The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-12-04
JUMPS TO DEATH
YOUNG WOMAN PLUNdES over
TWO HUNDRED FEET
CRASHED ON PAVEMENT

Wearing Badge, "Death Before Dis
honor" With New Testament Sus-
pended from Her Neck and Hold
ing Handbag, Young Woman
School Teacher Takes Fatal Leap.
Possessed with the idea that she
vas pursued for dishonorable pur-
poses, Miss Maud Van Deusen, 35
years old, leaped from the twentieth
story Of the Mccormick building il
Chicago and was crushed to death on
the stone pavement OF an alley at the
street level. She jumped from a nre
escape, nearly $50 feet above the
ground. Her body struck another
fire escape at the first floor and
bounded into the allsyway. Nearly
all her bones were broken.
Miss Van Deusen. according to pa
pers found on ter person, was a
school teacher in Humboldt, Neb. 1t
appears that she had been seeking a
position at Chicago and had been OBJ
sessed with the idea that she had
been In danger from white slavers.
She wrote that she had been driven
TO appeal for protection from Chief
OF Police New eeney to the Federal
department OF justice and to social
settlement workers.
SbA had prepared for her death by
: pi,Iing across her bosom strip OF
white linen. which had been stained
crimson at either end and on which
; she printed in large letters death
before dishonor'. She had tied
around her neck copy Of the New
: Testament, in which she had marked
!, passages in John. She held her hand
: bag in her hand as she jumped and II
was picked up near her body. In II
: was another marked Bible and a
!. typewriter statement OF several
words entitled part Of Ny Lies
History. -,
81 viii die clean. Il I have to kill
myself" was written al the head OF
one of the sheets. A strip OF bacon, a
small paper of pepper, an ounce o.
tea and 1919 in currency also were
found in the handbag.
The police assert that. Miss Van
Deusen evidently was deranged when
: she Ieaped from the building. The
landlady from the house in which
miss Van Deussn bad been roomins
said that the young woman had been
without employment for some time.
stI am trying to write this without
the least emotion" her typewriter
statement began. "and, though the
following statements may seem dra-
matte, your reason will assure you
that they contain only common sense
-. .sI have very little money and am
not allowed to hold a position. will
accept no money but that earn.
eff do not get help 1t will be q
certainty that l cannot ESCAPE falling
into the hands OF the snirituallst
white slave trade and that will force
. me to self-destruction."
The police do not understand what
Miss Van Deusen meant by spirit
. ualist white slave trade.
A copy Of letter in her handbag
addsessed TO Miss Jane Adams, Of
Hull House. read:
at wonder if this note viii ever
reach you. Good people nowadays
are protected by secretaries so that il
is hard to get to them. I shall love
you il you are good really, or intend
to be as you determine.
A letter apparently written by Miss
) Adams in reply stated that she was
too busy to see Miss Van Deusen at
that time, but would uake later
? appointment with hsz.
One passage marked in the Testa.
ment referred to was from the 14th
, chapter of John "Let not your heart
!. be troubled. Ye believe in God. Be
Ieve also in Ne. II my Fathers
!. house are many mansions. If it were
not SC would have told you. I &C
: to prepare a place for YOU"
Miss Van Deusen. it is said, was
the only. daughter Of Dr.. Lydia Var
Deusen, Falls City. Neo. She is sale
to have told friends that she worried
q great deal over Hindu cult.
The young woman Is said to have
been harassed by Authorization thai
she was pursued by the representa-.
tiyes Of this cult.
Miss Van Deusen came to Chicago
from Cincinnati June 26. While II
the Ohio city. she worked as a stem
osrapher and lived at the Young Wo'
mems Christian Association Home.
= Miss Maud Van Deusen was vel
Known in Falls CITY. Neb.. where she
grew up to womanhood She taught
school in Falls City, and in Richard
SON County districts for number o'
years Her family was well-to-do.
About six years ago Miss Van Den
sen. then 20 years old. suffered men'
tai arrangement and became estrans'
ed from her family. She imagi re
they were trying to deprive her CT
her property. For time she tS
treated In Lincoln hospital and lat
er she went to Chicago. For the last
two years her relatives knew little
about her but understood she was
making her own way in Chicago as
stenofraDher.