Tragedies at Niagara.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 9

Tragedies at Niagara.

Tueee have been numerous startling tragedies at Niagara. A party consisting of Charles Johnson, wife and child (tha latter a bright little fellow of five years), Mr Johnson's brother Albert and Mrs Johnson's sister, all of Detroit, visited the falls. All of the Johnson party had viewed tha scenery from a rock, save the, little boy, whom it was thought prudent to leava behind. He begged so hard to be taken upon it, though, that Albart finally picked him up in his arms and carried him over to in. To frighten the boy he held him ati arm's length over the rushing waber. The little fellow was badly scared and twisted about) in Albert's arms. A second more and the lad had slipped from his uncle's embrace and was being hurled toward the brink of the cataract. He gave one long agonising shriek, and was carried out into the centra of the stream, and in three seconds more was tossed over the foaming falls. Tha boy had scarcely been lost) to view when Albert, appalled at the awful result of his play, dived headlong into the river. An instant later he was dashed against a rock, and the lite crushed out of him. Tha horror-stricken group on the island watched his body slide in and out among tha gigantic boulders as it was swept downward, getting the last sight of it as it raised on the foaming crest of a big wave a few yards from the edge of the awful abyss, where it plunged over and down and disappeared for ever. No trace either was ever obtained of the remains of the boy.

One of the prettiest houses in Niagara is the Pierson mansion, which stands on the river bank midway between the falls an£ Suspension Bridge. Pierson and Velde* were brothers -in - law, having married sisters. They were business men, and moved in tha highest circles of society. They were past middle age, had been wedded many years, aud their domestic life was always considered usually happy. The men were constant companions. On Sunday evening they went out as had been their custom for a long time, for a drive. They never returned. A search was begun along in the middle of the nighb, and jusbasthesun was breaking through the dense foliage on Goat Island, close to the brink of the cataract, their horse was found tied to a tree. A few feet away lay the body of Pierson. There was a ragged hole made by a bullet in his temple, and life had evidently been extinct for many hours. There was no trace of Vedder. Some thought the men had fought a duel, that Pierson had killed Vedder, thrown his body over the cataract, and then committed suicide. Down among the rocks at the foot of the falls, close to the cave of the winds, a little over a week after the tragedy occurred, wae found the body of Vedder. There were no wounds other than those made by the fall on the pointed boulders. The mystery has never been solved.

On the Canadian side of the river, half a mila from the falls, is our Lady of the Sacred Heart Convent, a seminary for young ladies. A student here was Amelia Choteau, of St. Catharine's. She was a French Canadian, about 18 years old, and possessed beauty, wealth, and refinement. She waa engaged to be married to a Mon-. treal man, and the wedding day had beea Bet. Just before the school was out the girl received news thab her lover had disregarded his promise and had become the husband of another. The very nighb this information reached her she stole out of the convenb, walked down to the bridge leading to Sulphur Springs jumped into a rowboat there thab was used about the little streams and pulled out into the Niagara. At this time also powerful electric search lights were used 00 the falls, the water being seen in various colours, according to the glass used in the, reflectors. On this particular night, as the rays of the lights shot bhrougb the darkness upon the river, a cry of horrow went up from the crowd as a boat with a single occupant was seen dashing iv and oufa among the rocks and coming with frightful speed towards the horseshoe falls. The powferful reflectors brought out every feature of the girl's face. Save that the latter resembled a piece of chiselled marble in whiteness, there was no expression of fear. She sat like a statue, her eyes fixed straight ahead on the foaming brink of the cataract. For oat instant the boab was lost to view behind a cloud of mißt, and the next it dinted out with the force of a falling meteor in full view of the hundreds in the park. A second "later it seemed to give one bound and leave the water. The crowd gob one glauce of ib as it shob into the air. They looker! again, and there was nothing but the falling water, which, under the light's strong rays, appeared like a moving mass of molben'si'lver. About a week later, as a fisherman was walking along the beach at Fort Niagara he found the girl'a body. It had drifted down the river and out into the lake, and had been cast on land by the wares.