Daughter of Major George Foster & Anna M. Robinson. Sibling of Ella F.(Barnes) Elliott and Mary (Barnes) Brown.
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The death of Miss Della Barnes has been the cause of much controversy and folklore.Legends concerning Miss Barnes' demise and her grave site have attained wide-spread fame.
Documents claim she was accidentally poisoned by an overdose of morphine that was mistakenly taken for calomel.
The Paducah Daily Sun on Monday, June 28, 1897 told of her death. The article read:
ACCIDENTAL POISONING
Carries off Miss Della Barnes of
West Jefferson.
She took Morphine Believing It
Was Calomel
Funeral This Afternoon
A sad death occurred yesterday morning at 5 o'clock. Miss Della Barnes, youngest daughter of Councilman George F. Barnes, died at the family residence on West Jefferson Street of morphine poisoning. The young lady was found in a lethargy about 11 o'clock, from which it was impossible to arouse her. Doctors Murrell and Elliott were called and did everything possible to save her life but to no avail, and she died at 5 o'clock. According to the statement of a young lady who is visiting her, and was her room mate, Miss Barnes took a glass of water, poured some powder into it and said she intended to take five grains of calomel. She also drank a glass of sweetmilk and became ill. She then prepared another glass with more powder and swallowed that. Her companion was awakened about two hours later by groans and upon attempting to awaken Miss Barnes she found that she was unconscious. The deceased had often taken calomel in capsules, but stated several days before that they choked her, and she was going to take it in pulverized form. Her death is a sad blow to her parents and sisters, as well as her friends. She was about 21 years of age and a pretty and attractive young lady. The funeral took place at 3 o'clock this afternoon from the residence. Burial at Oak Grove Cemetery.
∼
Although local Legend has a different take on the story...
One such theory...
Della was the youngest daughter of Major George F.Barnes, a very prominent businessman and city councilman. Della was betrothed to marry an older distinguished businessman in the town.
Shortly before the marriage was to take place Della fell in love with a younger less significant man. When her fiance found out about the affair he fell into a rage and cut off her ring finger to retrieve the expensive wedding ring he had bought her. Della then bled to death from this wound.
After Della's burial her father commissioned a life sized statue of his daughter and placed on her grave. Mysteriously the fingers of this statue 'broke' off for no apparent reason. The statue was repaired repeatedly only for the fingers to fall off again. They say at night you can see her fingerless hands clasping their concrete rose and blood flowing from them down her dress.
Legend has it that her spirit still walks the cemetery on the anniversary of her death.
Della's statue which has caused so much controversy has been the target of repeated vandalism.Today nothing remains of the statue that used to honor her memory and mark her grave.∼
∼
The death of Miss Della Barnes has been the cause of much controversy and folklore.Legends concerning Miss Barnes' demise and her grave site have attained wide-spread fame.
Documents claim she was accidentally poisoned by an overdose of morphine that was mistakenly taken for calomel.
The Paducah Daily Sun on Monday, June 28, 1897 told of her death. The article read:
ACCIDENTAL POISONING
Carries off Miss Della Barnes of
West Jefferson.
She took Morphine Believing It
Was Calomel
Funeral This Afternoon
A sad death occurred yesterday morning at 5 o'clock. Miss Della Barnes, youngest daughter of Councilman George F. Barnes, died at the family residence on West Jefferson Street of morphine poisoning. The young lady was found in a lethargy about 11 o'clock, from which it was impossible to arouse her. Doctors Murrell and Elliott were called and did everything possible to save her life but to no avail, and she died at 5 o'clock. According to the statement of a young lady who is visiting her, and was her room mate, Miss Barnes took a glass of water, poured some powder into it and said she intended to take five grains of calomel. She also drank a glass of sweetmilk and became ill. She then prepared another glass with more powder and swallowed that. Her companion was awakened about two hours later by groans and upon attempting to awaken Miss Barnes she found that she was unconscious. The deceased had often taken calomel in capsules, but stated several days before that they choked her, and she was going to take it in pulverized form. Her death is a sad blow to her parents and sisters, as well as her friends. She was about 21 years of age and a pretty and attractive young lady. The funeral took place at 3 o'clock this afternoon from the residence. Burial at Oak Grove Cemetery.
∼
Although local Legend has a different take on the story...
One such theory...
Della was the youngest daughter of Major George F.Barnes, a very prominent businessman and city councilman. Della was betrothed to marry an older distinguished businessman in the town.
Shortly before the marriage was to take place Della fell in love with a younger less significant man. When her fiance found out about the affair he fell into a rage and cut off her ring finger to retrieve the expensive wedding ring he had bought her. Della then bled to death from this wound.
After Della's burial her father commissioned a life sized statue of his daughter and placed on her grave. Mysteriously the fingers of this statue 'broke' off for no apparent reason. The statue was repaired repeatedly only for the fingers to fall off again. They say at night you can see her fingerless hands clasping their concrete rose and blood flowing from them down her dress.
Legend has it that her spirit still walks the cemetery on the anniversary of her death.
Della's statue which has caused so much controversy has been the target of repeated vandalism.Today nothing remains of the statue that used to honor her memory and mark her grave.∼
Daughter of Major George Foster & Anna M. Robinson. Sibling of Ella F.(Barnes) Elliott and Mary (Barnes) Brown.
∼
The death of Miss Della Barnes has been the cause of much controversy and folklore.Legends concerning Miss Barnes' demise and her grave site have attained wide-spread fame.
Documents claim she was accidentally poisoned by an overdose of morphine that was mistakenly taken for calomel.
The Paducah Daily Sun on Monday, June 28, 1897 told of her death. The article read:
ACCIDENTAL POISONING
Carries off Miss Della Barnes of
West Jefferson.
She took Morphine Believing It
Was Calomel
Funeral This Afternoon
A sad death occurred yesterday morning at 5 o'clock. Miss Della Barnes, youngest daughter of Councilman George F. Barnes, died at the family residence on West Jefferson Street of morphine poisoning. The young lady was found in a lethargy about 11 o'clock, from which it was impossible to arouse her. Doctors Murrell and Elliott were called and did everything possible to save her life but to no avail, and she died at 5 o'clock. According to the statement of a young lady who is visiting her, and was her room mate, Miss Barnes took a glass of water, poured some powder into it and said she intended to take five grains of calomel. She also drank a glass of sweetmilk and became ill. She then prepared another glass with more powder and swallowed that. Her companion was awakened about two hours later by groans and upon attempting to awaken Miss Barnes she found that she was unconscious. The deceased had often taken calomel in capsules, but stated several days before that they choked her, and she was going to take it in pulverized form. Her death is a sad blow to her parents and sisters, as well as her friends. She was about 21 years of age and a pretty and attractive young lady. The funeral took place at 3 o'clock this afternoon from the residence. Burial at Oak Grove Cemetery.
∼
Although local Legend has a different take on the story...
One such theory...
Della was the youngest daughter of Major George F.Barnes, a very prominent businessman and city councilman. Della was betrothed to marry an older distinguished businessman in the town.
Shortly before the marriage was to take place Della fell in love with a younger less significant man. When her fiance found out about the affair he fell into a rage and cut off her ring finger to retrieve the expensive wedding ring he had bought her. Della then bled to death from this wound.
After Della's burial her father commissioned a life sized statue of his daughter and placed on her grave. Mysteriously the fingers of this statue 'broke' off for no apparent reason. The statue was repaired repeatedly only for the fingers to fall off again. They say at night you can see her fingerless hands clasping their concrete rose and blood flowing from them down her dress.
Legend has it that her spirit still walks the cemetery on the anniversary of her death.
Della's statue which has caused so much controversy has been the target of repeated vandalism.Today nothing remains of the statue that used to honor her memory and mark her grave.∼
∼
The death of Miss Della Barnes has been the cause of much controversy and folklore.Legends concerning Miss Barnes' demise and her grave site have attained wide-spread fame.
Documents claim she was accidentally poisoned by an overdose of morphine that was mistakenly taken for calomel.
The Paducah Daily Sun on Monday, June 28, 1897 told of her death. The article read:
ACCIDENTAL POISONING
Carries off Miss Della Barnes of
West Jefferson.
She took Morphine Believing It
Was Calomel
Funeral This Afternoon
A sad death occurred yesterday morning at 5 o'clock. Miss Della Barnes, youngest daughter of Councilman George F. Barnes, died at the family residence on West Jefferson Street of morphine poisoning. The young lady was found in a lethargy about 11 o'clock, from which it was impossible to arouse her. Doctors Murrell and Elliott were called and did everything possible to save her life but to no avail, and she died at 5 o'clock. According to the statement of a young lady who is visiting her, and was her room mate, Miss Barnes took a glass of water, poured some powder into it and said she intended to take five grains of calomel. She also drank a glass of sweetmilk and became ill. She then prepared another glass with more powder and swallowed that. Her companion was awakened about two hours later by groans and upon attempting to awaken Miss Barnes she found that she was unconscious. The deceased had often taken calomel in capsules, but stated several days before that they choked her, and she was going to take it in pulverized form. Her death is a sad blow to her parents and sisters, as well as her friends. She was about 21 years of age and a pretty and attractive young lady. The funeral took place at 3 o'clock this afternoon from the residence. Burial at Oak Grove Cemetery.
∼
Although local Legend has a different take on the story...
One such theory...
Della was the youngest daughter of Major George F.Barnes, a very prominent businessman and city councilman. Della was betrothed to marry an older distinguished businessman in the town.
Shortly before the marriage was to take place Della fell in love with a younger less significant man. When her fiance found out about the affair he fell into a rage and cut off her ring finger to retrieve the expensive wedding ring he had bought her. Della then bled to death from this wound.
After Della's burial her father commissioned a life sized statue of his daughter and placed on her grave. Mysteriously the fingers of this statue 'broke' off for no apparent reason. The statue was repaired repeatedly only for the fingers to fall off again. They say at night you can see her fingerless hands clasping their concrete rose and blood flowing from them down her dress.
Legend has it that her spirit still walks the cemetery on the anniversary of her death.
Della's statue which has caused so much controversy has been the target of repeated vandalism.Today nothing remains of the statue that used to honor her memory and mark her grave.∼
Gravesite Details
Della's parents are buried in the same family plot w/no headstones.
Family Members
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