Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-05-17
VICTIMS OF THE BOTTLE.

manly younS Engllsnllan named
George Mills was employed as but.
lersof Mr.. Douglass Robinson, OF
Orange. In the same house, en-
ployed as cook, lived an English
girl, Mary Reiss. She had saved a
small sum of money, and for this
George Mills made her his wife.
Leaving service, they invested their
small capital in a saloon in Center
street, over which they lived, and
there they soon began to prosper.
Nobody knew anything Of Mills
former life, but it was evident that
he was a man Of education. He
was familiar with Latin and Greek
classics, and devoted his spare time
to study and to the reading Of the
best English authors, of whose
works he soon accumulated a small
but choice library. Mrs. Mills in
tellect was far inferior to her hus-
bands, and she was unable to SYM
pathize with his tastes. He was
frequently heard to say that his only
ambition was to obtain wealth suf-
ticient to enable him to live in
France as a gentleman. He pros
pored to such an extent that he
seemed in a fair way to realize
his dream; he bought real estate
and became owner of several houses
in Orange. But his domestic life
became uncomfortable; as he ex-
pressed it, "his home became a
hell" About two years ago he
took to drink, and his wife soon
followed his example. In his
drunken fits his wife abused and
beat him. Last September, after a
fit Of delirium tremens, in which
he was terribly abused by his wife,
he died.
Mrs. Mills continued the business
until two months ago, and then she
sold it and went to live in a neat
little French.roofed cottage which
she had built in Scotland street.
Here she lived entirely alone, and
INDUCED without restraint her
growing passion for liquor,
Last Friday morning before day
break, the neighbors were aroused
by hearing terrible screams and
cries in Mrs. Mills house, but no
one went to her assistance. A lit
tie later the man who puts out the
street lights was alarmed by the ap-
pearance Of Mrs. Mills at an upper
window Of her house. She raYed
incoherently of devils and robbers.
her crazy he passed on.
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon
Frank Pearce, butcher, called at
the house to take orders. Not find
ing Mrs. Mills down stairs, he went
to her room. In a little back room
on the second floor he found her
body in a chair. The features were
distorted, the dress disordered. On
the floor was an empty bottle. On
a table in an adjoining room were
liquor and glasses.
Coroner Vreeland pronounced it
a case Of heart disease, brought on
by hard drinking. In the house
were found 5000 in money, hidden
in satchels and tea-pots, $1,000
worth of bonds, and papers show
ing that she had $15, 900 worth of
real estate. As she had only few
friends, and no known relatives, she
was buried on Monday by order Of
the surrogate, who has also ap-
pointed an administrator to the es-
tate. The little cottage in which
she died is neatly furnished, and in
it are books that testify to the lit
erary tastes of her husband. In
one of them, a Greek testament, is
inscribed "George Mills, Christ
Trinity College, 1S44,"I
and many others bear the initials
&c. NJ, Trim. Coll" The house is
guarded by police officers.