The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-12
END OF TRAGEDY.
Frank *. Raymond Granted Di-
YOrce From Wife.
She Is Now Confined in CalifOr-
MIA Asylum.
KILLED THEIR SON.
Attempted Also to Destroy Her
Own Life.
Husband Employed in Interior
Department at Washington.

Wn6n judge LANA OF Ine OISlTlCl SOui I
granted a decree to Frank K. Ray
mond, divorcing him from Catherine B.
Raymond to whom he was married
more than quarter of a century ago.
| 1t is only now and then from the
stories told by the petitions on file in
the office of the. clerk of the court that
| such a story as the one told can lie
found. A story of devotion, ambition,
! happiness, wealth and then climax
which leaves the mother in the mad
house, the murdereSS of her only son
| to whom she was devoted and the faith
| er and husband a homeless wanderer
| long after he has passed the meridian
| of his life. s,
| The couple were married in 1883 and
with youth and ambition before hem
Established home in Winfield where
by combined frugality and thrift they
prospered. They then moved to Topeka
where Mr.. Raymond, who was an expert
bookkeeper and stenographer, added to
! the growing little fortune. An cppor-
itunity to better the condition presented
| itself and the happy father, mother and
baby son moved to Washington, ID. c.,
ment in the interior department.
| Then it was that little cloud ap-
peared on the horizon of their happ1-
ness and the wife longing for the aSSo-
citation of her own family journeyed to
ICalifornia. Her stay was prolonged but
finally she returned to her husband in
the national capital but the home hap
piness was destroyed and she announc-
ed that she was going back to Cali
lfornia to live, and she did, taking her
boy with her. She wrote that she would
mot return and the fathers heart long
ling for the son perhaps more than wife
crossed the continent and pleaded with
his wife to return to their home in
Washington.
| She was not to be persuaded how
| ever and remained in California keep
| inc with her who DV this time
had grown to be. fine boy with
thoughts of his own future. The faith
| er sent money each month for the sup
port of the mother and son and longed
/ to be with them and attempted to Sc
cure a transfer of position to this part
| of the continent SO that he could be
| near his wife and son.
Wife Would Not Return.
The plan failed however and he re-
manned at his desk in Washington and
toiled, each month sending liberal
portion of his earnings to Los Angeles
where his wife had decided to make d
| home for herself and son. Then came
| the tragedy. Her health, which had
| not been the best for years, failed and
| she began to complain and often
threatened to take her own life as well
as that of her son, while IN deSpOndent
moods.
Her letters to her husband and
friends in Topeka told of the strain
under which she labored and finally
one AFTERNOON she 'AlIeHlplSQ TO carry
out her mad threat so often made to
end the life of herself and her son. She
went to her room and as her son slept,
turned wide open the gas jets and
waited for the death which she courted
for herself and child.
1t came to the son but not to the
mother whose diseased mind longed for
it and when attendants attracted by
door to the room enough breath re-
manned in the body of the mother to
preserve her life. She lay on the floor
beside the bed where she had thrown
herself in the delerium of her struggles
and the pure air near the floor had
saved her life.
On the bed the form of her fourteen
year-old son rested peaceful in. death as
After hours of suffering the mother
gained consciousness in the public hos
pital only to realize that she had
caused the death of all that made life
worth living for her. She fought
against recovery but could not die and
was tried for the murder of her son,
the husband and father appearing for
the prosecution.
1t was in 1901 that the wife deserted
her husband in Washington and four
years later that she took the life of
her son. merciful judge decreed that
she was of unsOund mind and she was
lows only to be consigned to the mad
house. She is there today and may re-
main the remainder of her life and if
she is released may be called upon to
stand trial for the death of her son.
The husband appeared before Judge
Dana Thursday afternoon and told his
story and asked for divorce from the
woman who had robbed him of his son. I
There was no bitterness in his heart /
for the poor woman who had caused
him naught but grief for many years /
and who had deprived him of the com !
panionship of their boy.
I, nit
the numerous affidavits which his at
torneys produced and just enough evi-
dence to substantiate the claims of the /
plaintiff. There is nothing to do ex-
cepting to grant the Decree said Judge |
Dana, ''and 1 will take the other ques- /
tions under advisement."
MIR. Raymond has offered to pay $25
a month to the guardian of his Wife |
Mr.. Valentine, his attorney, |
land will carry a $1,000 life insurance |
policy in her favor in case of his /
death" he continued. ''if this is salts
factory to the court" Mr.. Raymond
sat with bowed head while his attorney !
talked to the court, merely nodding his
head in assent.
Several Topeka friends of Mrs. Ray
mond hear from her at intervals and it
seems that her reason is returning and /
that she is just commencing to appre-
ciate the senorTnfty of her offense when
in her mad delerfum she took the life
Of her son. Her remorse is pitiful in
the extreme but she begs for release
from the bars which confine her in the
mad house
Judge Dana's decree of an absolute
divorce ends the life tragedy of Mr..
and Mrs. Raymond, who for number
Of years were residents of Topeka and
1evout members of the Westminster
Presbyterin church. Mr. Raymond will
return to Washington where he will
gain assume his duties as a clerk in
the interior department and it is doubt
rul if his former wife will ever secure
her release from the mad house which
confines her at Patton. Cal If she does