Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-11-02
BELLOWS FALLS DIR. ARRESTED
Proctorsville Young Woman Died in His
Office Tuesday Afternoon.

/ Miss Iva Martin of Proctorsville dieC
/ in the office of Dr. J. NJ. Ryder in Bel
/ lows Falls Tuesday afternoon under
peculiar circumstances, and the physi
/ elan is now being held for appearance
at county court on the charge OF abor
+ ton. DR.. Ryder went to Bellows Falls
/ from Woodstock four or five years ago
and is said to have had trouble with
/ the law in that town. The facts in the
/ case as developed at the hearing IN
/ Bellows Falls Wednesday evening are
as follows:
Tuesday afternoon two young women
/ from Proct0rsville. Misses Iva Martin
and Venah Holland, went to the office
of DR.. RYDER About clock they
were seen walking about the streets,
apparently in good health. Two hours
later Undertaken J. +. keefe was nOti-
fed by Mrs. Ryder that Miss Iva Mar.
tin OF Proctorsville was dead in their
rooms, the cause being given as heart
failure. \ regular death certificate
was made out by the doctor and moth
ing seemed out of the way about the
case.
The other girl, Miss Holland, went to
her home on the evening train terribly
broken up over the affair. BY o clock
Proctorsville was trying hard TO get DR..
Ryder by telephone but without sue
cess. After considerable delay State 5
Attorney RYDER was reached and the
case laid before him. This was the
first official notice that anything was
wrong Proctorsville telephoned that
the girl was dead and as the case
looked suspicious il had better be in
vestgated. Mr.. Ryder went directly
to DR.. Ryder S Office and found him
there. Although protesting against his
guilt he was placed in the police sta
ton about ! o clock.
The case is sad one for the girl
comes from good parentage and had al
ways been respected in her home town.
About 10 years of age, she was very
slight of build, weighing only about
l05 pounds. Although not beautiful
she was attractive and clean looking.
Her companion, Miss Holland, is about
IS years of age and attractive in APP
pearance.
The contention of the prosecution is
that an operation caused death. DR..
Ryder claims that he had made arrange
ments with the girl for an examination
and has correspondence to bear out
his statements. The girl had written
him that she was uneasy about her con-
dition and wanted him to examine her.
He wrote and told her to come Tues
dav and met her. He examined her,
using the speculum, and during the
process she collapsed and could not be
revived. No criminal operation was
performed or intended.
Wednesday morning word was sent to
the state laboratory of hygiene at Bur
lington and DR.. b. II. Stone, director of
the laboratory, came down and was
present at the autopsy, which was set
for 100 clock in Keefe S undertake
ing rooms. 1t was fully 2 clock be-
fore all the of the parties interested
were present. The number include |,
besides DR.. Stone, the recorder, f. l..
White of Cavendish, DR.. Gillette If
Springfield, who was there in the in
terests of DR.. Ryder, and Drs. E. S.
Allbee and Frank Whitman of Bellows |
Falls. A careful examination was made |
of the dead girl, lasting for over three
hourse. About $50 it was given out
that evidences of an attempted criminal
operation had been found. The heart |
was found to be in normal condition.
At the hearing DR.. Ryder appeared
and pleaded not guilty. Among the
witnesses were Miss Holland, Under
taker Keefe, Chief of Police Thomp.
son, Drs. H. B. Stone and E. S. Allbee.
Justice Allbee decided the case was
grave enough to warrant holding DR..
RYDER and bail was fixed at $4,000.