The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-06-23
AWFUL TRAGEDY
OF LONG AGO
Recalled by Thrilling Incl
dents of Same.
WIDOWQUIETLY HUNG HERSELF
To Rafter In Upper Room of
Home. After Making.
Much Preparation.

become Mortified over the announce
ment that one of their most highly
esteemed members has, for some
cause unknown to them, taken her
own life and. though they were ac-
quainted with all the circumstances
connected with the sad event, let
it pass into oblivion as the act Of a
person deprived of reason, without
giving any definite cause for the rash
act. For over fifty years | have
Irentable suicide and though the few
persons now living who were neigh
bors to the unfortunate lady are far
advanced in years. by close inter-
rogation they can yet give additional
causes which no doubt led to this
strange death.
In the summer Of 1855 our country
was visited by the Asiatic cholera,
which not only was very destructive
in loss of life in the cities, on our
seaboard and Inland rivers, but 1t
swept across the country where its
fatality had never been known before.
Vincent Matthews, well-to-do
farmer living near the Ohio county
line, in Breckenridge county, fell
victim to this terrible disease. The
local physicians could do nothing with
the disease and his sickness was OF
short duration. lie died III terrible
agony and his remains were laid in
the local graveyard by the side OF
his child. who had preceded him but
a short time.
Mr. Matthews business, like many
other well-to-do farmers OF that
time. was in an unsettled condition
and his widow, Mrs. Eliza Matthews
administered on his estate with the
exDectation of settling the business,
which should have been dcre by some
we'll informed man, accustomed to the
legal process OF settling deceased per-
sons estates. short time before
she committed the rash act she call
ed in the district magistrate and
asked MIN 10 lOOh ONSi Ai'N NSe'''~ -
pers and give her some advice how
to proceed with them. The officer
said afterwards that he saw that she
was very much troubled about the bus
mess and he gave her what advice
he could about how to proceed to
collect the accounts and settle the
other papers, and OH leaving her he
told her that in any way he could aid
her by his advice or that of his super
iors to let him know and he would do
what he could to bring about set
Element of the estate.
About this tirle a neighbor lady yet
living called to see Mrs. Matthews
and she says she saw that the widow
was very much troubled about the rs
tate business, but supposed that Mrs
Matthews thought some Of the debt
ors were trying to avoid paying what
they owed the estate. This was but
a few days before her sad death.
Mrs. Matthews family at that time
consisted of a grown daughter, son
nearly grown, and two younger sons
On February 6, 1856, she sent her
daughter to the home of her sister
some miles away on some frivolous err
rand, her oldest son to the mill, and
the two other sons to. see that there |
was no stock in the wheatfield
When there was no one but herself
ph {. c1rGn "a nlONVllnP /
and going to an upper room of the
house. she hung herself to one OF
the rafters When her two little sons
returned from the wheatfield she was
dead and all they could do to restore
her to life was of no avail.
Mrs. Matthews had prepared well 10
the sad occasion which she was so
soon to bring upon her relatives and
friends. She had set her house in
order. darned her chidren's socks,
cooked dried fruit. nodded candles for
lights, and though there was q barrel
of meal in the house, she had sent
her son to The mill for more, and
concluded these preparations by comb
ing and neatly dressing her hair
THESE preparations and the charge
OF insanity was all the reason ever
given in the community FOL the sui
eide of Mrs. Eliza Matthews.
Her remains were laid BY the side
of her husband and little child in the
early settlers graveyard. I
BY the modest inscription on the j
neat marble tombstone that marks !
her grave, one unacquainted with, the ]
sad event at the present time would {
little think that this was the grave Of
the christian lady that over fifty years (
ago caused the pulse Of the communi- y
ty 70 beat with horror at the am
nouncenlent of her tragic death.
Mrs Matthews children were given I