The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1839-09-13 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SUICIDE OF A. YOUNG WOMAN BY LEAPING OFF THE MONUMENT!  (From the Morning Herald of Yesterday) ' When the above appalling announcement was yesterday made known in several parts of London, it was regarded with the utmost incredulity by every one who heard it ; in fact, no one could believe it but those who were witnesses of the horrible catastrophe, and other persons whom their screams collected to the spot, where the mutilated remains of the heroine of the tragedy lay strewn about. A more shocking case of self-destruction has, perhaps, never before occurred, if we except that of Mr. Lyon Levi, a Jewish diamond merchant, who precipitated himself from the identical spot, in the year 1810, when he was literally dashed to pieces. The crowd which assembled yesterday around the base of the Monument when the fact of the horrible occurrence was ascertained was immense, and the horror which pervaded every one who caught a view of the body, as well as those who were unable to gratify their curiosity, but who stood aghast and listened to the invented and conflicting details of the catastrophe, was altogether indescribable. At length a posse of the city police arrived, who shortly afterwards succeeded in clearing the ground, when the full extent of the melancholy affair was correctly ascertained. The following is a correct outline of the particulars :—About a quarter past ten o'clock yesterday morning, a respectably-dressed female presented herself at the entrance of the Monument, and paid the porter the usual admission fee. He gave her the usual directions, and she immediately ascended to the top. About twenty minutes afterwards- he was alarmed by a cry from some persons who were passing through the yard, which was followed almost immediately by a dreadful crash on the pavement. He rushed immediately to the door, and was horror stricken to perceive the mangled body of the female who a few minutes before had gained admission to the Monument. The body had fallen inwards, having bent one of the spikes of the iron palisading which surrounds the Monument, upon which it fell. It was huddled up into an almost shapless mass, and the blood flowed profusely from the back part of the head, which was completely crushed ; and the left arm was broken above the elbow, and, when the body was moved, appeared to be connected with the upper part of the arm merely by the garment and integuments of skin. It is needless to say thatlife was quite extinct, although some of the bystanders stated that they observed a sort of convulsive tremor, like the last mortal throes in the agony of death. A shell was immediately procured, and the remains of the ill-fated woman removed to the watch house of St. Magnus the Martyr, Upper Thames-street. Thousands of persons crowded after the processsion, but the police having been re-enforced, they were enabled to preserve order. As a matter of course, the number of applications to view the body of the deceased were immense, but the police very properly admitted only those connected with the parochial authorities, and one or two gentlemen who were anxious to procure the particulars for the public press. The appearance of the body was that of a fine young woman, about 25 years of age, fair complexion, and-auburn •hair. The stature was about the' feet two inches. If an opinion might be formed of her dress, it was evident that the unfortunate woman had moved in a circle above the middle class of life, and this opinion was corroborated by the texture of her hands, which appeared not to have been used -to manual employment. It is the more necessary to state these particulars, as, up to a late hour last night, the body had not been identified, or owned by any of her relatives. Her dress consisted of a genteel black silk dress, under garments of flne linen, silk stockings, and worsted habit-shirt. She had on the fore-finger of the left hand a gold signet ring. Every possible search was made for her bonnet, shawl, and shoes ; but, to the disgrace of humanity be it told, there were wretches base and heartless enough to abstract, even under such circumstances, these articles of apparel. On the body being examined, it was found that the spine was fractured, as was also the cranium, but the features were not at all disfigured, save by the coagulated blood which had been forced from the mouth and nostrils by the concussion. On examining the place where the unfortunate woman fell, it appeared that she must have narrowly escaped the coping and abutments upon which the ornamental griffins of the Monument are placed. It is not possible that she could have touched them, otherwise she would have been thrown beyond the iron palisades. She fell on the left of the entrance to the Monument, as coming up Fish-street-hill. It was said that a rope had been found attached to the gallery at the top of the Monument, by which she had accelerated her fall. One rumour was, that she had formed with it a noose like a stirrup, to enable her to get over the railing ; and another, that she intended hanging herself. but failing in the execution, threw herself off in despair. No paper or memoranda was found upon her by which her connexions could possibly be traced. Information was fowarded in due course to the soroner, who has appointed an inquest to be holden this evening. Since the foregoing has been written it has been stated that the missing articles of dress have been found at the top of the Monument by the porter of that building, and it has been ascertained that the deceased belongs to a family resident in Hemming's-row. The reports, however, upon this subject have been so various that nothing certain can be ascertained until the inquest.