The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-11-28
WOMAN JUMPS TO DEATH
BODY FEARFULLY CRUSHED IN
PLUNGE OF ESQ FEET.
Young Woman School Teacher Takes
Fatal Leap from Goth Story of
Chicago Building.

diShOnOrable purposes, MISS MAUD
Van Deusen, 35 years old, leaped
from the twentieth story of the Nc
Cormick building and was crushed to
death on the stone pavement of an
alley at the street level. She jumped
from a fire escape, nearly 250 feet
above the ground. Her body struck
another fire escape at the first floor
and bounded into the alleyway. Near
ly all her bones were broken.
Miss Van Deusen, according to pa
pers found on her person, was a
school teacher in Humboldt, Neb. 1t
appears that she had been seeking a
position here and had been obsessed
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 McWeeney to the Federal de-
partment of justice and to social set
IlSmGuL WOIheIS.
death Before Dishonor.''
She had prepared for her death
by pinning across her bosom strip
of white linen, which had been stain
ed 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 handbag in her hand as she
jumped and it was picked up near
her body. In it was another marked
Bible and a typewriter statement of
several words entitled Part of My
Life's History
II will die clean, if have to kill
myself" was written at the head of.
one of the sheets. A strip of bacon,
a small paper Of pepper, an ounce Of
tea and $3.19 in currency also were
IOuuQ Ill Cu6 uduuUdS. =
Deranged Think Police.
The police assert that Miss Van
Deusen evidently was deranged when
she leaped from the building. The
landlady from the house in which
Miss Van Deusen had been rooming
said that the young woman had been
without employment for some time.
'I 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.
II have very. little money and am
not allowed to hold a position. l
will accept no money but that i earn.
IF I do not get help it will be
certainty that I cannot escape falling
into the hands of the spiritualist
white slave trade and that will force
me to self-destruction."
The police do not understand what
Miss Van Deusen meant by "spiritu:
alist white slave trade"
Letter to Miss Adams.
A copy of letter in her handbag
addressed to Miss Jane Adams, of
Hull House, read:
Il wonder if this note will ever
reach you. Good people nowadays
are protected by secretaries so that
it is hard to get to them. I shall
love you if you are good really, or
intend to be as you determine"
A letter apparently written by Miss
Addams in reply stated that she was
too busy to see Miss Van Deusen at
that time, but would make later ap-
pointment with her.
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-
lieve also in Me. In my Fathers
house are many mansions. If it were
not so I would have told you. go
to prepare place for you
Worried Over Hindu Cult.
Miss Van Deusen, it is said, was
the only daughter of DR.. Lydia Van
Deusen, of Falls City, Neb. She is
said to have told friends that she
worried great deal over a Hindu
cult
The young woman is said to have
been harassed by hallucination that
she was pursued by the representa-
tives of this cult.
Miss Van Deusen came to Chicago
from Cincinnati June 26. While IN
the Ohio city she worked as stenog-
rapher and lived at the Young Wo-
mems Christian Association Home.
From Well-to-Do Family.
Falls City, Neb. Nov. 25.-Miss
Van Deusen was well known in Falls