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The Diaries of Ralph Leland Goodrich, 1859-1867
March 13, 1867 Snow & very cold. The snow some time ago was nearly a foot in depth. This one about two inches. If this weather continues, I do not know what we shall do to live. Oh God, have mercy on me. Prosper me in my school or anything as thou seest fit. This month so far has been unusually soft & muddy -- considerable rain & snow. One of the rain storms was followed by a sulphur like substance on the water in buckets under the eaves. There was thunder & lightning during the storm. It might have been suphur indeed generated by the lightning. Studying German & anatomy as diligently as I can. March 14, 1867 Cold. Few boys in school. Called on Dr. Hartt. Said he had been to see Lewis [or Louis] Kumpe's wife. He had shot her about 12 o'clock & then went off about a square & shot himself. he shot her through the head. She lived about a half hour. She was the daughter of the painter Bradbury. he was alive when the doctor saw Kumpe. His wife had had illicit intercourse with a blacksmith, had written letters to him, & wanted him to take her. It appears she was of a loose character. It is supposed he heard of it. They had separated a short time before. He borrowed a pistol of a friend to do the deed. He could not have thought of killing himself as he had gone nearly a block before it occurred to him, in order to escape punishment, to shoot himself. Some say that they did not think him courageous enough to shoot any one or to kill himself. What were his motives? By what process of reasoning he came to do the deed, no one knows. It is a queer streak of human nature. He might have loved & became jealous & in a bit of passion done the deed & then from fear of punishment killed himself. Some suppose being disinherited by his father, hard to make a living, not easy to get work, or money, nothing to do, disappointments &c. He took this means to put both forever out of trouble here. He did not have much education.
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