Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-15
DYING BY MORPHINE.
Impending Fate Of a Woman
in Wilmington.
HER SUICIDE SLOW BUT VERY SURE

Comparatively Young in Years, but Old
in Suffering Result of an English
woman's Unhappy Marriage Her Hus-
bnnd Confirmed Opium smoker. Dies
la Prison and the wife seeks Forget
fuIncss in Drugs.
On the northwcsterly outskirts of
Wilmington, far from the busy hustle Of
the city. lives n woman whose life history
has been one of the saddost ever chronic
led In years she has hardly passed
the mile post which marks the advent of
middle age but In suffering she is old.
Mrs MARITIME is of English BIRTH but
came TO this country with her parents
when but child, some forty years ago
THE family first settled In New York
state aud subsequently removed TO the
then almost unknown but fertile prairies
of Illinois The father had some money
and, by shrewd management of his sec
tion of land, amassed more. Almost
Immediately after the great Chicago fire,
foreseeing the future Importance of that
city. he sold ont his country property
and invested ia Chicago real estate. His
ventures were profitable and, building
] HIlNUNlI N NNnANINNhlt UNnNtf HN nNAlAiN
down Go take n well earned rest, to enjoy
in peace and quiet his otium cum digni-
/ tate
The daughter. now Mrs MARITIME, was
/ then lust passing through the magic
/ gates which separate girlhood from
womanhood.
She was Exceptionally Handsome
and still bears marked traces of that
beauty which, in years gone by, caused
many heartache, many pang Of jeal-
ousy among ardent suitors for her hand.
Her heart remained untouched, however.
until the advent of young man of about
her own age from New York city He
was well endowed with al of natures
gifts aud ostonsibly Travelled as drum
mcr' for a New York house. His intro
duciion 10 the family was purely acci-
dental but he created favorable impress
sion and upon one preteNt and another.
prolonged his stay In the Windy City.
lie appeared 20 have plenty of money,
gave good account OF himself, and the
unshot WIS that a marriage took place
under auspices which seemed
To Promise a Happy Future.
The couple enjoyed q short honeymoon,
travelling from city TO city, and finally
settled In New York. the husbands
alleged home
Daring these FIRST few weeks Of mar
ried life the wife had been somewhat
mystiheda at the edaily and nightly absences
of her husband, but accepted his excuses
that they were necossitated by business.
e And they were-but n was a business Of
{ which she was entirely ignorant, that OF
{ gambling Nor did she fully learn the
truth until after several months sojourn
in New York In n moment Of anger her
( husband told her that he was not only a
3 confirmed gambler, but
A Confirmed opium smoker,
as we'll Here. then. was the explana-
! tion of those mysterious absences which
! 'had SO troubled and perplexed the woman
, The voi now being thrown off, Mr. Mar
tine felt at liberty to smoke at home,
and instead of continuing TO go TO the
, only "ioint' then established In the city.
brought his Layout TO his apartments
and abandoned himself TO the habit more
I thoroughly than he had ever done His
i allegation that he was n commercial
t, traveller his wife had already learned
! was simplya pretext, even before his con-
i fession. and he now stood forth before
her IN his true character.
J.. Some women, when they cease 10 re-
q spect a man, cease 10 love him but MIS-.
Il MARITIME stlll clung to the man 10 whom
j she had plighted her troth, unworthy as
he was From her fathers estate Doth
g, father and mother having died) she had
q, O considerable sum of money In her own
Y right. and as her husbands habit had
n incapacltated him even from gambling.
she provided support for beth But the
. habit had not incapacitated MARITIME from
Of ff1l
, years ago he was arrested on the charge
n of forgery, combined with grand larceny,
d and
~ Sentenced Go Sing Sing Prison
W for a long term. Even then his wife's
t. love did not falter, but upon his death
Is within those cold, inhosptable stone
re walls her courage gave out. In her des
~ peration and despair she tried the smok
he ing of opium horself-tried to use hei
late husbands layout" But the manu-
n facture of the little opium "pills" call:
y for a deXterity of manipulation only ac
'S Quirod by months of practice and her ef
no forts were useless. Still i'm some way
,n no matter how, she must seek forget
le fulnoss of the past, must drink of the
be Lethean waters which at least, bring tenn
t. porary oblivion Morphine was the only
resort remaining, and this drug shl
IS, began to take internally. Becoming ac
re customed 20 its use that method gradu
r. ually lost its power of rapid effect ans
rs she finally had recourse to hypodermil
re injections She Stunned associates. seek
I'D ing only that he might forget the worls
and be "by the world forgot.
en- Nearly Eve years ago TO rid herself o
or all acquaintances, she left New York an'
We rented a small house here. out of tn
beaten paths of mankind. There sh
re row lives-a living DEATH Alone, with
out even a servant pale almost haggard
a and with eyes whose mystic wildnes
NY would draw pitying glances from tn
d. most callous Of the race, she awaits tn
end, the hour so soon to come which vii
lift from her all earthly burdens ant
launch her it is TO be hoped, upon a SCI
1t. of eternal happiness whose shores n
/. mortal yet has seen.
Mrs Marines true name and addres
M are withheld, because the unfortunat
A woman would be written about all owe
lv the country bv correspondents in othe