Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-02-24
LEAPS down SHAFT
OF THE MONUMENT
Ms. Mae Cockrell, of Del
Ray, Driven to Act by
Insomnia
DEsCENDs 47O FEET
Intellectual Efforts Of Sightseers to
Prevent Woman From Carrying
Gv; Her Rash Design.

Mrs, w. F.Cookrell, of De! Ray
Alexandria county, jumped into tht
elevator shaft of the Washington
Monument at a landing near the tor
late Yesterday and fell to the Hot'
tom. more than 500 feet below.
She left note addressed t. hef
husband saying she was sure she
could not recover from an Illness
Her body was crushed by striking the
sides of the shaft on the va, Gown,
and she was dead before her body
reached the bottom.
;; Mrs. Cookrell's farewell note, writ
ten on a physicians prescription
blank and left in the monument, saiC
she realized she was d "burdeti TO
her husband and asked that her body
be cremated.
An hour before the monument was
closed for the day Mrs. Cookrell went
to the observation gallery near the
TOP Of the structure in the elevator.
A few minutes later she walked down
to the third landing and climbed
between the steel rails that separate
the elevator shaft from the stairway.
Siehtseers screamed and Miss Edna
Rockefellon, of Takona Park, rushed
to Mrs. CooErell's side and clutchcd
at her clothing. There was hricf
struggle, then portions Of the dress
gave way and Mrs. Cockrell plunged
down the shaft:
AS she fell her body caromed from
side to side, striking against the rail
ings. Horror-stricken tourists and
he watchman at the base Of the non
ument notified officials and Col ".
w. Harts, superintendent of public
buildings, took charge of the body
while others started to notify the
husband.
A few hours earlier Mrs. Cockrc!l
had gone with her husband TO the
office of local specialist on nerve
troubles. She had been Il sufferer
from insomnia. She was @G years
old.
The note of farewell was not the
medium by which Cockrell learned
of his wife's suicide While her body
lay at the bottom of the monument
shaft he was taking a nap at the
home of his sister. Mrs. John Han
ford, 1902 A street southeast. Wash
ington, waiting for his wife return.
.He had grown anxious about her alb
sence, but his sister had said: Don't
worry, Will; Mae will be back soon."
He later was informed Of his wife's
act.
The body was removed from the
morgue last night to Washington
undertaking establishment. 1t was
removed to Wheatley's undertaking
establishment in Alexandria, his
morning and thence to the home Of
Mrs. Cockrell's relatives in Del Ray.
Before she lost her health, Mrs.
Cockrell was considered very pretty.
Illness took away her beauty, and
within the last few weeks she lost
weight until she did not move the
scales at 100 pounds. She never was
mother. Besides her husband, she
is survived by her mother, Mrs. John
Varney; three sisters, Mrs. John
Gary, Mrs. A. J. Nails, and Miss
Dora Varney, and three brothers,
John Varney, Walter U. Varney, and
William P. Varney. All live at Del
Ray, except William Varney, who
resides in Chicago.
Mrs. Cockrell is the first person to
commit suicide in the Washington
Monument since it was erected in
| 1855.
Mr. Cockrell and Miss Mae Var
nev we're married in Alexandria
about ten years ago.
Cockrell was native Of Fairfax
/ County. but was living in Alexandria
when he met the girl he later mar.
ried. The couple lived in Alexandra
until about six years ago and ther
went to Covington. She did not enjoy
good health. Within the last year she
suffered nervous breakdown. Fol
the last few months her condition