RECONIZED AT THE MORGUE ______________ The Woman Who Shot Herself on Sunday Last ______________ MAGGIE BARNING, A ROPE WALK WORKER An Anomymous Letter Led to Her Identification This Morning-- It was evidently Written by a Man-- The Suicide Lived Somewhere in Hanson Place-- Frank SMALL'S Name Comes Once More to the Surface in Connection With the Case ______________
The mystery of the Mapleton suicide was partially cleared up this morning by the identification of the body as that of Miss Margaret BARNING, aged 26 years, who lived in a furnished room somewhere on Hanson place, and who worked in Allen's rope walk on West Ninth street. The identification was made by Mrs. Helen BARNING, a sister-in-law of the deceased, who lives at 93 North Elliott place. She called at the morgue this morning with an anonymous letter which was received by her husband, a brother of the deceased, by the morning mail to-day. Enclosed in the envelope were a number of newspaper clippings relating to the suicide. This was the letter which was not signed and without a date: Mr. BARNING--The enclosed slips I thought relate to your sister Maggie. I leave it to you to attend to the matter. I shall do nothing further. The note was evidently written by a man. The BARNINGS had not been looking for Maggie because they had not any knowledge of her disappearance. The letter was their first indication that there might be anything wrong with her. Mr. BARNING could not find it convenient to go to the morgue to-day, but he sent his wife, and she unhesitatingly said when she saw the body that it was that of her sister-in-law. When questioned by the morgue keeper she professed to know very little about Margatet's recent movements except that she had been working in the rope walk named and that she had a room on Hanson place. She could not give any reason why the girl should have killed herself, but she professed that she knew very little about her method of life. Mrs. Barning left the morgue, stating that she would send her husband to take charge of the body. An Eagle reporter went to the BARNING home and although Mr. nor Mrs. BARNING were home their children were and they were willing to talk. They admitted that their mother had identified the body and said that they had frequently visited their Aunt Maggie on Hanson place and they said that while they could not give the number, the house was almost opposite the old armory of the Thirteenth regiment and was two doors from the Hanson place Methodist Church. Frank SMALL, the press agent of the Wild West show, had professed to identify the woman as the friend of a friend of his, and had been apparently very much concerned about the matter. The second house from the church is 9 Hanson place, and there is a furnished room sign on the door jamb. The woman who was in charge of the house declared that she knew nothing about any Maggie BARNING, and declared that no such person ever had a furnished room there. The housekeeper was evidently very nervous, but she was positive in her denial of any knowledge. Awoman who lives a few doors down said that she thought a woman answering the suicide's description had lived at the address given, but she was not sure. She knew that a Mr. SMALL had been in the habit of calling there. Coroner KENE will hold an inquest in the matterlate this afternoon and it is probable that an open verdict of suicide will be rendered. The police working on the case reported this afternoon that the dead woman was a sufferer from an internal disorder peculiar to her sex and about a year ago had undergone an operation at the hands of a New York physician. It is said that she suffered at times excruciating pain. Her friends profess to believe that Margaret killed herself to relieve herself from physical pain. Back to GHOSTS Main Back to CEMETERY INDEX Back to BROOKLYN Page Main