The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-07-27
ATT|RED IN BRIDAL
CLOTHES, AGED PAIR
COMMIT SUICIDE
Their Money Gone,
They were Facing
Starvation
HELP ASKED
Letters Left By Dead Show
They Were too Proud TO
Tell Facts

Middletown, n. Y-Attired in th,
clothing they had worn at their wed.
ding many years ago, the bodies OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Edward d. C.. Grams
were found to-day in an upper cham
Der of their old-fashioned ncme al
No. 20 Orchard street They were
reclining on the broad, old bedstead
the wife's head resting on her hus-
bands breast. their armes around
each others neck. They had com
mitted suicide by compact,
Two glasses that had contained
carbolic acid told clearly the man
ner OF their death. Two letters
written by the woman explained how
poverty had crept upon them in the
last six years, until at last they found
themselves facing actual starvation
Deserted by Former Friends.
Both letters were addressed to DR..
L. NJ. Schultz. One dated March l6
last read:
DR.: Schultz: When our Wills
We're drawn, some time ago, we ex-
pected to leave you nice sum, but
we have lived too long Christian
friends so scarce that everything is
about gone. No work after paying
taxes for years, spending our money
Iall here. Then when we need money
our friends (as we thought) desert
us. l have asked for sewing of any
kind. One dear friend, Mrs. Hoyle,
has tried SO hard to help me. One
in this Christian city. What are their
lives? Very few are true, if only
dare tell what / know Doctor,
please do as We have asked you. My
dear husband is all that l have, and
he, too, is tired Of life. There is
one FRIEND whom we are fond of.
Film we shall give a keepsake.
Now, i wish we could do better by
you. There are very few debts. I
have tried to find work, but such is
life. Now, this is a clear case of sui
'cide for want of work to make a liv-
ing and should be made public.
ED-JENNIE GRAMS.
20 Orchard street, Middletown, N.
v, March 16, 1911.
''Giye Ed the Best.
The other letter. written just be-
fore the suicide, follows:
DR.. Schultz:
We do not want to have funeral.
Just prayer at the grave. Please
allow no one to see us after we are
dead, except the one who is obliged.
to prepare us for the collins. Give
Ed the best. He is to be buried be-
size Edna (the daughter) and ,Jen-
ME meaning herselD is to be bur-
led beside Percy. Our lot is ZIG c..
C. Now ! am in my right mind. but
we have nothing to live on and we
are proud. Do not let the undertake
er disturb my hair or my clothes.
1t was several days ago that they
killed themselves. Evidently they
had considered their condition calm
ly before making the tragic agree
ment to take poison together.
Their two children, Edna and Per-
cy, died long time ago, both of
diphtheria. Six years ago Grams
had fallen i'll of typhoid fever. He
came out of that nervous wreck.
He could not attend properly to his
printing business, which at that time
was yielding him comfortable in
come Finally the business slipped
away from him. Investments since
made in the hope of augmenting.the
little fortune he had turned out bad
ly. This rendered Crans's nervous
CONDITION worse.
For the last three years the two
had realized the day was coming
when their little fund at the bank
must be depleted. The woman was
an expert with the needle and made
some money. But in the last six
months her sight had steadily failed;
she could only work for about an
hour at time.
In better days they bad entertain
ed considerably; their circle OF
friends was large. Blu. when revers-
es came they withdrew more and
more from the life of their neigh
bors. They shrank from telling the
real condition of wretchedness into
which they had sunk. They decided
that death was preferable to bearing