SUICIDE OF A BARMAID.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 74, 26 February 1884, Page 2

SUICIDE OF A BARMAID.

,; : , Further Particulars. , (Wellington PapeK) <: -" : ; Ajsujcide, LheiCirpumstances attending which, have "noli yet been fully ,br ; ought,, to light, occurred at the! Union Hotel, Willis-street, bu Saturday. Many frequenters of nbt'els will probably remember a Norwegian girl named Olga Sfcenesse," w^ho r>yas t'inf ployed m several Wellington houses a little over a year ago, while others may recognise m her.lhe, clever and handsome, pian^ste of one or two,' /theatrical companies who. performed m WellingT ton. ; ,3he aftei;wnVdil^t;forAucljiaivd| Yh,ej:e flhe remjsiingd untit aßou^ ti noontli ago, when" she aoceptetf'aitt^ffiy! made to her by Mrs Harding, of; .tbi Unioft Hotel,; where she Avas -fqrme^lyj employed. On her arrival she informed M rS.Harding I'that fih,e! ; had got married since h)ad.last ; eeeu-_.^er» . and thaj) j •her hiisbandihaWcoßiedowiifvom^Au^k- < land with her. •Mr^,^rdinp[ J ni^t : ob4. jected to having a married., woman m her ; bar, . but ejrentually consented tp ' ■■..■■ '■•... r-i 3 " ! '

take" fe, ' it kill^ iitictetatooct that tlid Avpiridti wrtb to rdtaitiL Bel' maiden namgi TJia fiMp'poded husband, w'Wgav* the hatna oT William* Thomas Mllfe also tame ami took up h ; s residence at the hotelj saying that he would take a "billet As soon as he could fiud anything that suited him. He gave out that lie liad been a Fijian planter, and that he was m fairly comfortable circumstances. Mis 9 Stenesse entered upon her duties and seemed thoioaghly happy, and frequently exnberant m snirits v^ JThere was an occasional tiff between her and Miller^ T but the difference/ ] was ; ..always made aipin a few^.ttionients, _She fi-eq^uenUy amused visitors to the house by singing and playing to thorn, she herself being passionately fond of music. On Saturday morning she got up ai 6 o'clock, eleanetl out the bar, and]hdped the landlady to put m a new stock of liquors ; while, at 11/ftrm^^fwas plating "Singing irierhly'. ' ! Shortly afterwards*, if appeaj;s~she wen.t to. MiUeiyw-ho wa^in brie' of the sittingnroottis 1 ' with- an acquaintance named Jarn^s Pearson, and accSisect him of having arranged with Pearson to take out some girls^in the afternoon. Miller denied this, and the matteir dropped foil the, time. ; before noon, however, the two again met, and. the subject -was. renewed. Miller :.th!en , gave the girl a , packet of an American rait. poison, generally known as " Rough 6u Itats," telling her what it. was, and cautioning her to take good 'care of it, and not to swallow any. The girl then went upstairs. At 1 p.m. Mrs Harding sent for her to come to 'lunch, bat she declined on the plea of being unwell, and when it came her . turn to attend m the , bari . at » 2 cp.m., tfjiea^ked the housemaid to take her pkce.. Jn_ the .meantime, it_ appears she JTad'seeri Miller ~aad : tolil liiiri what she had , done. t Millar having, secured j the remainder of the' poison; -went to M r Gordon's chemist'y shop, only a few doors away, and obtained an emetic, having first asked whether the poison Rwallowed would prove tsital. The antidote made the woman vomit freely but gay^e very little relief, and Miller thereupon teturned to Mr Gordon "and inducicl him tb^cotne and see the patieMtl- ; HavingteomplieaVMr-Goidon at once saw that thucase was one of life and death, and. he caused Dr Gillon to be sent for. For some reason jet to be explained, the messenger did not deem ithisducy to obtain other medidal assistance when he did not find '"that gentleman at home,, and more than an hour ;>vas, allowed' to elapse before Pr Gillon. arrive^ afc the. hotel. Though he saw at a glance thai there was little /jor npihope of ftsaying Jifej he did everything that lay i^ his power, Dr Heury being also sent" fon.to assist him. The unfortunate woman expired about 8 o'clock, having., suffered frightful agonies, for about six hours. In reply to .questions, she informed Dr Giilon that srher had. .taken the poison for a lark, and to frignten her husband, and that she never thought it was likely to prove fatal. It is said that she had threatened to poison 'herself before she returned from' Auckland, but nothing authentic "known on this point. Wfcfen asked why lie was m possession of the poison; Miller said that he had got ii(i to .destroy rats m the bar and sitting-room. *' is some : doubt as to whether "lie 1 taught it ; in Auckland otWellingbon. Uncertainty also exists ] ks : to whether 6he two Werem'ameil, though oii one occasion when the land* .lady had hearpT^ rumor to the effect -that *hey' wei'e'no'f;'&nd toTdihem of'lt, the insinuation was denied, and they offered to produce their marriage certi'ficatei They added that they had'been married by the Eegistfar" at Auckland. Mrs Harding thereupon felt satisfied, and did not pursue the subject further. Miss .Stenesse .was about twentythree years of age, of Norwegian ; parentageK«nd . very »f tractive m man-ner-liand) appela-rance. &ho had _ujdoubtedly been brought_np m a deferent sphere of life to tint m which she has of late foundi heraelf, having received; a- very good education. She "was of such a lively and happy, dispoai-. •iioh that many who knew her would npt'^i'edit the report of the occurrence. The b\)dy wasta'ken charge of by tfaja police. Dr Gillon wiir make a posk in,ovteni examination ithis morning, the contents of the stomach will be ana. lyzed^ by -• Brfr Skey^ and an inqacstis to 1 b& held at the Union Hotel at 10 o'clock. v