The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-03-13
PitifuI Case of a Young Mother
in Savannah Who
TOOK Her OWN LIFE.
After Battling for Two Long Years
After Her Husbands Death She
Ended LIES 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
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 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
rie Jones, at No. SIS Bay street,
west. Within two blocks Of Mrs.
Jones home the young woman swal-
lowed the poison few minutes after
she purchased it 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 sew
eral hours the young woman lay ur-
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
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 Toman'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
chinist, hearing Mrs. Jones tell his
mother Of the unusual appearance
Of the young woman who was dying
upstairs, remem bered 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 her life. and at once
began round of the drug stores
in the neighborhood. He found that
druggist had sold young woman
three ounces Of laudnun in the early
afternoon.
He hurried home and to him and
to Mrs. Pearson, Mrs. Basior told of
swallowing the poison. Turning to
Mrs. Pearson the young mother heio
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 I 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 ngat
Of several hours was made oy pnysl-
clans in an effort to save her life.
At II o'clock she died without once
regaining consciousness.
Stoddard, whose inquiries re-
yealed the fact that Mrs. Baslor haa
swallowed poison, stated that ne pc
lieyed the young woman mad intend
ed to end her life for several days
and that she was prevented because
she did not have money enough 10
buy a deadly drug. ,..
'She wouldn't have used q Epl1e
or anything like that" he said. she
borrowed 25 cents from my mother
at noon, and spent the money Tor
the lauduum. We all loved her. Sne
was nice and quiet and sweet. VIZ
would have cared for her one pes; >,
re con1d II she had stayed with us. =
Mrs Baslor's husband died two
wears ago and since that time she
| had been practically penniless. Be,
fore her death she asserted that she
had been deserted by well-to-do rel.
| atfyes who should have cared fol
her. Her elder child, Earl, is beinE
cared for by family in Middle Geor
y,a but the Youngest, Arthur, nae
remained with his mother.