The New York herald., 1875-12-26
TERRIBLE MATRIMONIAL TRAGEDY.

A FoRBEARING HUSBAND, DRIVEN TO FRENZY
BY vIxENIsH WIFE, AT LAST MURDERS
HER AND HIMsELF-REsULT OF DHFER-
EEcE IN RELIGIOUS FAITH.
KINGSTON Dec o5 1878
The news has been received here Of the death OF MrA
Martin Ritter OF Fatbush who has been lying since
Friday Of last week, unconscious from wounds in
nictcd by her husband who cut his throat there
after and died in short time The details OF this
double domestic tragedy as follows:-
Tho parties, Mr. and mrs Ritter, were middle aged
couple who had long been residents Of Flatbush They
people in comfortable circumstances and among
the most respectable IN the locality. Mrs Ritter
leading member Of the Methodist Church. and ardent
worker in the Of her society. Her husband was
attendant and believer in the doctrines OF the Re-
formed Church. although not a communicate This
difference In religious belief was constant bone OF
contention between the husband and wife, and led
indirectly, to the double crime Of last week
RESULT OF A PRAYER MEETING.
The night previous to the murder and suicide thcrt
was Methodist prayer meeting at the house Of
neghbor and Mrs Ritter who had for tmo
manifested great anxiety for her husbands soul,
wanted hm TO attend the meeting with her He de-
with him Ritter spent the evening al the house o,
another neighbor, a member of the Reformed Church
The Methodist meeting was out, and Mrs Ritter got
home and abed before her husband returned home
When he repaired to his bedroom he found that hs
wife had locked the door the inside and positively
refused 10 leb nun ~ ne lounu every otncr beuCnam-
Der in the house and every room with FIRE in locked
and he finally compelled to go into the attic The
night bitter cold and he got but little sleep.
MURDER
Friday morning he came down and found the kitchen
unlocked but his wife not yet out Of her
She presently appeared and at assailed him for
his persistent refusal repent Of his and become
q follower Of the Lord Warm words followed, and at
last Ritter picked up hammer that lay near and
claimed
ave might better be dead than live this waytn
He then dealt his wife several blows tho head and
she fell screaming to the floor. Her screams
hoard by Eli Ephgrave a neighbor, and he at once
standing the PROSTATE form of his wife with the
hammer raised If TO strike again Ephgrave seized
hold OF him and threw him aside, and carried Mrs-
Ritter into his part OF the house Ritter repeated
the above remark Ephgrave went out with tho
wounded woman.
SUICIDE.
He was len alone IN his room but moment bus
when Ephgrave returned he found Ritter his knees
before his bed with his head fallen upon it and
blood streaming from his throat TO the floor Ritter
taken up and laid upon his bed when II was seen
that he had cut his throat from TO with O
razor. He died before physician could be called.
Mrs Rters wounds consisted of several fractures OF
scious for short time, giving the above details, but
entered comatose state from which she never
recovered
Ritter was q sober and industrious man. Of remark
ably even and forbearing temper. His wife is said to
have been a regular vixen, and constantly scoding
and finding fault with her husband until, goaded TO
frenzy he committed the terrible decd which them
both into eternity Mrs Ritter was married once be-
FORE and led her husband unpleasant life that,
1t currently reported at the time he exposed him
self purposey TO contagious disease, which he con-
tracted and from which he died.