Franklin COUNTY, GA - News   Ritchie, Guilford

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Toccoa, Ga., April 12 (1884)-Franklin County is agitated
over a suicide in which scandal deals freely with the name
of a well-known family.  Mr. and Mrs. Guilford Ritchie, but
recently married, had taken a position among the leading
families of the county.  An estrangement, which, however,
did not reach an open rupture, sprang up between the couple,
the causes of which gave food for much gossip.  The end was
reached some days ago, when Mrs. Ritchie paid a visit to
this place and purchased a large quantity of strychnine.  On
her way home a neighbor who became aware of her intentions
drove rapidly to her husband's residence and told him his
fears.  Mr. Ritchie mounted a fleet horse and set out to
meet his wife and to prevent her from taking the poison.
When Mrs. Ritchie saw her husband approaching she stopped
the buggy, and standing in it, put the strychnine bottle to
her lips and had just drained it as her husband placed his
hand upon her elbow and dashed the bottle away.  Sinking
into her seat she said: "You are too late.  I have taken
enough to kill me.  My life has been a living hell."
Nothing could avail and death followed.  Dr. Newman found at
post-mortem examination a dram of strychnine in the stomach.
The lady was but 20 years old.