100 years ago in Spokane: Distraught no more, ‘Danish waitress’ marries man previously at heart of her suicide attempt

From our archive,

100 years ago

Christina Madison, 21, the “pretty Danish waitress” who tried to commit suicide by leaping into the Spokane River three weeks earlier, made news in a happier way.

She married Louie Hirt, 28, a former assistant chef at Davenport’s Restaurant. After her suicide attempt, she told police she did it because she had broken her engagement with Hirt and worried it would break his heart.

Now, she said she never wanted to break her engagement with Hirt. She did so only because her landlady did not approve of him.

The solution? Find another landlady. After Christina moved into another home, she was able to follow her heart and marry Hirt. They planned to return to Denmark after the European war ended.

From the hangman beat: Edward Mayberry, facing the hangman’s rope, was granted a 60-day reprieve by President Woodrow Wilson.

This pushed the date of his execution to March 20. However, this was not a permanent commutation of his sentence, as his attorney had requested. The respite was to gain time for Wilson to consider the merits of the case.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1942: The Philippine capital of Manila was captured by Japanese forces during World War II. 2016: A heavily armed group led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, beginning a 41-day standoff.