The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-06-18
SUFFERING OF
MONTHS ENDED
BY DROWNING
Mrs. r. c. Robinson Impelled
To Take Her Own Life
BY Long Illness

Intense suffering from illness |
which made her an invalid for more
than a year and a half is given by
authorities and relatives as the
cause for the tragic death Of Mrs.
Eva Robinson, wife Of X. G. Robin
son, Sunday afternoon.
Mrs. Robinson dropped from the
new North Dakota Liberty Memo
rial bridge into the rushing current
Of the Missouri river 80 feet below,
and was drowned. Her body was not
recovered
Mrs. Robinson, who had gained
host Of friends during her residence
N Bismarck, became seriously i'll at
a rst from spinal trouble, from which
he improved, but this led to other
lone diseases which kept her bed-rid-
den most of the time, and frequently
FUSED intense suffering During
many months she bore herself brave
ly in her illness, but il is believed
that the continual pain and hope
:lessness of recovery led her to take
her own life.
Frequently she was taken for rides
in an automobile by her husband.
Who is employed at the French and
Welch Hardware company, and Sun
day afternoon ride was arranged
for her. She left the Mckenzie no
tel, where they lived, with Mr. Rob
nson and her daughter in a taxicab.
They drove first to the swimming
pool, where she left her daughter,
aud then she asked to return to the
hotel. Reaching the hotel she asked
Mr.. Robinson to go to her room with
a shawl. When he had entered the
elevator she told the driver, George
Bond, to go to the bridge.
Helped From Car.
Arriving at point just beyond
the third pier of the bridge she said
she wished to take some pictures.
She was aided in getting out Of the
car by Bond, and stood at the rail
ng. She then asked him to 60 down
On the west bank and pick some will
ow slips which she saw there. He
atarted, and when he was so to rs
Get away he turned. She had slip
ped over the railing and hung there
Tor an instant, and then dropped.
The water into which she fell is
about 20 feet deep and the current is
about nine miles an hour. The Mis-
ouri is high now, and the swirling
waters quickly sucked the body un-
DER. She was seen to rise once and
hen disappear under the bridge
Later it was learned there were no
aims in the camera she carried.
Mrs. Robinson was born in Ed
ridge, near jamestown, but spent
most of her younger days in Mil
waukee, Wis. Her mother, Mrs. E. l..
Griffings, and brother. T. S. Crit
fings, attorney for the U. S. Naturali-
zation Bureau, live in St. Paul. Her
husband and one daughter, Muriel,
also survive.
There were rumors that Mrs. Rob-
inson had fallen in the river on the
seast side, and many people were at
the bridge late last evening. The
river also was dragged around the
east pier.
Drag the River.
The point where the tragedy hap
pened is on the Morton county side
of the river. Through the excite
ment of the tragedy, the Offices Of
Sheriff Hedstrom and Coroner Gobel,
were not notified, they learning of
the tragedy some hours after it hap
pened. Coroner Gobel, George Dohn,
J. P. French and George BONN were
at the bridge last evening to make a
survey.
In view of the fact that the river
is higher than normal, and there is
swift current and undertow, it was
expected that the body would be car
ried at least to a sandbar below the
bridge. Authorities were dragging
the river this morning. Coroner
Kenelley Of Mandan was notified and
offered cooperation. The banks of
the river also were being patrolled.
Mrs. Robinson was member of
the Daughters Of the American Rev.
olution.
1t was planned to send out the
ferry boat under Capt. Leach this
afternoon to drag the river if the
wind receded.