Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-02-08
Teacher at.
Falls City
Kills Self
Dcspondent Over ANONYMOUS
Letter Attacking Reputation
Causes Woman to Fire
Shot Through Heart.
Officers Probing Affani

Falls City, Ncb., Feb, 7-(Spccial
Tclcgram) - Dependency, brought
on by brooding over ali anonymous
letter attacking her reputation, caused
Miss Florence Stewart, 25, school
teacher in the Zimmerman district,
eight miles northeast OF here TO shoot
herself throughthe heart with re-
volvcr at her fathers home near
Falls City at $50 Sunday night.
She was dead by the time members
Of the family reached her room,
The young woman had retired
carly, taking to her room her
fathers a. caliber revolver. She
fired the shot in bed, the covers
mufling the report. An outcry by
the fatally wounded teacher, how
ever. brought members of the family
to the room. where she was found
dead with bullet wound in her left
breast.
The father. James Stewart, whose
farm is onc-half mile east of Falls
City, found the following note which
! lS daughter had written:
Asks Forgiveness.
Dear Father-Dear folks, may
God forgive me for causing you all
this grief and sorrow, but / cannot
stand it any longer. What is lie
without friends? My cross is heavier
than I can bear.
II have tried to forget all my
troubles and to see the bright side
of life. but I cannot. If cannot
live and 60 with decent people, j am
better off out of the world. God
knows that am innocent. but my
friends could not see il that way.
Papa, please let it go now, as It
would only make matters worse and
10 matter what people say about
me, it cannot hurt ME now, and 1t
would be worse for the rest of you.
No doubt the guilty are suffering
their share, even if we don't know
/ it. But may God keep them better
so other people will not suffer as
| have suffered this winter. But |
am willing to forgive them.
Don't Grieve About Me.
"Do not grieve about me as !
am better off, but prepare to meet
me again some day. Then we can
all be. happy and meet our dear
mother and Daisy Ia dead sister
Do not forget my truest and best
friends, Rcscl,kc. Henry Werner
and Mrs. VIII. They have been
| great comfot to me.
The remainder OF the note IN
strrctcd her father as to the funeral
arrangements which the young wo-.
man wished to have made.
The anonymous letter over which
Miss Stewart had been brooding
had been sent to her last July. 1t
Els believed that it was written by
man living in the school district
in which the young woman taught
She. said nothing about the affair
at that time. although she suffered
nervous breakdown which serious
ly impaired her health.
A few days ago man rooming at
the same home at which Miss Stew
art was staying, said to have been
intoxicated, told the teacher that he
knew who wrote the letter. The
occurrence so upset Miss Stewart
that she left for her nome last FRI
day, where il was noted that she
was extremely despondent. She
told her father Of the anonymods
letter Saturday, but gave no indica-
tons that she was contemplating
her life.
Authorities Probe Affair.
While the text OF the letter has
not been divulged, it is said to con-
tain statements very detrimental TO
her reputation. Friends say they
believe the writer intended the mis-
sivc as a veiled threat. in an en-
deayor to bring the young woman
under his power.
Authorities arc confident that
they know the identity of the man
and are making a thorough inquiry.
Feeling is said to be running high
against the writer. as Miss Stewards
reputation, was. of the best
Miss Stewart is survived by her
father. stepmother. two brothers
and three sisters. She was a grad
uate of the Falls City High school
and had been teaching near Falls
City about five years.