The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-23
HELD HEAD IN GAS
RANGE UNTIL DEAD
Mrs. Ford First Attempted 10 Cut
Throat With Dull Table
I<nifc.
-----.
WORRIED OVER i'll HEALTH.
Husband Found Body in Dark
Kitchen After Long and
Anxious Search.
WORRIED OVER Ill HEALTH.

With her home decorated for the
Chfistinas festivities, which she was
TO enjoy with herr devoted husband
and two sons. ana evidently looking
forward in her more cheerful moments
to the domestic pleasures of Yuletide.
Mrs. Ella :. Ford. OF 1a0i West Main
street, ended all her joys and sor-
rows sometime yesterday BY first at
tempting to cut her throat and then
holding her head in gas range in the
kitchen until she was suffocated to
death.
Last aeen alive at o'clock in the
morning. she was not found again
until nearly ! o'clock in the afternoon
when, thoroughly alarmed and after
searching NainlS for his wife at the
home of her sister and at the resi-
dences Of friends. Mr. Ford stumbled
across her lifeless body in the dark
ened kitchen. His brother-in- law. Mr..
Edward Clarke. who had gone on the
search with. the distracted husband.
was upstairs at the time. looking for
MIS- Ford. Hearing the mans cry be-
low. he hurried down stairs. and found
the husband with his wife. body in his,
arns.
Medical assistance was summoned l,r
telephone from drugstore nearby
so i,iEse physicians responded They
tried In vain to resuscitate the unfor-
ilhate woman. but after half an hours
work they were forced to give up Mr..
FORD was overcome with grief. and
kindly hands bore him from the hous,,
70 the home OF his mother, No. 1900
West Main Street where re was kent
tho remainder OF the day and through
the night.
Caused b.. III Health.
J; is generally thought by relatives
and friends that the deed was caused. !
hy III health. from which both Mrs. !
Ford and her husband had suffered for
some time. They We're visited on Fri |
dag by the family physician. N,hu
found them botl, in very nervous and
weakened condition. He advised that |
they remove to some other place. and |
they decided to go to the home of Mr. |
Fcrd's mother There they were stay !
ing Until yesterday morning.
After breakfast Mrs. Ford expressed |
desire to visit her sister. Mrs Smith, |
IN South Laurel Street She was urge.l |
cainly to allow some one to accompany |
her, but she persisted in going alone |
That was the last they say of her alive.
She did not reappear at dinner, though |
she had promised to do so. After din. !
ncr Mr.. Ford decided to institute q |
search. Accompanied by Mr.. Clarke. he |
went 10 Mrs. Smiths and was told |
there that Mrs. Ford had not been
seen. Going then to the home of ono |
Of Mrs. Ford's dearest friends, lie dis
covered that she had not been there |
either. Then the two men became
thorouEhIy alarmed and visited MI.
Ford's home.
No sooner was the front door opened
than gas flooded into the street. Mr..
Clarke went upstairs, searching all the
rooms. and Mr.. Ford searched the first
floor, going through all the rooms be-
fore coming 10 his wife's dead body.
Al the blinds in the kitchen wer"
drawn. the windows were closed, and
tie room was filled with gas.
After having attempted TO cut her
throat with dull table knife. Mrs.
Ford had turned on the gas and
plunged her head in the range. AT
what time she committed the deed no
one knows, but she had evidently con-
templated 1t since her departure from
the home of her mother-in-,aw, for
she had returned to her own home and
changed her clothes.
Dcspondcnt Recently.
Everybody connected with the family |
Il firm in the conviction that the sui
eide was due only to dependency.
brought about by grief over the death
OF her mot4er about year ago, ana
supplemented. by .fer own succeeding
Ill health and the i'll health of her hus-
band. She had never been heard to
declare such intention. and all her
friends Were liorror-strucls when they /
heard Of her death. She was usually /
of sunny and cheerful disposition
until Of late when she appeared over
come by grief.
II was supposed that change OF
scene would be beneficial TO both hus-
band and wife, but there seemed TO be |
no Improvement in either since their
departure from their own home.
Mrs, Ford was born in Baltimore
thirty -eight years ago, but had spent
the major portion of her life in Rich-
lGond. Here she attended school in |
her childhood, being once a pupil in
the High School of Dr.. William II. Tay-
Ion, city coroner. She is survived by /
lser father, Mr.. George a. Summers. Of
this city; three brothers. all of Balti-
more; two sisters, one of Richmond the
other of Baltimore and two CONS. !
Courtenay pnd Ross Mr.. Charles Ford,
her husband, is a contracting excava-
Tor of this city.