in earnest. Sh'
/ did not believe that he was serlou
and went home.
Some one in Gretna evidently NO
| ticed something peculiar about MI
Brownies actions, for shortly afte
ii O'Clock Arthur II. Browne, tn
4 United States Commissioner, and SO
of the deceased, received myster'
GUS telephone from someone in elthe
Ii ExlgSErs s:tt tRalip p9s-lll
--Tproceed at t5once teF the JacksonsFe
landing, and meet his father, az tn
: old gentlemen was i'll and was g
ing to cross over on the ferry. NJ
:, Browne rushed to catch car, rul
: ming a bloak and a half to make
and when he got to the ferry iandfn
). he saw no signs of his father, bt
= decided to await until the ferry can
: over. as it was then near mldstfean
+ He heard some people talking, o.
y paid no attention. until ne neal
one discussing hcW someone ns
i, Jumped overheard. Even then
= did not suspect anything. and n
9 l,until the ferry landed, and he stal
ed aboard, did he realize the terrib
tragedy. He saw man approac
g ine him carrying hat and Coz
- which he Immediately recognized
.- his fathers.
: The incidents connected wi
x the tragedy were related to hi
al When Mr.. Browne boarded the fer
g he seemed distraught. He sat do1
: near the rear rail, and removed
hat and coat. E. j. Hartley,
= loon-keeper in Gretna, was sitti
- near him, and surmised that he
- on the verge of attempting suici'
~ He kept a close watch, and when
n as boat got to the middle of the riv
Mr.. Browne climbed on top OF
f rail. Mr. Hartley and another N
.lnesr-by rushed to him, but ne XII
- ed at them and plunged headle
e e into the murky waters. The cry
~ "n,an overheard" caused the fe
- to be stopped Immediately,
e Iss everything possible was done to 81
=. mn Life preservers were thro
.u over. but Mr.. Browne had disappe
Ae en from sight. The lifeboat ,
m las lowered, and the men roWed aro'
.o for several minutes, but found
,le ,ne trace of him. Several fishern
10 iso from the shore rowed out to
,od Ispot and looked around carefu
,.m .su but no trace of him could be fou
.., u Conrad A. Buchler, a Jefferson |
:, ,.n ISL attorney, was In street
aa aa in Gretna, when he noticed the.
o ". gentlemen mount the rail on
.,a 10. ferry and dive into the Waters
lns nl rushed To the levee to see what !
oh nl, pened, but the body never came
GA He said Mr.. Browne held his ha
~, on lp for second and then disapp
loo' ed, but never elled for help.
80. The officials Fof the Union r
VOC Company did ali they could, bu
Gnu Gnu the tragedy occurred in midstr,
:, 'pa. the body was carried away by
n a swift current Immediately.
= -