Suicide in Groton.
Mrs. Miles D. Goodyear Takes her Life by Strychnine—the
Facts as Brought Out by the Coroner’s Jury.
The wife of Dr. Miles D. Goodyear, a prominent
physician of Groton, killed herself with strychnine on Sunday evening. The
affair caused a sensation.
Mr.
and Mrs. Goodyear had been married but a few months and recently returned from
the New Orleans Exposition. The deceased was thirty-two years old.
Coroner
Kyle, of Ithaca, arrived here Tuesday and held an inquest. No post mortem
examination was made. The most important testimony was that of Doctor Goodyear.
He said that Mrs. Goodyear had said to him and also to her boy that she wanted
to die. She had poor health. When he went away on Sunday morning for a
professional visit she put her arms around his neck and said: "I would be
all right if I was with you always."
When
he returned in the afternoon she was in his office and at the medicine case.
When he spoke to her she said that she had taken something out of two bottles
and turning around suddenly said, "Will you forgive me, Miles?" He
replied that he would not, as he had told her so many times not to touch the
medicine case.
The
Doctor said that she seemed to feel as it he did not love her. When there were
people in the house she would come up to him and say, "Miles, you do love
[me], don't you?"
He went to the house with her from the office but
returned. Then she went to a cupboard and took the strychnine, which had been
kept in the house to kill rats. She told her boy what she had done and the
Doctor was called. She refused to take any antidote.
Mrs.
Goodyear, her mother-in-law, asked her if she had taken the poison, ,and she
replied that it was none of her business. Early in the day, Mrs. Goodyear wrote
two letters, one to her husband and one to her son, in each she said that the
letters were written to clear the Doctor or his mother from any blame for her
death. She also said that there was $2,000 in the bank to her credit that she
wanted to go to her boy. Both letters were blotted and blurred as it written
under a great mental strain.
Joseph
Goodyear, the son, Mrs. Goodyear, Doctor Weaver, and Dr. and Mrs. Goodyear, of
Ann Arbor, Mich., were also sworn. The verdict of the jury was that she came to
her death by her own hand during a fit of despondency. It is said by the
friends of the family that the domestic life of the Doctor and his wife had
been very pleasant ever since their marriage in October last. She seemed to
want to be with him all of the time, and when he was out on business she
thought that he was always gone too long. This was Mrs. Goodyear's second marriage.
Her first husband's name was Taylor.
The Trout Law Changed.
The
new trout law recently enacted at Albany is a striking example of ill-considered
legislation. Under the old law the trout season opened on April 1. The new law
says that it shall not open until May 1, except in the counties of Queens and
Suffolk, where the old date is to be observed. The bill making this change
became a law on or about the 13th ult., and it was provided by the terms of the
act that it should "take effect immediately."
When
the season, once legally opened, was suddenly closed in this way by the Legislature and the Governor, anglers in all
parts of the State had been engaged for nearly two weeks in their favorite sport.
Undoubtedly many of them have since that date been violating the law, with the
very good excuses they did not know of its existence, and one of the results of
this blundering legislation is that these innocent persons are exposed to the
attacks of informers, to whom the law gives one-half of the fines imposed in
case of conviction.
CORTLAND AND
VICINITY.
Nitrous
Oxide Gas given for painless extraction of teeth. Most safe anesthetic known. At
White & Ingalls, room 3, Wickwire building, Cortland, N. Y.
The
three-mile race at the Mammoth rink last Saturday evening drew out a large and
enthusiastic crowd. On account of Lumbard's breaking his skate previous to the
race, Burdick won by a lap and a half in the slow time of 12:42.
Mr.
Price had the street sprinkler out on Thursday for the purpose of testing to
what degree he could keep the dust down by using water from the hydrants. The
result was much more satisfactory than by procuring water from the foundry, as
heretofore.
The
Odd Fellows attended the Universalist church in a body last Sunday evening to
listen to a discourse by Rev. George Adams, who reviewed the work and good that
had been accomplished by that order. The address was listened to with marked
attention throughout.
Thomas Ellsworth, a brother of Wm. Ellsworth, the
man who committed suicide last week, desires us to say that he was not
suffering from the effects of alcoholism at the time he committed the deed, but
on account of a fall received a couple of years ago, he had became insane, and
had been watched carefully for some time.
George
Gardner met with a painful and serious accident on Tuesday while at work at
Hoxie's saw mill, about six miles south of here. In some unknown manner his
right foot came in contact with a buzz saw and was completely severed. Drs.
Dana, Hendricks and Hyde were called and found it necessary to amputate the foot
at the ankle. Gardner was able to be taken to his home in
McGrawville, Wednesday afternoon.
The
spring races will be held on the Cortland County Fair Ground June 9„ 10 and 11.
The first day there will be two races—the three minute class, purse $250, and the
2:25 class, purse $250. The second day there will be three races—the 2:40
class, purse $250; five year-old class, purse $150; four year-old class, purse
$100. There will be three races the third day—free for all, purse $250; 2:35 class,
purse $250, and a green race, purse $150. Entries will close June 6 at 10 a. m.
The
History of Cortland County published by D. Mason & Co., Syracuse, is out
and being delivered this week. We are in receipt of one and must express
surprise at the excellent compilation as well as the handsome appearance of the
work. The paper, typography and binding are perfect and it contains many
handsome steel, and, wood engravings of prominent people of the county. It
comprises a vast amount of information as to the early settlement of the county
as well as the present industries. Only enough copies of the work were printed
to supply the subscribers.
South Cortland.
April
has passed quickly away, and ploughing has scarcely begun.
The
number of "sitters" have diminished of late at the grocery store. So
stories are not told and people can rest.
"Madam
Rumor" says," that one of our old bachelors has "popped" the
matrimonial question to a widow lady, with two children, and a farm. We have
not heard the answer, but presume it is "yes."
Now
is the time to plant your advertisements. The NEWS is good soil for good seed. Plant early—and
get a bountiful harvest.
Of
the hundreds of bushels of potatoes buried in the ground last fall by the
farmers throughout the county, it is estimated about one-half have been utterly
ruined, the frost penetrated to an unusual depth.
Reference:
History of Cortland County by Henry Perry
Smith:
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