The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-08
Wife KILLS HERSELF
when CALLED HOMELY
Her Husband Thus Described Her
and Life Lost Its
Charms
TURNED ON THE GAS.
She Could Not Endure the Pros
pect of a Loveless Existence
Which the Cruel Words
Brought Before Her.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York. March s.-"You are getting
homely. You are getting honielier every
day"
Frederick Rheinhard said this at the sup
per table to his wife. About them were
gathered the four children-Lizzie, the
eldest, aged 16, and Title, Agnes and
F'rieda.
1t was not the first time the husband had
told his wife that the beauty which had
charmed him seventeen years ago was a
thing OF the past. But TO the patient tired
woman sitting opposite him the words
struck deeper than they ever had before.
She had not been well recently. There Were
times when an iron hand seemed to clutch
at her breast and she could not breathe.
The doctor had told her her heart was af-
fected.
i After supper Rheinhart went out. He
had the habit of going out just after sup
per Lizzie, the lttesmother Of the family.
went out, also. Then Mrs. hheinhard
called the remaining children to her and
sent them out TO a store to get some milk.
1t was a store that was unnecessarily far
away.
quite alone at the little fat at No. 50
Hudson street, Hoboken, she sat for 2
while at the supper table. her face buried
in her hands. But she was not crying.
When she rose she walked slowly into
the middle room, the dark windowless bed
room where she had spent many sleepless
nights and closing both doors that COM
municated with the dining and the room
where the children slept, she turned on the
gas and lay down.
One of the doors she locked. There was
no key to the other. 50 she pushed huge
packing basket against it and fastened IT
TO the door knob with a long black tie OF
her husbands. which she found near at
hand. Then. tying the basket to the wash
stand. she lay down.
Twenty minutes later Rheinhard. coming
<-lp the stairs. met his oldest daughter. Liz
zie. in the hall. She had just come in also.
This is Lizzie's account OF how she found
her mother:
my papa in the hail. l went first and papa
was just behind me in the hall. When I
opened the door there was n smell Of gas.
] started to go in, but papa said, Don't go
in there. Run for doctor Then he went
in and threw open the windows and burst
open the door into my mamma room, the
door that was tied with the neckte; He
found my mamma lying on the bed. When
] got back with the doctor he said my
mamma was still alive. but after awhile
he said she was dead
1T was not the first time papa told
mamma she was getting homely. l had
heard him say 1t often. But my mamma
was very fne-loolling woman. She was
not feeling well, and l suppose it worried
her.
II work in a pocketb0ok factory but yes
terday she looked badly that 1 told her
] woul1 stay home and help her. But she
said | must go to work. Then she sat and
cried long time. She told me papa made,
her feel very unhappy, she said she loved
him so much but he had never loved her.
Papa cried all last night
rs he at work now2' the reporter asked
"oh. no: papa works over in New York
with an elevator company, but now he has
gone to collect mammals life insurance,
Papa says mamma was awful mean to die
and leave us four little children. But my
mamma mad lots OF trouble My two little
sisters are going TO live with an aunt in
Camden Title IS going with another aunt.
am going to work out. l am sorry MY
mamma is dead. She was awful good Z
woman. Everybody said she was the best 4
woman in the house"