The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-02-09
From the Daily II Friday.
MRS. RITZ R.
A "Miner" Reporter Interviews
the Suffering Lady.
The HeartbrOken Wife Relates g
P1tiful Story.

Mrs. Perkins, Of West Broadway, .
MINER reporter visited the unfortu'
nate Ms. Ritter 1T st. James Hos
rital to which place she had been
removed yesterday morning. Mrs.
Perkins has known the unfortunate
woman since she was q little child,
but did not know her w~hereabout:
until she read the MINERS account
OF her terrible story yesterday morn
ing. Inquiry developed the fact
that the poor girl was the little Jen-
ME Dodge wh0mshe had long known
In Virginia City, Nevada. The
kind hearted woman IN company
with Mrs Graves. another lady who
also knew heri n Nevada. Immediately
proceeded to the house on East Park
street where Mrs.: Ritter was lying
sick. The poor girl was overcome
with Joy in seeing familiar faces in
this strange land, and with her
wasted arms clasped around her old
friends neck, pitieously begged Mrs.
Perkins not to leave her. The lady
would have taken the little waif to
to her home, but as she could not
have that quiet there 80 essential to
her recovery she consented to her re-
m0val to the Hospital. Mrs. Perkins,
however, provided the sick gill with
q complete change of the whiteet of
linen and left orders that whatever
the sick one wanted she would pro-
vide. A mother could have done no
m0re.
Arriving at the hospital we were
shown to the girls apartment. We
found her most comfortably situated,
the kind Sisters having done all In
their power to satisfy her every want.
She said they were as loving in their
care a. q mother could be and ex-
pressed q hope that under it she
would soon be able to be around
again.
The girl Is very intelligent and,
are informed, well educated,
Wi'hou hesitation she told the his
tory Of her life which, with her con-
sent, we give. emitting only such
portions of it as would be of no inter-
est to the public. Her maiden name
is Jennie Dodge. Upon the death of
her mother, she was adopted by
by the name of Cross. She
then took the name of her foster
parents. After the death of her foster
mother, she kept house for her foster
until ne died. He willed her
IS. 900, but bis will was broken by his
children and che was left. with hut a
small property which the law left
her.
She then made her home with her
in Virginia City. This sister
Is the wife of q brother of Oscar Rit-
Ter. She had known Ritter, but had
never heard of his former connection
with q prostitute in Butte. She !
knew nothing Of it until quite re.
A little over three months
ago she was married to Oscar Ritter
~ Judge Boardman, at Reno, New. |
Last New Years they came to Butte.
For q few days they stopped at the
Hotel. His money giving |
,ut, Ritter procured a little ehanty |
n the city and took her to it. He
his clothes and sleeve but
ons and got q little money and
some provisions. These were
non consumed, and then followed
'uffering Ritter told her he tried
q get work but he couldn't. After 1
lad suffered DAYS of starvation and
old Ritter told me the best thing I
do was to enter a house of pros
tuition and he would go to Amazon
Ia, and ifhe obtained work he would
end or me and ! should never 20
ntO sueh a house again.
Sue then told what has already
'een published in the MINER, how
le took her to q house of ill-fame;
low she left it; how he took her to q
lance house and how she left 1t
an hour or two; how she
tru9gled with cold and hunger and
until she hardly knew
What she was doing and would have
,ladly welcomed death to end her
"Rut," said she, ''whils he
'ften urged noe to prostitute myself
o earn q living he never struck me,
|or used bard language to me. Please
.y that In your paper" The re-
'orter promised he would. II never
Guild nor would" continued the
weeping girl, "li:e y life Of shame.
would die first-die by inches. 1
vas cruelty tempted, hut as God is
ny Judge, every instinct Of my ma
ure revolted at the horridldea.
to please Oscar and obey
i'm but l couldn't. couldn't do this
ven for him; but,' added the poor,
confiding wife, oscar never
lsed a hard word to me-"
This, though not exactly In her
Wn lanQl10yl Ia the story Of tine
'oor. deceived wife of three months
Ter eyes have been blinded by her
ove to the enormity of the offense of
be heartiess villain. While he was
systematically starving her into q
with his horrible design
he innocent wife believed he was
Ding all in his power to earn her a
No earthly punishment IL to
evere for such a wretch.