Thursday, November 7, 2013

Suicide, Smith and Spring Races


 
 
The Cortland News, Friday, May 1, 1885.

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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