Sketcher.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 346, 25 December 1902, Page 7

Sketcher.

DEATH AT THE PALLS. * . 5T^ A - VE . tne falls o f Niagara a-Tiyp-vKflP n otic power over certain people igggk, that lures them onto destruction? " 'Dr, A. L. Benedict, of Buffalo, asserts that thjSKfhaye.; Dr. Beiftfdiofc says more} He -jSthe swirling/ motion of the rapjjjfii ana" trjfe of the cataract which* sus-I 6*ptiffie persons* calrno'f resist, ananas sure an agent of hypnotism as revolving miirors, crystals, or passes of the hands.'

'I havq often mot persons,' says Dr. Benedict, t who told me they could not look down'upon the waters rushing along beneath without feeling a strong impulse to leap into their coyl embrace.' The record of thousands of sane, normal people whj have gone to Niagara to rest or recreate, who have gazed fascinated into its whirlpools and bound to; its roar, Aventually*l!rn'gtag themselves into the treacherous embrace of the crying wstersf would seem, to bear witness to-the statements "who was fmoved to an expression of his views byjthe recent suicide of Alice W. Qolie. \ fa& «vai

i * Thk; Waters Akr Calling* Me 2 '■■- jMvss Colie was a Buffalo girl of 'good position, |good\ home, g?od "looks : and everything to Kv e for. She waa engaged to Mr. Raymond Bushman, of Buffalo, and they were to be married this sprint. Miss Colie was in poor { healthjandDr. Benedict iwas her. "He claims that 8b e was a perfectly normal, wellbalanced 'girl, and that there was certainly no trace of insanity when she left his office the day she went to the falls Miss Colie visited the falls frequently. It was a pleasant little trip from Buffalo, and the theory was that it did ,ier good. As a matter of fact,*? aodordirfg tot; Dfj Benedict, it did her-4 J&e bercauw the victim of a fasci^a^^ 1 which tered her. On the morning of March .20 she left her home, paid her usual visit at the doctor's o'fEce, and went on to the falls. For a week nothing was heacdiof her. Her 1 fiance was almost frantic and her people followed every clue in vain Then came a letter from Mr. R, C. Eaffield, of Lcs stopped at the falls on his way from 'England" " Mr. Eaffield stated that he had found a purse on the small bridge leading to Luna Island, in which was a email sum of money, a return ticket to Buffalo, a prescriptiojfit from ..&» .Buffalo and the yisifong jbai<t of lUSsa Miol W£" Colie/ with these *worfls: pencilled oh the back :" ; a A.4 w ':--*' &. %*J A 1

• 'Good-by, Ray, mamma, papa, and all the dear ones. Do not think that I don't love you all, for I do. The watera.ar,e.

calling me!' * w ." ; The last sentence of Miss Colie's farewell message justifies Dr. Benedict's theory of hypnotism, The girl had listened ,t/> the rushing of the waters till she fancied th-y had a message for her. She had watched the circling swirl,of the eddies and whirlpools arid the, downpou? of the falls till her weak&efves were wrought with an unconquerable desire to Did Not Want *'

Miss Delia Taneey, of Buffalo, committed suicide after precisely the same manner as did Miss Colie. Delia iTansey was devoted to her sister and jealous of her attentions to another girl. She made repeated visits to the falls, and on the day of April 9 walked to the bridge that connects Green Islpnd with the mainland. There, in sight of 200 persons, she leaped from the bridge. Her body-lodged in the ice near the American falls, and as people rushed to the hank; and "pe;ered over the bridge, she begged pitebusly to "be saved. William Connor, jpf. whowas;oa thefbridjrejj* the;t^tae,;waded o«fe istp the river anJ" s"aeceecled in catchiag her foot. As lie pulled the shoe came off. An; expression of?.ageflyHjrossed the girl's face and" the waters closed in about her. Someone found a rake and threw it out to Coramxf ffle/sgot it fastened-ia the girl's clothing audtpaJled' with all his might. The rapids pulled against him. At last something, gave way. Connor fell back violently, clutcnlng fastto the rake, to which hung part of the girl's clothing j and the rapids carried her body over the falls. The girl dKf ms4s.itep.s to commit suicide. She loved youth and life and gaiety. She was not morose.. She was loving. | She went to the falls to. pout and think out a way fdr winning her old place back in her sister'aiaffection. - The waters soothed I her. She felt friendless. They seemed to talk jto ; h%r, fine grew familiar with their noises.' fascinated her. They hypnotised her. But the moment she felt their cold chill and the force of their blows, the spoJl ? was broken and she longed for life. ' Not long ago a school 'teacher named Allison, from Cory, Fa., attempted suicide in the Lower Rapids. But before the currentj caught her two men pulled her ane recovered cob sciousness she wept and thanked God and said the spell had bepfel&okeu ; as goon as' she touchedjche been working to Niagara for her; pte the Jraiiere . soothed ihe* at first, *'thM fascinated "her. After that she couldn't keep away frqm them, and on the evening before her departure j folh)we(L an ungovernable impulse and lelrped'M ; *'' : ; * r The S people consider the falls are an irresistible attraction. In 1892,; a record year for Niagara suicides, a party of young 1 men went over to the falls for a hilarious outing. One of their number, more irresponsible than the rest, insisted on 'trying it' from the parapet at the brink of the American falls. Again and again his companions led him away until each was too §rjink. to take care of his rieighbourT lirtne morning the man was missing. His coat and hat hung to the side of' the parapet. There was every reason to believe he had "tried'it.' s=! ~

Several days after that a sad-faced priest in clerical black clothes stood for a moment; on the platform over the whirlpool of rapids. Then he raised his eyes, made the sign of the cross and leaped. He was Father James O'Donnel, of the Church; ofc ibetSacrect Hears ;of Jesus, in New Ydrk. Religions fervour had worn out his pationcs aucLenergy. The sin and strife of the world* Baa Broken his 'spirit, There were peace and solace in the rushis g waters.

lt is not always tragic, however. Last October a jauntily-dressed man, who had around Prospect Park for a week, sauntered park one rainy morning and looked over the railing at the point.,, Ifeis a peculiarly well-adapted spot for ecnrfmitting suicide. All one has to do is to step over a two-foot railing and drop. The man lighted a cigar and sat on the rail. The cigar must have been a good one, for; he seemed to appreciate it. He took deep inhalations "and made rings in spite of the rain. Two park attendants watched him. His position on the Tail was a. hazardous .one. Yet he hadn't the manner of a suicide. Presently the cigar was smoked and he threw away the butt. Then ho tossed one leg over the railing. l The attendants came toward him. The man lifted his brown Derby jauntily, then jumpod. There was no trace of him left, and his body was never found, $

Aaofches odd character, who wora-seed? chtbes "and a tired into a saloon near Prospect; Park one day ia June and begged the use of a pencil. Then he wrote: • God bless all on earth and have mercy on my soul.' The -blessing was all ha left when he went over PrOßpeofc; Point, and it s gave ao clu« tohis ideniiity : . ; * Probably love and its attendant complexities have been the strongest of all factors in workiag together with Niagara's* byphoisie ' ihflueiioa; •*• T6 r 4Sbse wbjfi3e| Bpiritßlhaya; hjoken J beneatbSthe r^lpgi f»assipfr| the rush' Of th£ waters ascinatm| s 'lnHaybyV ;; ProiipaoY Point'*is : the most favoured suicide spot for disappointed lovere*