Belle Reynolds

REYNOLDS, GOLDSBERRY, MOORE, SMITH, HOUSER, YOUNG

Posted By: Phyllis Hazen (email)
Date: 6/12/2021 at 20:55:34

The Muscatine Daily Journal
Tuesday, 9 December 1884, page 2

Suicide of Miss Belle Reynolds.

The suicide of Miss Belle Reynolds at the County Farm Sunday evening as mentioned last evening, was produced by the young woman taking carbolic acid. The inquest held by Coroner Austin yesterday elicited the fact that she was 27 years old, the daughter of a widow living near Grandview, and had been a “help” to Mrs. Goldsberry for about three years. She had been laboring under an apparent depression for some time, and made no secret of her wish and intention to end her life. Mrs. Goldsberry testified she had heard her speak of taking her life and Mr. Goldsberry was informed on Saturday of her saying that she would drown herself, and had also known of her having carbolic acid in her possession, and had taken some from her last Wednesday and thrown it away. G. W. Moore, a farm hand, testified that she often spoke of her troubles, spent the night crying, and told him in what clothes she wanted to be buried.

Mr. and Mrs. Goldsberry, both had heard her screams Sunday evening, and going to her room, was told by her that she had taken carbolic acid to end her troubles, though Mrs. G. understood that it was creosote.

Dr. Cal. Smith was summoned, and he testified before the jury that when he arrived at the house, deceased was unconscious and pulseless and beyond relief. On a pot-mortem he found considerable carbolic acid in her stomach.

The Coroner’s jury, consisting of A. M. Winn. Morgan Houser and David Young, returned a verdict that deceased was a subject of melancholia, and came to her death by taking carbolic acid with suicidal intent.

It will relieve the case of much of its painful mystery to say that deceased suffered a betrayal, ten or twelve years ago, the injustice of which had always preyed upon her mind, inducing the ... (article cut off)

The Muscatine Daily Journal
Thursday, 11 December 1884, page 2

Coroner Austin calls our attention to a misreport in the city press of the testimony of Mr. Moore at the inquest over the remains of Belle Reynolds at the County Farm. It was the elder Mrs. Goldsberry to whom deceased spoke of the clothes in which she wished to be buried, and Mr. Moore only testified to his going for a physician.