The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-02
aTHE BELLE OF RICHMOND"
SuIcide Of Miss Carolina Pike, Formerly Of
This City.
VgR FATHER A FORMER MERCHANT HERE.
s,.. Grey, Dependent when She Learned that
Her sister Spent Her Whole Weeks
Earnings for Medicine.

Wars aro. lust before tho war, there lived
=. LIVER Main street an old Jewish merchant
s,bo had q very handsome daughter named
Carolina.
Th;s dauohter killed herself last Wednesday
q New York. and the following from the
Noo York World, gives the details Of the
affair;
Ia ohio WAS once noted for her beauty and
,.os Known as the belle Of Richmond when
shov,sa Young woman. killed herself yes
81, morning by hanging herself with
te. -',,rn IN one OF the doors Of her apart
t'o.t. M No. 1O7 east Eehty-ninth street
So ie another Of the many victims whom
,,o,,-,r has rendered Respondent and tenn
,,|rarilv insane but in her case her melan-
6bolv was aggravated by pitiful misfortune.
Mss Pike lived with her maiden sister
Cornbora. who IL ten years her JUNIOR MISS
ssrnb1ra was millner and was employed
!, "a -b0nnet-trimming establishment on
I-oo1wav. near Houston street.
No. Carolina had been suffering from q
,-of-,ctcd attack OF the grip. and had been
unable to 30 any work for several weeks.
mo sisters were extremely devoted 10 each
rfhor. and Carolina mourned "a great deal pc
cause She feared she was burden to her SIS
Sbo became particularly sad last Saturday
,rNen her sister paid every penny OF the -
She lad earned duung the week, ior medicine
iUr her. -,., .,.. 1.o.
eieto~ ,ves suffering from nervous prostraton
and attracted by nm advertisement OK n patent
rnodiciro alleged 10 be o remedy for such
ailments. she called on the propHetors 10
purchase % supply. IL.
medicine we're needed % elect a cure, ana
tb.t would cost hcIc10.
w. moor woman said that she had but SS,
which was an That she had earned during the
week. bat She was wiling % part with 1t all If
assured that the medicine would help her
dear sister 20 recover her health.
The IS was accepted, and the devoted sister
wa compelled 20 deprive herself Of necessa-
res in consequence.
me- medicine had no effect whatever, and
Carolina became discouraged, and yesterday
morning said that Il would be better If God
would cali her home.
c4r1hlra worried great deal after she
v.art 10 work. and at 10 o'clock decided 70 60
homo and take her sister for walk IN Cen
fraI pmk. so as 20 cheer hey mp n bit.
Whom She opened the Outor door OF the nall
leelir7 10 their three small but eNGuls.tely
neat rooms on the first floor she was houihed
IN .ee her sister hanging by the neck To thee
door Of Icr bedroom. She screamed and leA
faiuta. t1 the floor
Tbprciglbors rushed IN, took the hanging
woman down and eudeavored TO revive her'
Iuf D. WAS too late she was quite dead. NE
coroner was notified and granted burial
The suicide Lad rolled herapron into stout
cord. the middle OF which she tied tgh'y
around her neck, knotting the other ends
Ro.-ing her body by her hands until her
head was ID level with the top of the door,
She placed the knotted ends of the apron over
tho corner Of the door and allowed her body
O. fab. She died slowly OF straugu.ahon.
The dead woman was tall and we'll formed,
and her features retained many traces OF the
beauty of her youth
Her iace was intellectual and her black hair
was combed away from her broad, low fore
head A pair OF gold-rimmed eyeglasses
added 10 the intellectually of her appear
ance Her attire was exceedingly plain. but
as neat as could be imagined.
The neghbOrs invariably treated her with
great Difference She was always kind in her
manner 10 everybody, they say, and always
appeared 20 them rs "a great lady
The Pike sisters were the daughters OF Hen
~ Pike. who WAS q wealthy citizen of Rich
In0ud. Va, before the war.
Carolina was much sought after in society,
and was the recognized belle Of the city.
& the surprise of her friends refused them
al Some years before the war broke out 1t
became understood that she had been sadly
disappointed in a romance of her own and
81 time 10 became evident that she intended
l. adhere 10 her determination never TO
any.
Hsr Young sister, Sapphora, who was deyo-
telv attached 10 her. swore that she would
remain single also If Carolina did. and both
Of the women kept their VOWS of celDacy.
Their father lost his fortune az "a result of
the war. and the children came North at its
close T. earn their own living.
They succeeded in providing for themselves
comfortably until the elder became III a few
weeks ago.
They ~aid 80 month for their three little
rooms and appeared TO live in peace and con-
tentmcut
They have a brother in the real estate bust
ness in Baltimore, but their father, mother,
and all other relatives are dead The brother
was notified by telegraph of the death of his
sister and is expected to come on to her fune
raj.
Sapphora sat alone in her rooms with the
corpse last night weeping increasingly. 1t
was a sad ending to a life Of unremltting de-
VOtlOu.