SUICIDAL MANIA AMONG GIRLS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3304, 3 November 1883, Page 2

SUICIDAL MANIA AMONG GIRLS.

At the Westminster Police Court on Friday (we quote from a London paper of 24tb August) a young woman, aged 19, named Nellie Douglas, was charged with attempting to commit suicide. A constable caught the accused at midnight as she was about to throw herself into the Thames over the railway bridge at Pimlico. Mr T. Duerdin Dutton, wha appeared for the prisoner, said that this was a very sad case. Prisoner until some months ago held a very respectable situation as a barmaid on the Great Western line but unfortunately she became acquainted with a man who ruined her. She bad been afraid to go home to her friends, and received a letter stating that her mother was seriously ill at Cheltenham, she was upset and took too much drink. The magistrate intimated that he would send tho prisoner home to Cheltenham if her story was corroborated. Tho same day Georgina Graham, aged 21 years, was charged with attempting suicide near Lambeth Bridge. A laborer saw the accused on tho foreshore apparently with tho intention of throwing herself into the river. She handed a letter to the witness to post, but he, suspecting her purpose, seized hold of her. In the letter, which was addressed to a male friend, tho prisoner declared that her body would bo found in the river. The magistrate remanded her for a week. Mr Langham held an in-< quest recently at St. Martin’s Vestry Hall on the body of Alice Sarah Auber, aged 21 years, a barmaid, lately residing at 4 Park street, Limehouse, who was found drowned in the Thames. It was stated that she had been much distressed in consequence of being out of a situation. A verdict of temporary insanity was returned. An inquiry was held at Woolwich recently concerning the suicide of Hannah Evans, aged 19. It seemed tho deceased had been much affected by malicious stories circulated affecting her character, and in the end swallowed some phosphorus paste. A verdict of temporary insanity was re* turned-