The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-05-28
DELIBERATE SELF
Standing in Front Of a Mir
ror Mrs. Mary Riff
Places Revolver in Her
MOuth--LOud Report Fol
lowed,
And When The Neighbors Rushed in
,They Found Her Dead.
Suicide Only Recently Returned From
Asylum-ThOught to Have Re-
covered Her Mind-COrOner's
Verdict.

Mrs. Mary Cecilia Riff, of 1872
South Skidmore street, shot and
killed herself about half past eight
o'clock Tuesday morning. Mrs.
Riff was only recently returned
from the insane asylum, where she
had been for the past five months.
1t seems that she was not cured,
and that in recurrence of her
mania, she put an end to her life.
Mrs. Riff seemed very cheerful
all morning, and worked around
the house with apparent zest, fin
ishing up all the smaller matters
of the days housekeeping. Then
she went upstairs to make the bed
humming tune as she went. She
shut the doors after her, which was
something she was never known to
do before. This makes it seem
certain that her death was pre-
meditated.
She was heard moving around
the upper floor by Miss Anna Heck,
who was helping her with the
housework. Shortly after her little
daughter, Anastasia, aged Ave
years, called up to ask ifshe might
bring some flowers to her mother.
This was refused, aud the little girl
went on playing around the lower
floor.
Suddenly a loud noise was heard
on the upper floor. 1t sounded
like door slamming to, but Miss
Heck could not understand it. So,
as she had work to do, she asked
little Anastasia to 60 up and see
what was the matter.
The little girl returned with the
information that her mother had
fallen, and had hurt herself, as she
could see her nose bleeding. That
alarmed Miss Heck, and she ran
up the stairs. At the top she peer.
ed into Mrs. Riffs room, and saw
her lying on her back motionless.
She saw at once what the matter
was, and dashed down stairs to
alarm the neighbors.
Several of them went to Mrs.
Riffs room, and found her there,
quite dead. She had placed the
revolver in her mouth, and fired.
The shot had made an Immediately
fatal wound, and she had fallen on
her back. The revolver fell on the
dresser, in front of which she was
standing when she fred the fatal
shot. Coroner Herbst was imme-
diately summoned, and pronounced
it case of suicide.
Mrs. Riff was about forty years
of age, and had three children.
Only the oldest is old enough to go
to school. Her husband, August
Riff, is employed at Freeman's
mantel works.-Columbus Press.
Mrs. August Riff, nee Celia Bur-
goon, was Hooking county girl,
born and reared on farm a few
miles southeast of Logan. For some
years previous to her marriage to
Mr.. August Riff, oldest son OF our
fellow-townsman John Riff of West
Logan, she was employed as
domestic in the home of one of our
wealthy residents, and while resid-
ing among us Mrs. Riff formed
many warm and intimate friends
who deeply simpathize with Mr..
Riff and his afflicted family in their
sad bereavement.
Mrs. August Riff was a loving
wife and devoted mother, and the
self inflicted act which caused her
death during temporary alteration
Of mind, depriving once happy
home Of a wife and mother is in
Iced sorrowful to contemplate. The
deceased was warm personal
'riend of the writer's family and |
he news of her untimely death |
vas almost as hard 10 bear as If it
we're ones own sister.