Year: 1875




The suicides of thisspring have seemed
more luxuriant than usual, even in a
season devoted to harvests of that horri-
BILE nature. In number and character
both they have so surpassed the ordinary
run of events as to somewhat pail upon
the public appetite-the dawdler over
his breakfast glances down the columns
of the morning paper, and never pauses
over the announcement of suicide unless
an unwonted display of glaring head
lines promises something phenomenal.
It is something phenomenal that we are
now to relate.


A few months since there came from
Ithaca, New York, to Woodruff, in
Steuben County, of the same State, a
young dry goods clerk by the name of
Fains. OF good and insinuating address,
he soon found himself welcome visitor
in such society as the town presented,
and the especial favorite of the belle
thereof-Miss Thomas, daughter of a
Presbyterian clergyman, and girl OF no
inc0nsiderable beauty and accomplish
ments. Affection ripened into love, and
love into speedy marriage, the father
himself joyfully performing the cere-
mony, after SUCH inquiries as led him to
believe that his daughters welfare had
been intrusted to most worthy hands.


The young couple started on their
wedding tour, and brought up at hotel
in the. neighboring town of Watkins,
where they spent three days. On the
third day the husband, hitherto kind
and attentive, appeared before the bride
in state of intOxication, and informed
her that he had the misfortune to have a
prior wife living at Ithaca, and that as
he was now through with his second one,
it would be advisable for her to set up in
business on her own accout. Thereupon
he deparvvd from the hotel without pay
ng his bill.


1t needs not to dwell upon the suffer
ing of the girl, who very speedily dis
covered that the story was strictly true.
She left her trunk at the hotel, and, de-
termined never to carry her disgrace
back to her parents, sought employment
in well-to-do family of the town, and
found it. Upon learning the outlines
of her story, her new friends sent to the
hotel for her trunk, only to discover that
it had been rifled of all its prize by the
quasi husband, who had subsequently re-
turned for that purpose.


The last act of the sad drama is brief
and tragical:


Miss Thomas remained at Mr.. Solomon's
doing the work of servant and refusing to
proceed against the villain who had de-
stroyed her happiness. She rarely spoke,
and seemed to think that she was Stunned
by all who saw her. On Wednesday evening
last, after she had finished her supper work,
she told Mr.. Solomon that she was going up
stairs to write q letter to her mother. Afew
minutes afterward she came down, with her
hat on, and went out Of the back door. One
of the family, supposing she was going to
the Post Office, called after her and told her
that was not the way. She made no reply
and kept on her way. Not long thereafter
down into the water, and subsequently
walked down the railroad track. About
eight o'clock the same evening, as freight
train No. 60, going South, was running at a
rapid rate, about mile below Watkins, the
engineer saw q woman standing about ten
feet from the track, short distance ahead.
He supposed she was waiting for the train
to pass. When the locomotive was within
few feet of her the engineer saw that she
was very pale, and the next instant he was
horror-stricken to see her spring directly in
front of the engine. Before he could sound
an alarm it struck her, and the whole train
passed over her before it could be stopped.
The remains were picked up, the face and
head alone of the unfortunate suicide being
free from mutilation.


So ends the bare outline of story that
it would be hard to rival in tragic ele-
ments. A beautiful, accomplished, pure
minded girl, daughter of clergyman,
favorite of her village, is married by a
young man of apparent promise. He
brutally informs her that he has another
wife living, runs away with her jewerly,
and leaves her to death as the only posi-.
BILE resort. The advocates of tetal de.
pravity will find strong argument in
the narrative and lynch law an almost
perfect justification.