Bateman - Prudence - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Peculiar circumstances surround the death of Mrs. Prudence Bateman, which occured at her rooms last evening in the Union Block over Truitt's grocery. She died in a convulsion superitenduced by narcotic poisoning but whether the opiate was taken with suicidal intent or merely to relieve pain is a question of doubt. Mrs. Bateman and her 10-year-old son lived in neatly kept apartments alone and the latter returned from school at noon to find his mother lying on the floor in a stupor. Drs. Barcus and May were summoned and saw at a glance that she was suffering from an overdose of an opiate, probably morphine. They resorted to the usual practice and there was soon indication of improvement. She continued to mend until about supper time when she arose and attempted to go into an adjoining room without assistance. However the unfortunate woman had overestimated her own poers for she had taken scarcely a dozen steps when she was seized with a violent convulsion and died in a few minutes. During the time she was partially rational Mrs. Bateman offered no explanation nor assigned any reason for her sudden illness. Several days ago she remarked to a friend "something surprising would happen in a few days" which gives rise to the impression that she might have been contemplating suicide. On the other hand she has been sick and taken medicine for quite awhile and may have easily taken an overdose. The deceased was about 50 years old and the wife of Noah Bateman, residing at prsent in Boone County but have not lived together for several years. She was an industrious, hard working woman and had quite a hard struggle to provide for the education of her young son and a roof and table for them both. The husband and two daughtesr of the deceased responded to a telegram and arrived from Boone County this morning. - kbz

For some time past Mrs. Prudence Bateman, aged about 50 years, has resided with her son, Frank, aged 13, in a room over Truitt’s grocery store. She was the wife of Noah Bateman, a rather thriftless carpenter, from who she parted several years ago. Bateman, with his son, Will, and two daughters, removed to Whitestown, near Lebanon, and Mrs. Bateman with her son, Frank, stayed here. She has been in straitened circumstances all the time and for the past few months had been in miserable health. Last winter her right arm was paralyzed so that she could only work with her left. But she worried along somehow or other, being assisted by the township trustee, and managed to keep her son in school. She kept her room in scrupulously clean order and was noted about the rather unsavory roost as a neat housekeeper. She had been in low spirits for the past week or so and last Saturday remarked to Dave Freeman that “something would happen soon.” She was about as usual when Frank went to school yesterday morning, but when he returned at noon he found her lying insensible on the floor, frothing in a violent convulsion. The little fellow called in D. T. Ridge and Dr. Barcus and Dr. May were hastily summoned. They worked with her for several hours, but she never regained consciousness and died about 5 o’clock. The doctors pronounced the case to be one of morphine poisoning but whether intentional or accidental, they, of course, could not say. She left no word and beyond the fact that she left everything in perfect order and had been very gloomy there are no evidences of suicide. It is not known where she was an opium eater but she probably was. Her elder son telegraphed last night that the family would be here today from Whitestown. – thanks so much to “S” – one great typist