A Fearful Story.

Hastings Standard, Issue 148, 17 October 1896, Page 4

A Fearful Story.

DEATH OF A PARACHUTIST

SriCIDE OF HER HUSBAND

Ijondox, Sep. 1. From America comes a fearful story, which .should put ail end, even in that free and enlightened land, to parachuting. The victim was a Mm Ilibbert, professionally known as " Victoria," a tall, handsome Englishwoman, very popular at country fairs for her brightness and audacity. One of these fetes took place at Leroy, in St. Louis State, last week, and " Victoria " was advertised to make a balloon ascent and parachute descent in the usual way. She seemed unaccountably nervous and unwell, and said sbe feared an accident; but declined, when her husband begged her to postpone the. exhibition, to do so. Over 5000 persons had come from all around to witness her show, and they must not, Victoria said, be disappointed. Nor were they. The sight indeed proved one that none of them art; likely to forget to their dying day. The balloon ascended slowly to an altitude of about 1000 feet, when a faint scream was heard, and the horrified spectators observed that Victoria had slipped from her perch and was dangling-—apparently insensible by one arm, which was fixed through a loop. Simultaneously the parachute detached itself from the balloon, and the latter, relieved of its weight, soared away in the clouds until it was nearly lost to view. The husband, realising the perilous situation in which his wife was placed, became crazed with grief, and wept and raved. Hushing to the dressing tent, he seized a revolver, and shot at and wounded himself; but before he was able to take his life he was grappled with by an attendant and restrained. Suddenly a small body was seen to leave the balloon, and start on a downward plunge of fully 3000 ft to the ground. As it approached it was seen to bo the unfortunate woman. The body struck the top of an elm tree with tremendous force, and tearing through the branches dropped on the earth a shapeless mass. Needless to say, Victoria was quite dead. The attendants and crowd stood transfixed with horror as the unfortunate husband, the blood pouring from the wound in his neck, tottered towards the corpse, and with an appalling cry flung himself upon it. Before a doctor could reach the spot he, too, was no more. The entire occurrence, of course, occupied far less time than it takes to tell.