The evening world., 1912-09-17
TELLSO Of BATTLE
TOSAVE GIRL WHO
PLUNGED TODEATH
Friend of Miss Wood Describes
Thrilling Struggle at VIM
dow to Prevent Suicide.
. FELL SEVEN FLOORS.
Still Conscious, Daughter Of
Military Man Means, "Why
Did Do IT."
FELL SEVEN FLOORS.

a monomania that her hfe had been
an utter failure because she had reached
the age OF thirty-two. unmarried and
unimportant in the social and Industrial
scheme OF things. was responsible for
the sensational suicide Of Miss Julia
Wood. daughter Of Henry C. Wood.
Chief OF the Naval Academy Division OF
the Navy Department. who plunged to
her death last night from the seventh
floor Of the West Point apartments at
No. a36 West Ninety-fifth street.
The tragedy and the peculiar form OF
Miss Woods suicidal mania were, des-
crlbed to-day by Mrs. Smith Thompson
OF No. 6o1 West One Hundred and
Fifty-first street. one Of the two women
with whom Miss Wood fought In her
apartment last night before she man.
AGED to get to the window and throw
herself out. Mrs. Thompson had been
. lifelong friend OF the Wood family
and had gone to the young woman's
apa rtment to assist the trained nurse,
Miss Lillian Knccht, In taking care Of
her.
Miss Wood came TO my home on
Sunday" said Mrs. Thompson. she
had been Waiting at the home OF Mrs
Robert II. Small. a daughter of the late
Rear-Admlral sigsbee. at Norwalk.
Conn. saw the moment she arrived
that she was In serious mental condi-
ton. She talked necessarily OF the fail
ure OF her life. Of her unmarried state.
and OF her neglect 10 make use of her
social advantages and her culture. At
times she spoke with insane fervor.
and insisted she consult DR.. Ralph
II. Ward OF No. Sal West End avenue.
WAS TO be PU! IN sANiTARIUM
TO-DAY.
II went with her TO DR.. Wards once
and he advised that Miss Wood BE- sent
to Was hington and put in a sanitarium
until the period OF extreme melancholia
she had fallen into passed. I imme-
dsitely wrote to Mr. Wood in WASH
inSton. and posted the letter special de-
livery. Then l accompanied Miss Ward
to her nat where the nurse had already
been installed.
IT remained IN the fat oil day yester.
day with Miss Knecht, the nurse. We
had to watch our charge every moment.
She began to show symptoms OF becom-
ing violent. We sent for DR.. Ward ana
he again urged that We have Miss Wood
transferred to q sanitarium. We ar
ranged to do this to-day.
Last night Miss Knecht and were
sitting with our patient in a room that
locked out on a courtyard. We noticed
she was edging toward the window. and
a. she reached the sill went to her
and said she had better not ait % near:
that II was dangerous and she might
fall out.
"'Oh. knew you'd catoh me- she
sad. with an insane laugh. and then
walked away from the window and sat
down on a divan. She had hardly seat
Cd herself when she sprang up and
cried. But / am going to jump out and
you cannot stop mel As I flushed to
her she turned upon me like q Wild
animal and hung all her weight on me.
hurting me to the floor.
Before Miss Knecht could reach her
ohs was beside the window hll. She
turned and struck At Miss Knecht and
started to climb up on the window sill.
Miss Knecht caught her nightgown with
ons hand and her ankle with the other.
but she lurohed forward and fell over
the ell. The nightgown tore In the
nurses grasp and she lost her grip on
The patientss ankle.
"WHY DID DO lrT DYING
GIRL MoANs.
II was struggling to my feet Just as
Mks Knecht screamed. had been
stunned by Miss Woods attack on me
and saw nothing of what happened until
heard Miss Knecht's scream and saw
Miss Woods feet fash above the win
dow sill. Then / tainted"
The body o. the suicide first struck
an awning on the sixth floor and then
fell through net OF clothes line
court, a mattress, supported on clothe.
line, broke the girls fail. but no, suf.
hciently to prevent mortal injuries. Mis-.
Woods arms and legs were broker
and she was injured internally. She
was still conscious when picked up anC
her son seemed to have returned
10 her.
"oh, why did DO It? Why did
do !t?' she moaned.
She was removed to ]. Hood Wrigh
Hospital, where she died. a few hours
later,
The home Of Miss Woods family |,
at No. 1910 Dent place. Georgetown, OF
West Washington. She had been Twins
in New York nearly year and hac
hoped TO take up literary work. Mis-
Woods father is a veteran of the wa
OF he rebellion and has been promin
entity connected with the War Depart
ment for many years.
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