Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-11-02
JUMPED INTO THE LAKE
Suicide of Morrisville Woman
Early Friday Morning.
Mrs. Emma Isham left Local Sanitar-
ium and Made Her Way In the
Darkness to the shores of
CknmpIaIp. -

In what Is thought to have heen a fl
Of temporary insanity, Mrs Emma =
Isham of Morrisvillc. AGED about Ia years.
committed suicide early Friday morn
Ing by Jumping into Lake Chamnlain
after leaving Mrs. ]. G. Ruod's sanitarium
on Bank street. Her body was not dis
covered until nine o'clock in the morning,
when Joseph Pickering, an employee at
Booths lumber yard. found It floating In
the water near the dock The woman
was heard when she left her room and
was quickly pursued but owing TO the
darkness which prevailed over large
part Of the city because OF tho trouble
with the electric lighting plant. she was
soon lost sight Of
Mrs. Tshum cnno n the eanitnrium
early las; week and was suffering
from mild nervous trouble. hut amy
form Of insanity was far from being
suspected either by tho physician who
had been treating her. or hy tho officials
of the saniterium. as no cases of mental
difficulty are treated there Tho day
previous to her suicide she seemed IN
usually cheerful and In tho afternoon
went shopping with Mrs Rood and visited
several millinery stores with view TO
purchasing a hat. Upon her return she
spoke 10 the matron saying that she
would like to have her daughter
with her over sunday ana was
tod TO invite her down This she said
she would do Just before she retired
for the night che was given bath and
RIB by the nurse. and apparently soon
went to sleep.
No watch was kept over her as all
patients are free to GO and come. So that
nothing was thought out OF the ordinary
when the night nurse heard n noise IN
Mrs. 1shanls room, which Is situated
on the front Of the second floor. Later
however footsteps we're heard on the
I'm roof Of the porch and then the nurse
went 70 tho room TO End the woman gone.
Mrs Rood and others were Mt once
notified and several who We've MP ana
dressed rushed downstairs " pursuit All
sici- ~ tho patient had however.
vanished.
The noiice were nj once notified and
Deputy Chlef CosErove had tho entire
night force searching IN n short time 4
party from the sanitarium also ,lijod ana
the city was covered as tlorc JGhlV ~
possible hut in the darkness it was an
easy matter TO olude tho searchors The
patient took with her no clothing but
wrapped herself In bed puff going
through the streets barefooted
Despite the vigilance maintained along /
the water front and elsewhere no signs /
OF tho missing woman were discovered |
until nine o'clock In the morning when |
Mr.. Plckcrng's work took him to the
lake front and he found the floating body |
almost up to the dock. The puff had |
lodged in n corner about n hundred feet
away. In the soft soil the footprints |
left when she made the leap into the dark |
water were plainly dlscernahle
The police and Health Officer g. F /
Dalton We're quickly notified ana went 1,
the scene Later. the body was tnkcn 10
the undertaking rooms Of \ H. Clomcn,
and was removed to Morrlsville for
burial Mrs. lsham is survived D., two
sons ana daughter, tho la'tcr ~ years
or ago Her husband wa before M.
death a prosperous merchant Of N.rr .-
Vile