Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-28
SUICIDE.
Driven 10 Her Grave Through the
Evil Workings OF Others.
Mrs. RaymeF Takes Morphine and Ends
Her Life.

An inquest was held yesterday over
the remains of Mrs. Mary E. Raymer,
at No. 150Third street, near Exchange,
who had died from the effects of an
overdose of morphine administered
by her own hand. The jury found a
verdict to he effect that the deceased
came to her death from the effects Of
morphine, the act having been caused
through fear, owing to threats made
upon her by one M. +. Ball. Esquire
Crockett held the inquest, and Mr.
George H. Bell was the foreman of
the jury.
The circumstances of the sad affair,
as near as can be ascertained, show
that the poor woman was driven,
through fear of injury, to perpetrate
the deed of self-destruction. She was
a pleasantly disposed and well thought
of lady, but possessed a timid mind,
aud this becoming known to her perse-
cutors no effort was left untried to
keep her in constant trepidation and
distress.
Some six months since Mrs. Raymer
opened a boarding-h house on Monroe
street, below Second. She came here
several years ago with her daughter
from Helena, Ark, where her brother
now lives. She was a widow in rather
straitened circumstances, but all who
have boarded in her house agree in
stating hat she was a clever, kind
hearted and very respectable lady.
When she first opened her house on
Monroe street her prospects were
favorable, IS a goodly number of
guests were numbered among her
patrons. 1t was not long, however,
before a number sought quarters else
where, and upon inquiry, Mrs. Raymer
learned that their removal was caused
by persons living next door whose rep
utation was cloudy. Mrs. Raymer
consulted the chief of police, who
promised to use such influence as he
could, consistent with duty, to relieve
her ofthe trouble. The chief sent for
the next door neighbor and gave her
good advice. The neighbor was natu-
rally indignant and sued Mrs. Raymer
for defamation of character. Chief
Athy hearing ofthis again sent for the
person and urged her to stop proceed
ings, as in a contest between virtue
and vice the latter must go down.
The litigant promised to suspend fur
Their action and to behave herself as a
lady, after which nothing more was
heard of it at police headquarters.
1t appears, however, that the cloudy
female had a friend in one NJ. F.
Ball, a former restaurant keeper, who
hearing hat Mrs. Raymer was a per-
son Of nervous temperament and easily
influenced by threats, managed to get
in a fine lot of work in this direction.
The poor woman was driven nearly
distracted by his ~unceasing importuni-
ties. He succeeded in making her
believe she had made herself liable to
be prosecuted, with a good chance of
going to the State prison; he caused
her to give up the boarding house
and to rent her furniture to other
parties, and after she took up her
residence at $50 Second street with
her seventeen-year-old daughter. he
influenced her to give up $75 of her
hard earnings. Mrs. Raymer and her
daughter labored at making pants and
other garments for several stores at
the low rate of S1.50 per dozen, and it
was a part Of the money thus earn
ed that the alleged blackmailer sue
ceeded in wrenching from her,
to appease, as he declared,
the wrath and solaee the wounded
honor of her former neighbor. The
people in the house where Mrs. Ray
mer died state that she more than
once declared that she would end her
misery and leave this woeful world
but for the fear of a future punish.
ment. She was a Christian woman
and dreaded the hereafter should self.
murder be her way of exit to the un.
discovered country, so she chose to
bear the ills of this life for a while
longer. Her daughter, a comely and
pleasant young lady, testified at the
inquest and cOrroborated the forego-
ing.
On Saturday last Mrs. Raymer was
found neal the southern environs Of
the city wandering aimlessly about il
a half comatose state. She was con.
veyed to her residence by friends, anC
a physician was called. Several othel
medical gentlemen also attended her
but, as one afterwards stated, she haC
taken morphine enough to kill twenty
persons and no antidote would afForC
relief.
1t was about one o'clock yesterda!
morning that Mrs. Raymer died.
Mr., Ball states hal he was merel,