Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-13

to two feet of water That was the
first time We came up here but it con-
WINGED me that | would have to be on
my guard against a repetition of the
accident.
The next time we went rowing,
several days later, we had on our
bathing suits. / was in the end of
the boat and Mrs Ritter wanted to
change seats She got up and started
towards me. 1 hadn't stood up but
was just half way out of my seat
when the boat suddenly tipped and
We both went into the water.
Il don't know what it was that
made the boat tip over. We went into
the water. The boat was drifting keel
up when / came up. Mrs. Ritter was
between me and the boat and al
though she could swim a little, / saw
she was in trouble and went to aid
her. Now | am not a good swimmer,
indeed. | can hardly swim at all. She
was struggling to reach the boat APP
parently, and when | went to help
her / grasped her. We went down to-
gether. She had me around the neck
with her arms and her legs were
al oAuu lily waist. Sol lItt VI Htl
but | am quite sure that Il did moth
ing more than break her hold. l did
not strike her or harm her in any
Way--of that / am sure. All this was
under the water. When | came to the
surface / thought l saw Mrs. Rit-
ter. but it may have been only her
bathing cap.
Il chung to the boat when | came
up and a launch picked me UP. There
We're four persons in that launch and
they know what l say is the truth.
There were others-at least two or
three-who probably saw the acct
dent, and they, too, can tell that my
story is true.
"A great deal has been said about
my having tried to pass off fake
mother for my client. | did nothing
of the sort. What happened was this;
Mrs. Ritter brought a. woman to my
office and introduced her to me as her
mother. Mrs. Ritter had no reason
to deceive me in SO doing. | don't
believe she was deceiving me-although
she may have been-and / don't be-
lieve that the people across the wa
ter will be able to prove what they
claim.
There is every reason to believe
that Mrs. Menschik. Mrs. Ritter's
is alive. / know where she
lives and will produce her at the
proper time. She was introduced to
me and to others by Mrs. Ritter, who
told me that her mother was her
only living near relative. Mrs. Rit
ter never spoke of brothers or sisters.
/ knew Mrs. Ritter casually, for q
period of several years. 7 knew her
husband casually. Her legal name
was not Szabo; it was Ritter.
Il am convinced now that / have
made two mistakes in this matter.
first. in failing to take it's seriously
until today. and second in not being
represented at the autopsy. l believe
that the three or four doctors who
performed the autopsy win be fair
that they will be slightly inclined to
prejudice because of these other
cases of sudden death with which my
name has been coupled.
Since the case of Mrs, Kinnan.
which they tried to put at my door.
have been in momentary fear of
going near fire arms or taking any
risks whatsoever that might in any
way result in any accident. / was
afraid that if | ever figured in an
other accident the old case would be
brought up against me. studied
how to avoid all the possibility of ac-
cident-and what has happened
Gibson explained that he had Mrs.
Ritter's body inferred in Medium
priced grave on the ground that the
burial was only temporary and that
he considered that the body was at
the disposal of Mrs. Menschick.