San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-02
ENDED HER TROUBLES.
Sad History OF Once Wealthy
Maryland Family Reduced to
Poverty Inv the War

| odu f1lstOfy Oh onCe wealthy
Maryland Family Reduced to
Poverty by the War.
New YORK, April 29.-Just beyond
the city limits of Baltimore. Md,
nestled among the trees in a pictur-
esque hamlet known as Pikeville,
there stands the quaint old home of
the Pike family. 1t is beautiful spot,
and the building Is attractive even at
this day, although it has stood the
storms of over q century
Could those old walls speak they
would tell tales of the old family that
lived there so many generations, of
the splendors of their entertainments,
of the hundreds of slaves who stood
ever ready TO answer the beck and
call of their master, of the beautiful
women who called that place their
home, and finally how, when the
war came, the fortune of the last rep
resentative of the Pike family was
swept away and the old home and
It's beautiful grounds passed to other
hands.
In ante bellum days the Pike family
stood at the top of the social ladder.
The Misses Caroline and Sipporah
Pike were the bellies of the neighbor-
hood. Suitors from far and near
sought their hands.
Then the war came and Mr.. Pike
saw his fortune melt away. For
several years, however, lie managed
to hold his own by dealing in tobacco,
but in 1875 he failed. The year fol-
lowing he died. Carolina and Sip
porah had become old maids. For
the first time they were made to knew
what poverty was. They could not
bear to remain near the scene of their
former aff1uence, and realizing
that they must earn their own living
concluded to seek work and Oblivion
in the North, They came to this city
sixteen years ago with dollar. Car
oline was then forty years old. Her
sister was fourteen years her Junior.
Caroline 1t appears was injured in
railway accident at this time, and q
suit for $40, 900 was instituted, which
she won. The sisters furnished q
modest little fiat where they contin-
ued TO live for some years in comfort.
The injured sister attended to the
housekeeping, while Sipporah main
tanned the little household by trim
ming bonnets.
Then sickness came Their money
was all gone, and by piecemeal FUR
niture had to be sold until the sisters
finally drifted to wretcned room at
l07 East Forty-seventh street, in a
tenement. For the past two years
their income has been $500, which
Sipporah raised by trimming bon
nets. Sipporah never complained.
but Caroline had grown morOse and
respondent. For about a month Car
oline had been confined to her bed
with the grip. On Monday she told
her sister that she could not bear her
troubles longer and intended to end
her life. Sipporah tried to change
her purpose.
When Sipporan went to work yes
terday she had presentiment that
her sister should not be left alone and
requested to be absent for time from
the store.
This was not granted.
"Then I'll not remain in the place."
she said.
Shortly before noon she returned
home. AS she entered her apartments
she saw the dead body eft her sister
before her. Caroline had knotted a
portion of her apron about her neck
and stood on chair. She tied the
apron to hook in the wall and KICK
the chair from under her. A brother
of the suicide, Henry Pike, who
lives in Baltimore, was notified. Mr..
Pike was at one time a wealthy to-
bacconist.