Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-02-15
A BELLIES WRECKED LIFE.
THE SAD STORY OF A BEAUTIFUL
VICTIM OF OPIUM.

THE SAD STORY OF A BEAUTIFUL
VICTIM OF OPIUM.
Ten years ago no more beautiful
woman walked the fashionable prom
enades of Baltimore than Miss Mamie
&. Lynn. She was a true representa-
tive of that fascinating type of female
beauty that appears to be the order of
the day in that section of the United
States. Blonde, bewitching, tall, of
rather commanding appearance, with
form developed to just the right degree
of maidenly perfection, her personal
appearance was such that she could
uncrown a king or make stole bow at
will. AS may be safely surmised, she
numbered her anxious, eager suitors
by the score. In the latter part of
May, 1874, this priceless gem in the
matrimonial department of life was
led to the hymeneal altar by a promi-
nent young merchant of Baltimore,
Colonel N. G. Pilson. He possessed a
sufficient amount of currency of the
realm to support her in elegant style,
and after the ceremony the loving and
happy couple took wedding trip to
Europe, and then began housekeeping
in grand style on Madison avenue
one of the most aristocratic sections of
tha- city. Here for a time peace
seemed to reign supreme and happiness
to have found her throne. But before
year had been numbered with the in
Vulnerable throng which had come and
gone the husband discovered terrible
secret. He had daily the most un-
doubted evidence that his beautiful
wife was slave to the terrible opium
habit. 1t seemed that short time be-
fore her marriage she was afflicted with
a very painful illness. To quiet
her and soothe her sufferings
her physician, one of the leading
medical lights of Maryland, had given
her morphine. When she recovered
her usual health, which she did in the
course of a few weeks, the cravings
for the drug still continued, as is often
the case, and she became in the habit
of buying it at various drug stores.
Tie fatal appetite rapidly grew and
the happy husband had not had what
he supposed to be priceless treasure
year before he discovered the awful
truth. Then commenced on his part a
long series of fruitless efforts to coll
ceal the terrible fact from the argus
eyes of the world and to wean her
from her powerful and perverted appe.
tite. Earnest reason, logical expostu-
lation and loving entreaty were first
tried. All, all in vain. She would
promise reformation, but would soon
again take the temporarily enhancing
drug. Then the husband sent her to a
prominent institution in Northern
city where they profess to cure this
awful disease. He kept her there
nearly year and spent money in his
efforts in this direction with lavish
hand. She returned home at the ex.
piration of that time apparently cured
For few months happiness once
more reigned supremein thathousehold
whensuddenly one day the husband was
Mortified at finding bottle Of morphine
in one of the private drawers Of thu
bureau in his wife's room. For sev
eral days prior to this time he though
she acted strangely, but attributed i
to temporary nervousness. Wher
charged with again using the drug sh'
weepingly confessed that it was SO
and with loving arms entwined around
his neck, and her still beautiful fac
n,Iaab))jc close to his begged bis for
3intnent int
NJ woald not