The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-03
FATED 10 BE SUICIOES9
WHY MRS. RIzzEN TRIED TO POISON
HER TWO CHILDREN.

her Father. Mother. Brother. sister. and Uncle
KILLED Themselves and she Feared That
tho Children HAD Inherited suicidal Mania
she Thinks she Succeeded In killing Them.
Fearful lest hor children should inherit
suicidal mania, Mrs. Mary Ritzcn, 81 years old,
OF 1885 Second avenue, tried to induce them to
take poison last Friday. Five OF her family had
committed suicide within two years. and Mrs.
Ritzen's mind was affected, as she herself re-
allied at times. She Is now In the insane pavil.
ion at Bellevue Hospital. where she rests quiet
and contented in tho belief that her little sons
are safely dead.
The children are John, A years old. and An
thony, aged 3. Anthony Ritzen, the father. is
an iron worker. The family is poor. Since tho
birth Of tho younger child Mrs. Ritzen has not
been strong. and within a year she has boon Civ
ing signs of n constantly increasing mental de-
rangement. Several times she has become
violent and attempted to beat her head against
the walls, but these fits were succeeded by
periods of nationality. Sometimes she would
say to her husband:
Its in my blood to commit suicide. and 1
know I'll do II sooner or later. Some day the
impulse will DO SO strong hat I can't resist II. .
Then Ritzen would try to persuade her that IL
was all imagination. He knew, however, that
his wife's father. mother. brother, sister. and
ohttOh htu hA AAAtSu Chl 70 "Athih " pSAAoA
of two years. Once she asked him II he thought
the children inherited the faint, and when he
tried to talk her out of that idea she said:
ut would be better IL they never had been
born. / would rather kill them than have them
1.-Two to suffer what l have suffered
About a week ago Mrs. Ritzen had one Of her
attacks Of violent insanity. and 1t was all that
her husband could do to keep her from injuring
herself. Or, Friday morning she seemed calmer.
hnt ant and hrnnlad until Rtf1ap tpAnf nnt IIa
was nervous and soon returned to the house to
make cure that nothing had happened. His wife
met him. smiling. Tho children were in tho
room and the younger one was crying.
I've done II, Anthony. said the mother.
What have you DONE" asked RitZen.
Fixed it SO tho children will never suffer.
I've done it."
Here Ritzen caught sight of some green pow
What's that r he cried.
THAT il, what l gave them. Do you think It
plaipsd 4-year-o "a johnny Ha "b afHy We s" didn't eat
~ want my brekfus." walled little Anthony.
Mamma didn't give us any breakfast" CON
could have the green stuff, and gave it to him in
a ~ spoon, Ns Sheg a ~. S4Snmne, to me- too. but didn't
The father found in the table drawer an open
asked her what she had done. but she didn't
separating her from tho children, he took her to
the house of his friend. John Guitcher OF 80
i hSs' t tSef me gsre Mrs. r Ri Esely said SO De that HItes she SS os
satisfied now that the children were dead, be-
cause they were freed from her affiotion.
II asked them, she said. "if they were ever
going to kill themselves, and they couldn't an
swer, SO Of course knew that they had the In
In the AFTERNOON Mrs. Ritzen became so vio-
lent that her husband. on butchers advice,
took her to the HARLEM Police Court. where she
was committed for skamination as to her sanity.
Since her arrival At the insane pavilion she has
frequently asked the attendants to call up
Heaven, on the telephone 80 that she might talk
to her children.
They're In heaven" said she. at sent them
there myself. gave them poison. and they are
dead"
Neither Of the children had taken any Of the
Paris green. 1t was found. 1t Is not considered
probable that Mrs. Rltzen will recover.