Mabel "Hattie" (Ives) Fox (1906)

FOX, IVES

Posted By: Kent Transier
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:04:40

The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Friday, December 21, 1906
Page 1, Column 1

TAKES OWN LIFE, COMES TO THE END

Mrs. Fox, Divorced Wife of Simon Fox, Kills Herself

Daughter is With Her Former Husband. Leading Dissolute Life and in Despair Opens the Gas Jet and Dies. Beautiful Woman When Young. She Had Many Friends in Winterset and Western Part of County.

Mabel Fox, divorced wife of Simon Fox, of Boulder, Colorado, formerly of the firm of Fox Bros. of Winterset, killed herself in Des Moines Friday night by turning on a gas jet. When found the unfortunate woman was yet alive, but died before the physicians arrived.

Hattie (Mabel) Fox, whose maiden name was Hattie Imes, lived near Iowa city and married Simon Fox, who was then a young merchant in Middle River, twelve miles west of Winterset, in 1889. She was a handsome young woman. One daughter, Blendina, was born to them in 1892.

After the Fox store burned at Middle River the young people moved to Winterset, Mr. Fox going into business with his brothers, John and Luther Fox, the latter owning the business today. According to the records in the clerk’s office, Mrs. Fox deserted Fox in May, 1893, and two years later Fox filed an application for divorce alleging desertion, asking that Mrs. Fox have no further claim on him and granting her the custody of the child.

The divorce was granted by Judge Wilkinson in December, 1896, giving Fox all he asked in his petition, granting Mrs. Fox the custody of the child. Dabney & Cooper were attorneys for Fox. At this time Simon Fox was estimated to be worth $20,000. Several years ago he married Miss Birdie Bell, a teacher in the North Ward, and three or four years ago moved to Colorado. Six months ago, the Des Moines papers allege that Fox appeared in Des Moines and took the girl, fourteen or fifteen years old, away from Mrs. Fox to Colorado, and that the dead woman had been grieving ever since.

In Winterset, where Mrs. Fox is well known, it is claimed by some that she had been leading a dissolute life and that she had deserted her husband for life same, and that in the past three or four years her mind has wandered. Others say that Mrs. Fox has led and exemplary life and that her mental unsoundness was caused by her grief over her separation from her husband.

Mrs. Fox was given six dollars a month by her former husband for her support. She was buried by the city authorities in Des Moines.
______________________

The Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa
Sunday, December 16, 1906
Page 4, Column 4

SWEETHEART GONE;TURNS ON THE GAS

MRS. MABEL FOX ENDS HER LIFE BY SUICIDE

UNKNOWN MAN IN THE CASE

HAD BEEN FREQUENT CALLER, THEN DISAPPEARED.

Mrs. Fox Had Been Married, But Husband, Wealthy Farmer Near Winterset, Is Divorced.
That the prolonged absence of an unknown sweetheart is partially responsible for the suicide by gas yesterday morning of Mrs. Mabel Fox, who for the past three weeks has boarded at Mrs. David Clement’s rooming house, 521 West Fourth street, is now thought probable.

The body of Mrs. Fox was found in bed in the little room that she had rented, at 9 o’clock yesterday morning by the landlady. Mrs. Fox had turned on the cock of her gas jet some time during the night, and was beyond hope of resuscitation when discovered. She retired to her room early Friday evening, but is thought to have sat up late brooding over her troubles, and finally turned on the gas and went to bed.

When Coroner Beck arrived he made a thorough search of the room, but found no message of any kind and no money.

The Landlady’s Story.

“Mrs. Fox had been in the habit of entertaining a man in her room in the evenings, since she came to live with me,” said Mrs. Clement last night. “She told me that he was a livery man, but I felt that it was none of my business and refrain from questioning her to discuss her personal affairs. During the past week, however, the strange man has not been here, and only Friday Mrs. Fox commented on the fact. “I cannot understand why he keeps away, she told me.” She seemed to worry a great deal about him and displayed much despondency because the man did not come. I think I would recognize him if I saw him.

“It was about three weeks ago when Mrs. Fox came to me and ask for a room. She said that she had been living some place on the east side and had been supporting herself by sewing. Since she has lived with me she has done no work, although she seemed to have plenty of money and always paid her board regularly. She told me that she had been married at Winterset nearly ten years ago, but that six months ago, after she had come to Des Moines, her husband secured a divorce and went to Denver, where he is now living.

Husband Took Child.

“She also said that she brought her 6-year-old daughter to Des Moines with her, but that recently her husband secured possession of the child and took her to live with him. He contributed to her support to the extent of $6 a month. I believe that the loss of the little girl preyed upon her mind and that she was subject to spells of insanity.”

Simon Fox, the missing husband, was at one time a wealthy farmer residing near Winterset and Mrs. Fox is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Ives, at present living in the same county.

A sister of Mrs. Fox has been located in Mrs. Lizzie Lawrence, 220 State street. “I have believed for some time that my sister has been demented,” said Mrs. Lawrence yesterday.

The coroner has taken charge of the body and after the inquest it will probably be shipped back to Mrs. Fox’s people at Winterset for interment.

Coroner Beck will hold the inquest over the remains sometime this week, although the exact date is not been set. “The case is clearly suicide,” he said last night.