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 Life's Struggles by 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
dron, Mrs Belle Baslor, twenty-four
years. Of age, died Mt tho Savannah
| hospital Sunday night, ending her
life with three ounces Of laudnum
which she bought with money bor-
rowed for the purpose.
The young woman pretty and we'll
educated, had become almost entire
ly dependent upon the charity OF
friends and with one Of her children
was living at the home OF Mrs. Car
r1e Jones, at No. SIG Bay street
wost. Within two blocks Of Mrs.
tones home the young woman swal-
lowed the poison few minutes after
she purchased 1T from druggist on
West Bond steet. and then went to
her room and prepared to die.
The poison was bought at two
O'Clock In the afternoon and for sev
eral hours the young woman lay uI-
on her bed waiting for death About
her In the little room they shared
together. played her two-year-old
son. Arthur, unmindful OF the rapid
~ 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
room on the second floor to the
apartment occupied by Mrs Eliza
beth Pearson, on the first floor. Mrs.
Pearson's son, A. Stoddard, ma
chinlst, hearing Mrs. Jones tell his
mothor 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 round Of the drug stores
in the neighborhood He found that
2 druggist had sold young woman
three ounces OF laudnum in the early
afternoon.
He hurried home and to him and
to Mrs. Pearson. Mrs. Baslor told of
swallowing the poison. Turning to
Mrs. Pearson the young mother held
out her son In her arms and asked
that her friend keep the boy.
Take him and bring him up as
he should be brought up" request
ed Mrs. Baslor. MY people have all
deserted me and | can't find enough
work to enable me to care for my
self and my child. 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
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 crd her life for several days
and tina she was prevented because
she did not have money enough to
buy deadly drug.
"She wouldn't have used n knife
or anything like that" he said. She
borrowed 20 cents from my mother
at noon. 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 ago and since that timo she
had been practically penniless. Be
fore her death she asserted that she
had been deserted by wcll-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.