The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-03-15
GIVES UP FIGHT.
PitlfuI Case of a Young Mother
In Savannah Who
TOOK Her OWN LIFE.

After Battling for Two Long Years
After Her Husbands Death She
Ended Lifc's Struggles hy Taking
Laudanum, Which She Bought
With Money borrowed for the
Purpose.
Tired out with her struggles with
poverty and eXclaiming that she was
unable to care for her two small chill
dren, Mrs. Belle Baslor, twenty-four
years Of age, died at the Savannah
hospital Sunday night, ending her
life With three ounces OF laudnum
which h bought with MONEY bor-
rowed for the purpose.
The young woman pretty and well
educated, had become almost entire
ly dependent upon tho charity Of
friends and with II Of her children
was living at the home of Mrs. Car
RE Jones, at No. SIC Bay street,
west. Within two blocks of Mrs.
Jones' homo the young oma swal-
lowed the poison q few minutes after
she purchased 1t from n druggist on
West Bond steet. and then went to
her and prepared to die.
The poison was bought at two
O'Clock In the afternoon and for sew
eral hours the young woman lay ur-
on her bod waiting for death. About
her in the little room they shared
together. played her two-year-old
SON.. Arthur, unmindful of the rapid
ly approaching death OF his young
mother. Mrs. Jones went into the
room during the late afternoon and
noticed that Mrs. Baslor's appear
ance had changed and her endeavor
to find out the real trouble resulted
in the final effort made to save the
young woman's life.
Mrs. Jones went from the little
Dol on the second floor to the
apartment occupied by Mrs. Eliza
beth Pearson. on the first floor. Mrs.
Pearson's son, A. Stoddard, a ma
chinist, hearing Mrs. Jones tell his
mother Of the unusual appearance
OF the young woman who was dying
upstairs, remembered some strange
remarks about the future world
which Mrs. Baslor had made during
the last few days.
Suddenly he became impressed
with the fear that she had made an
effort to end hor life, and at once
began q round Of the drug stores
in the neighborhood. He found that
q druggist had sold a young woman
three ounces of laudnum in the early
afternoon.
He hurried home and to him and
to Mrs. Pearson, Mrs. Basloi' told Of
swallowing the poison. Turning to
Mrs. Pearson the young mother held
~"f lo, .~D q, Nov. n,,,, -, nr1rol
that her friend keep the boy.
Take him and bring him up as
he should be brought up" request
ed Mrs. Raslor. my people have all
deserted me and l can't find enough
work to enable me to care for my
self and my child. I will get out of
the way now, but you must take care
Of Arthur
Suddenly Mrs. Baslor lapsed into
Inconsistencies and was hurried to
the Savannah hospital, where a fight
OF several hours was made by physi-
clans In an effort to save her life.
At II o'clock she died without nee
rcgaining consciousness.
a. StOddard. whose inquiries re-
vealed the fact that Mrs. Baslor had
swallowed poison. stated that he be-
licved the young woman had intend
ed to end her life for several days
and that she was prevented because
she did not have money enough to
buy a deadly drug.
She wouldn't have used q knife
or anything like that" he said. She
borrowed 20 cents from my mother
at moor and spent the money for
the laudnum. We all loved her. She
was nice and quiet and sweet. we
would have cared for her the best
we could If she had stayed with us
Mrs. Baslor's husband died two
wears age and since that time she
had been practically pennilcss. Be
fore her death she asserted h a she
had been deserted by w~ell-to-do rel
atives who should have cared for
her. Her elder child. Earl. Is being
cared for by a family IN Middle Geor-
gia. but the youngest. Arthur. had
remained with his mother.
HIS WIFE.