New-York tribune., 1922-08-12
Mrs. Lowy, Widow, Plunges
From Reading Rooms of
the Christian Scientists
in F Flatiron Building
Mourned Her Husband
Previously Tried to End
Life With Gas; Offer of
Home Came Too Late

Mrs. BESSIE LoWy, widow, who had
sought consolation two evenings in the
Bible and other books at the Christian
Science reading room on the seven
teenth floor of the Flatiron Building,
left the Bible open at the 103d Psalm
on her table last night, climbed to the
sill of window on the Broadway side
| and jumped to the sidewalk.
She was dead when help reached
her. Up in the reading room the half
dozen persons who had shared it's hos
pitality with her read on in ignorance
of the tragedy until one of them no
ticed draft from the window Mrs.
Lowy had failed to close behind her.
On going to the window he noticed a
crowd on the sidewalk below, and then
the absence of the quiet little woman
in black who had occupied near table
was noticed for the first time
They looked at the book-over which
her head had been bent for more than
an hour. 1t was open at the psalm be-
ginning:
Bless the Lord, o my soul: and all
that is within me, bless His holy name.
"Bless the Lord, 0 my SOUL and for
get not all his benefits;
"Who forgiveth all thine iniouities;
who healeth all thy diseases;
"Who redeemeth thy life from de-
struction; who crowneth thee with
loving kindness and tender mercies;
"Who satisfieth thy mouth with good
things; so that thy youth is renewed
like the eagles"
The Way She Thought Best
Down in the street below they were
taking to the morgue the body of the
woman who had taken what she be-
lieved to be the only way of renewing
her youth like the eagles, who had
sought for herself ner crown. of loving
kindness and tender mercies: who had
gone where diseases are healed and
iniquities forgiven.
Within q few minutes policemen
were at the reading room inquiring
about her. They learned from Beatrice
Wilkerson, librarian, and James Gray,
assistant, that the slight, pale woman
in black had been there for the first
time the evening before.
She had come in about 8 o'clock,
found a seat and read intently for
about an hour, apparently devoting
most of her attention to the Bible
Yesterday evening she had come in
about the same time. Her seat was the
same as that of the preceding evening,
of the building and in the rear of all
the other occupants of the room
The window sill is four feet six
inches above the floor. The window
was shut when she entered. So quietly
that she attracted no attention in that
room whose motto is "Silence Within"
the little woman in black had mounted
the sill, opened the-window and clam
bered out. She had almost succeeded
in closing the window behind her.
Sister Offered Her Home
Her pocketbook was found on the
table at which she sat. In it were
gas receipts made out in the name of
Mrs. Bessie Lowry, Of 223 East Four
teenth Street. From August Weisman,
who has candy store at that address,
the police learned that the woman was
Mrs. Lowy and that she had lived
there until few days ago.
Where she had moved Weisman did
not know. Neither did the janitor of
the house. If the janitor had known,
he said, he would have sent her a
telegram which arrived two days ago
from her sister in Allentown, Pa, beg
ging Mrs. Lowy to make her home with
her. The telegram was undelivered.
About eighteen months ago Mrs.
Lowy's husband died Since then she
Hau DcSu Sunh III OcSpoHucHCys iHfcS
months ago she tried to end her life
with gas. She was discovered and re-
vived, and her sister came from Allen
town and stayed with her for several
weeks.
few weeks ago her sister returned
to her home, Mrs Lowy appearing for
the moment to be more cheerful than
at any time since her husbands death.
She moved few days ago without ap-
prising her sister of her new address.