The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-12-19
GIRL JUMPS IN lake
AND TAKES HER LIFE
Seventeen Year Old Hobart Girl Com
mits Suicide. Ends ALI At Michigan
City Yesterday.

Pretty Ethel ROdrnan, the seventeen
year-old girl who ended her life by
jumping into the icy waters of Lake
Michigan at Michigan City yesterday
was a well known Hobart girl with
Crown Point
Either disappointed love affair or
the inability of the orphan girl to
scrape together enough money to buy
Christmas presents is thought to have
caused her to seek death in the chill
ing waters of the lake.
Had Made Threats.
Miss Rodman was known a girl
of high temper and during spells of
anger she is said to have frequently
said she would drown herself, but her
friends never took her seriously.
She is said to have visited a Michi-
gan City bushes house yesterday and
is there credited with saying that she
wished Christmas was over with. Her
utterance was such to lead one to
conclude that she dreaded the holiday
period and that the gift problem was
worrying her.
Was An Orphan.
The girl and her five brothers and
sisters were orphans their parents
| having died this year. Editor A. ].
Smith of the Hobart Gazette, guardian
of the children, was in Michigan City
yesterday investigating the girls
| death and making arrangements for
! the funeral
Girl Was Despondent.
1t was ascertained that the girl had
been Respondent for some unknown
cause. Some time ago she told Mrs.
| Powell that she felt like jumping in
/ front of a street car, but no impor-
tance was attached to this implied
i threat. She also asked Mrs. Powell
| how heavy a stone 1t would take to
hold a person under water. and at an
| other time she said that she left like
| cutting he throat with a razor. but all
| of these observations were regarded
| as idle remarks.
Leaves Letters behind.
The girl left communications, hur-
riedly scribbled in her room. indicating
her purpose to kill herself. One of
these. written on wrapping paper.
read:
Dear Sweetheart: viii say good
bye forever. From a kind and loving
| friend. Ethel
Kisses to you. Remember me. for
1 am going to die. Born Sept. 4. 1885,
! Another letter read:
Michigan City. Dec. 8, 1912. Dear
Sister: Will answer your last card.
| 1 going to say goodbye forever.
| Pearl. when this reaches you / will be
under six feet of sod. Pearl. L GO
| ing crazy and can't keep it off my
| brains. So goodbye forever. Pearl.
Your loving sister.
Ethel Rodman.
"114 East Fifth Street
'1f you come to my funeral, you can
come here So goodbye forever and
/ forever
X Employed At Boarding House.
Miss Rodman was employed at the
Powell boarding house ia East Fifth
street. Michigan City Early yesterday
morning she got up and at x-lhirty
4 o'clock she went out to pump some
water She filled the bucket partially
/ and then called another girl to the
i pump and asked her to finish the job
saying that she would return in a few
minutes. This was the last time that
the unfortunate girl was seen. alive.
Girls Screams Heard.
I A short time later, towards seven
O'Clock, the piercing screams of .
woman were heard near the harbol
edge at Sixth street.
People in the vicinity rushed to the
scene and in the semi darkness locat-
ed the spot where the screams came
from. They saw the girl go down fol
the last time and little while later
when Capt. Michael of the life saving
station arrived on the scene in a boat
he recovered the body by means of q
graphing hook.
Letters Indicate Love Affair.
Miss Rodman had been keeping com.
pany with well known Michigan
young man. The couple frequently
came to Gary to attend the theatre and
| were we'll known in the steel city.
Letters found In the girls room in
clude one addressed to a young mar
named Mike" This was evidentl,
written some days ago and mislaid
J Mike" is chfded for his coldness. An.
. | other letter is addressed to a youns
man named Harry" The police arr
looking up the two youths.
Addressed to Chicagoan.
A third letter is addressed to Mrs
: Pearl Hamrn, of Chicago. formerl,
) Miss Pearl Gumm of Hobart. She Il
referred TO as Dear Sister. and tn.
missive recites that when Mrs. Hamn
) gets the letter that the writer will b,
) six feet beneath the sod.
/ The unfortunate girl was the daugh
: ter of the late Mr. and Mrs Gilber
Rodman of Hoiart. Her father died il
| January and her mother died in Jul,
this year.
Gets Good Homes For Them.
Editor A J. Smith of the Hobart Ga
zette was appointed guardian for. TIL
e FIVE children surviving the couple ant