The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-12
PREPARING FOR ETERNITY.
Undertaken WooIwine Receives
a Note to Care for Suicide.
A Times Reporter Makes an investigation.
Miss Ella Gorick the Would-be Sui
cide-Suffering and Poverty-Her Chill
dren Should be Provided For.

Yesterday afternoon while reporter
for TIE TINES WIS in the office OF
Oakley IL Woolwine's undertaking cstab-
lishmcnt Mr.. Woolwinc was handed
note by an employee with the statement
that it had been left there about noon
by two snail and ragged children.
Mr.. Woolwinc opened the note, read
ii. and was startled.
This is what had been handed to him:
NOVEMBER II, 1890.
AIR. Woolwnc: | came to you some
time ago and told you my circumstances,
and you told me you would help me.
but you did not and since then have
been in bad circumstances, and if it had
not been for the kind friends found in
Roanoke | would have Jared hard. l
have two children and will leave them
for some one to take caro- of. My trou-
bic is too great to bear any longer I
want you to take charge of my body
when found, and that will be before the
setting Of another sun. | have did all
! could to live an honest life. but ! am
done now. SO may the blessing of the
Lord rest upon you and all those that
have did me wrong, and to them that
have been kind I'd me. Now | will ask
oHc idNor VI you. Lake tHiS. anu aItcr
| am in eternity take care of my body,
buly it decently, and then see that my
children get good homes. This is all
ask of you. My husband left me four
months ago, and left mo in destitute
circumstances, and pride and poverty
do not run together. SO, good bye; do
as ] say, and when you look on my
dead remember when came to you for
assistance. May God bless YOU is the
prayer of dying friend.
ELLA V. c.
1t did not occur to Mr.. Woolwinc at
first who the party could be. but on re-
Election hc remembered having referred
Il request for charity from a Mrs Ella
Gorick recently to Miss Josephine
Volt for investigation as to it's merits
and directed the reporter to that lady
Resolved 20 prevent sclf-murdcr if
possible. the ZINES representative called
Officer Tallcy to his aid and began an
investigation.
From Mss Josephine Wol,z it was
learned whore the woman in question
lived. and the two quickly went to Jirn-
est avenue where a rapid investigation
ended in finding the party sought.
Seated on Il low chair before a stove,
! on which was cooking n very lncager
meal, sata woman apparently thirty-fivc
y
grim evidences of poverty. and around
when played two children. one, hoy of
about eleven. the othCra girl OF pprhaps
six.
The letter printed ADORE WAS produced
and the woman was asked t She had
written it,
Yes She exclaimed spaS,nodically.
land 3! meant every word of it," and
then She buried her head in her apron
and gave way to her grief.
oiiicc- Talicy and his cOmranion were
at IL loss To know what TO do with their
find under the circun1s stances, but finally
induced her to go. to ihr ayor; oii;cc
with them that tEcy mimh surrender
their possibility.
Mayor Evans was Out of tovn and Chico
Morris Vas summoned. The latter. il
seemed. aNas not unrrutGintcd with the
woman. for he released her after riyinc
her a leoaure.
From various parties it was learned
that she 'Has altogcth.-r an undesirable
person, being in the habit Of playing
upon thc'$ympathics OF the charitablv-
inclined III various devices.
RecenIH she consc,:s ted 10 place her
children ts2dcr the care OF Rev. Mr.. Ne
Clanahan, The Lutheran minister. but
took theiD from him within "a month.
She had approached Mr.. Woolwinc.
us above rc4ated. for alnSS. and the latter.
as is his coastom, referred The case to
Bliss Woltz Tor investiga ton. to prevent
deception. Miss Volt, however. soon
discovered that she was unworthy OF
tho efforts Of the charitable, so Mr..
Wcolwinc lea the matter drop.
Up to this hour she has not made good
her threat. as,d it is extremely unlikely
that she will, but society owes to itself
to take the two children from her and
provide for them.
TAELEN-ELAM