Year: 1867

In the Times of yesterday morning
appeared the melancholy announce
ment of the suicide Of Mrs. Elizabeth
Haines, wife of Mr.. Braxton S. Haines,
Of Charles City county, which occur,
red on Monday last. What could have
been the incentive which led to the
terrible deed is profound mystery, as
her domestic relations were of the most
congenial character, and she had health
and everything Of comfort around her.
Mrs. Haines had only been married a
few months. She was a Miss Goddin.
and was the niece of Mr.. Wellington
Goddin, of this city. The particulars
Of the distressing affair are as follows !:
On Monday morning, after the family
had breakfasted, Mr.. Haines repaired
to his sitting room for the purpose OF
afterwards called his wife to assist him
in so doing. She made no reply to the
request, but asked him where his pis


tol was. On being informed that it
was in a drawer, she took it out and
asked her husband to load it for her


He declined, and inquired what she
wanted it loaded for. Her reply was
that she intended killing herself, and
if he wouldn't load the pistol for her
she would do it herself Mr.. Haines
paid no attention to this remark, and
continued making out accounts till he
was interrupted by his wife the second
time, who asked him to tell her why
tho bolI ,uouldp,t c,o Jn,-,, +Lo Lon.oI
of the weapon. He took it from her,
and finding that the bullet was too
large, trimmed it off so that it would
fit, and then handed it back to his wife


Subsequently, upon her reiterating the
threat that she would kill herself, Mr.


Haines aske her to give him the pis-
tOl, but she refused to do so, and it was
only after a struggle that he again Sc
cured it. This time Mr.. Haines went
to the porch, fired off the weapon and
returned it to the drawer where he
had been in the habit of keeping it
Soon after, his wife again got the pis-
tol and sat down by him to load it, af
ter accomplishing which she handed it
to her husband and asked him to cap
it. Knowing that she bad frequently
INDUCED in pistol shooting, he thought
nothing of her saying she intended to
commit suicide, and accordingly put
the cap on the weapon and handed it
back to her. Mrs. Haines Their left
the house, and her husband proceeded
with his accounts. Shortly afterwards
he heard the report of the pistol, and
Immediately ran to the door to see
what had happened, when the first
sight which caught his eye was Mrs.
Haines, with uplfted arms, running TO-
wards him and crying Save me- He
caught her as she was about fainting
and bore her into the house, where she
fingered only about fifteen minutes be-
fore she died. Previous to her death
she called for water, but was unable to
swallow any, owing to profuse hemor-
age from the lungs. Upon examina-
tion it was ascertained that the fatal
missile had entered the right lung and
passed obliquely down towards the
spine She assigned no reason for the
strange act, and her last words to her
husband were those of endearment and
opportunities for him to save her
From little son of Mr.. Haines, who
was witness to the affair, it seems that
as soon as Mrs. Haines left the house
she went into the garden, and after
walking around the pathways several
times with the pistol in her hand, she
then put it to her breast, and, bidding
the child goodbye fired the fatal
shot.-Richnaond Times, Of april 10th.