Delaware State Journal And Statesman

Suicide of a Shaker Girl.

[From the Hudson (N. Y.) Register, June 12.]

Last Thursday we made brief mention of the drowning of a Shaker girl at New Lebanon under circumstances which lead to the belief that she committed suicide. Our New Lebanon correspondent now gives us such further particulars as he is able to gather after the most diligent and persistent inquiry.

The Shakers are very reticent in relation to the affair, and seem inclined to keep the facts as much to themselves as possible. It is known, however, that last Saturday afternoon a boy, while strolling around a pond in the vicinity of the Shaker settlement, discovered something unusual floating in the water near the bank, and endeavored to draw it to the shore with a stick. Upon seeing that it was a corpse he gave the alarm, and several men who were working in the neighborhood came to the rescue, and drew the body from the water. It proved to be that of Miss Ann Calvert, about twenty-one years of age, who belonged to the Society of Shakers. The appearance of the body showed that it had been in the water not more than half an hour. The Shakers took possession of it, and the corpse was buried on Tuesday without notifying the Coroner, or holding an inquest. A Justice of the Peace, we believe, who is intimate with the Shakers, was called to examine the body, but we have not learned that he made any report. Our correspondent says it is very difficult to ascertain the real cause of her death, and that there are many conflicting reports. Some of the Shakers state that the girl had been unwell for several days, and exhibited symptoms of mental insanity; not feeling able to eat her dinner on Saturday, she started to take a walk near the pond, and they express the opinion that she accidentally fell in. Others say that she first struck herself on the head with a hammer, and fell in the water; while others believe that she deliberately threw herself into the pond in a fit of insanity. This one fact is certain, that she died an unnatural death; but in the absence of a coroner's investigation, the direct cause remains a mystery. Deceased was of English parentage. All her family belonged to the Society of New Lebanon Shakers, but her father and mother left some years ago, taking with them some of their children. Her father, we understand, died about a year ago, and her mother is now living somewhere in Massachusetts, and is reported to be insane. She now has a sister and two brothers still residing with the Shakers. Her sister says that on Saturday night she saw a vision of "Mother Ann," and conversed with her. The spirit, she reports, told her that she was tired of this world, and deliberately drowned herself; that now she was in a better world, and never felt so happy as when she was under water. The testimony, however, would hardly be admissible to any sublunary tribunal, but we give it for what it is worth. As would be naturally supposed, the citizens of New Lebanon, outside the Shaker settlement, are very indignant that a supposed suicide or murder should be committed in their very midst, and that the coroner, whose duty it is to investigate such matters and issue a permit of burial, was not even notified of the circumstance.