Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-01-04
NUTLEY WOMAN
PLUNGES TO HER
DEATH ON ROCKS
Mrs. Andrew B. Cooper, Suf-
fering from illness, Leaps
from Paterson Cliff.
Special to the Evening Star.

]
PATERSON, Jan. 4.-Mrs. Andrew
B. Cooper. of 416 Centre street, Nut
| ley. flung herself to death yesterday
from the top of the cliff at the foot
of the soldiers monument on the
Passaic Falls grounds.
When her lifeless form was picked
up among the rocks in a shallow part
of the Passaic river, 100 feet below,
practically every bone In her body
was broken. The woman ia believed
to have been mentally anba ianced
through the recent removal Of her
husband to the State Hospital for the
Insane at Morris Plains
George Haywood, aged fourteen, OF
Haledon, directed the woman to the
spot from which she ended her life.
They went to the cliff overlooking
the valley of the rocks together.
When about 100 feet from the edge
Mrs. Cooper suddenly left her young
guide and started to run. She ran
to the edge and flung herself over.
Young Haywood, almost terrified,
ran screaming for help. Pedestrians
answered his call for assistance, and
they were directed to where the body
lay. A note pinned to the woman's
dress was found. It contained moth
ing more than her name and address.
The body was removed to the morgue
of Dufford & Vandervoort, where 1t
was later identified by Herbert
Cooper her son.
Andrew B Cooper, the woman's
husband. was connected with the
New York Y. M. A. UP until two
months ago. At that time he began
to show the first signs of losing his
mind AS his illness developed his
condition became more dangerous.
One day he tried to burn his home
by setting fire to the mattress upon
his own bed Later that same day
he tried to drown himself in small
creek near his home
A month ago he was taken to
Bellevue Hospital at the request OF
the Y. NJ c. A. officials of New York.
He was sent from Bellevue to Wards
Island, and from there was trans
ferred to the New Jersey State Hos
pital for the Insane at Morris Plains.
Mrs Cooper left her home at 10
o'clock yesterday. saying she was
going to church She stopped at the
home of Mrs. Oscar Reipe. at Frank
lin avenue and Chestnut street
neighbor, and said she would wait for
0eT SOIl. NHti1 he ulu HOl SoAhC WI o.
Cooper said she would go on alone,
and started of.
When she did not return home at
noon yesterday young Cooper became
worried. and started an investigation.
He was still hunting for his mother
when the police informed him she
had been found dead in Paterson.
The Coopers removed to Nutley
from New York about eight years
ago. and were In comfortable circum-
stances They were apparently happy
until Mr. Cooper's i'll health caused
his removal to a hospital. Mrs.
Cooper brooded over his illness con-
tinually. and the worriment is be-
lieved to have mentally unbalanced
her.
Arrangements were made today for
the removal OF the body to the home
in Nutley.
Private funeral services for Mrs.
Andrew B. Cooper, of 4l6 Centre
street, Nutley, who lost her life yes
terday in a leap from a 100-foot cliff
in Paterson, near the Passaic Falls.
will be held tomorrow afternoon at
O'Clock at her late home, with Rev.
Charles H. Powers. pastor of Vincent
Methodist Episcopal Church. offlciat-
ing. Interment will be in Cypress Hills
Cemetery. Brooklyn. Surviving Mrs.
Cooper are her husband, who Is an in
mate of Morris Plains Asylum; Her
bert Cooper, her twenty-year-old son.
and her sister Miss Minnie Casey, of
Nutley.