SISTERS COMMIT SUICIDE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13003, 11 March 1913, Page 7

SISTERS COMMIT SUICIDE.

TRAGEDY ABOARD A 'STEAMER. % : SYDNEY, March 1. An extraordinary story of triple suicide aboard the ; Dutch steamer Van Noort on her last trip to . Singapore is ; contained m newspaper files received from Batayia yesterday. When the -Van Noort • was about to sail from Batavia the- attention pf passengers was attracted by the appearance of thi-ee young women, all sisters. They were singular m that they were all dres&sd ; alike m grey,' and that each •wore a large yellow rosette on the left breast. Little was known of them except that they were Germans, their name being Derichs, and they seemed to 'have plenty of money. One day some of the passengers noticed the three of them seated round a table. 'One Was writing a letter, while the other two appeared to be dictating. Thaf evehing tTiey.*- ordinary clothes i were replaced by black drosses, with red ' rosettes' on the left breast. Next rhbrh- ' ing their cabin M*as found to be empty. ! On the table were two • letters, giving' details of the awful tragedy that had occurred. ' • ''*-' ' : One letter, signed by the thi-ee women, and addressed to the captain of tho steamer, stated that they had committed suicide. It was explained that the eldest woman, who 'was a dentist,; was to chloroform the other two and ! throw them through the porthole. After- j wards she was to have jumped into the , Eoa. This is doubtless what occurred, as a bottle of chloroform was found' i:i the cabin. The women left their personal belongings to the captain. The. other letter J was to a brother, whose whereabouts . are now being inquired into. j