The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-02-24

more than half the way to the top. Al
had seen.
Woman Falls at His Feet.
One man who had been but a shor
distance below the beam from which
Mrs. Cockrell jumped said her blu.
velvet toque flew from her head as She
turned in air and fell at his feet. An
other man picked up Mrs. Cockrelrs
gold bracelet. 1t had fallen from hel
wrist as she turned over and over.
group of sightseers found a pocket
book on the stairway. Forty cent:
were lying on the stone beside the
po. textbook.
A boy had seen a white slip OF pa pei
fly from the pocketbook. whirl around
and around in the air and fall to the
stairway. He picked up the paper. On
IT was written a note. 1t was Mrs
Cockrell's note OF farewell. The note
read:
81 know that I never can get well
dear. 40 this IL best. He n happySa,
you can. ! am . burden to you ~
am. Forgive me. sweetheart. hut this
II the only way out. Always remember
that I love you. Ysu are the dearest
husband In the whole world. Please
burn my body. MAE"
This note was addressed to Mrs Cock
relrs husband, William +. Cockrell. He
is a machinist in the shops of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railroad at Covington.
The note was written in ink and the
writing was clear and firm. Not line
showed a tremble of the hand. The fare
we'll to her husband probably was writ
ten hours before Mrs. Cockrell ended
her life.-
But 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 Hanford. 1892 A street
southeast, waiting for his wife to return
He had grown anxious about her alb
sence. but his sister had said: Don |
worry, VIII: Mae will be back soon.
Paper Tells Of Death.
Mrs. Hanford persuaded Cockrell to
rest on bed while she went 10 the
front window to watch for the absent
wife. newsboy passed and Mrs. Han
ford bought a paper. The paper told
briefly that the missing wife lay dead at
the bottom of the Monument shaft Mrs.
Hanford took the paper to Cockrell and
he could not stand the blow.
Relatives succeeded in OBTAINING him
when he wanted to leave at once for
the monument and after n while he
grew calmer. Later Cockrell was &C
companied by relatives to the morgue.
You do not want to see the body.
said the morguemaster. Cockrell.
weeping. left.
CockreII and his wife. relatives say.
"a
of married life. One relative said: He
idolized her" The two were married
in Alexandria about ten years ago. Mrs.
CockreIl was Miss Mae Varney. daugh-
ter of the late John Varney. After his
death his family moved to Del Ray.
Va. from the old family home in Lou
doun County.
Cockrell was a native of Fairfax
County. but was living in Alexandria
when he met the girl he later married.
The couple lived in Alexandria until
about six years ago and then went TO
Covington She did not enjoy good health.
Within the last year she suffered a
nervous breakdown. For the last few
months her condition had been grow
ing worse and for weeks she had been
suffering from insomnia.
Condition Grew Serious.
Mr.. and Mrs. Cockrell came to Wash
ington from CovinGton on Wednesday.
CockreIl thought that visit with rela-
tives here and at Del Ray, and the treat
ment of Washington physicians would aid
his wife. The couple spent A few days
with Cockrelrs sister. Mrs. Hanford. at
the a street address and then went to
Del Ray to visit Mrs. Cockrelrs rela-
tives.
Mrs. Cockrell went TO see DR.. n. f.
Webb, of 1914 East Capitol street on
Monday, but the woman was so nervous
that DR.. Webb sent her to see DR..
Thomas A. Williams, a specialist. OF 100
X street northwest. Mrs. Cockrell learn
ed that Dr. Williams was in Florida,
taking a rest.
Early yesterday morning. Mrs. Cockrell
left her relatives home at Del Ray and
came to Washington. She said she was
going to see a physician. whether she
did has not been learned. She returned
to Del Ray after noon. About o'clock
Mrs. Cockrell again left the Del Ray
house. She did not announce where she
was going and only the children in the
house knew she had departed.
1t is believed she came direct to
Washington and went to the Monu-
ment at once. Her death occurred
about $40 o'clock. The fact that two
trained nurses witnessed Mrs. Cock
relrs death led to the belief she had
been under the care of nurses. Rela-
tives denied this. and ii was learned
from Miss Rockafellow and Miss Seger
that they never saw Mrs. Cockrell I'M
til she approached them on the Monu
ment stair. The nurses are on the
staff at the Walter Reed Army Hos
pital.
Both suffered serious nervous shocks
from the experience. After they were
escorted to the bottom of the Monu-
ment they went to a Pennsylvania
of ammonia and went at once to the
Walter Reed Hospital. Physicians
found it necessary to take charge of
the young women.
Col Harris lost no time In reaching
the Monument after he was notified of
the suicide. He was accompanied in an
auto by his aid. Capt. James O'CennoT.
They viewed the body and ordered that
no newspaper men be permitted to enter
the Monument. Coroner hewitt reached
the Monument in a short time. viewed the
body and issued a certificate of death oy
suicide.
lie Dooy was TeiiiONeu lroiH tnc Intrigue
last night to the undertaking establish
ment at ~ Segenth street southwest. 1t
will be removed to Wheatley's undertake
ing establishment in Alexandria this
and thence to the home Of Mrs.
Cockrell's relatives at Del Ray.
Before she lost her health. Mrs. Cock
rell was considered very pretty. Ill
ness took away her beauty. and within
the last few weeks she lost weight
until she did not move the scales at 100