Daily Ardmoreite. (Ardmore, Indian Terr.), Vol. 1, No. 214, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 10, 1894
carries a sad story on its front page of a woman who committed suicide
in east Ardmore. She left behind a letter she had received from a
brother in law that had 'blasted' her and the two letters she wrote to
him and to her estranged husband. Then, she laid down on a bed, placed a
chloroform cloth over her face and died. She was known as Vivia Gale
alias Rose Welch.
The newspaper alleged she was a fallen woman, who had been widely known
the year before playing piano for a musical comedy troupe, but her
letter indicate that perhaps more was going on in her life and that
truly she was a victim of circumstances facing a woman on her own.
Her brother in law was identified in the article and the letter as J.M.
Barton of Iowa Park, Texas and her husband as John Gale of Butte,
Montana. A later article in another paper will identify him as "J.O. Gale of Spokane Falls, Washington."
The news writer was quick to point out that she was a fine example of
womanhood and did not appear as many in that life but left the reader
with the assurance she was indeed such a woman of ill repute.
Strangely, townsfolk, allegedly stepped forward to give her a decent
burial but the second news article carrying that story does not say
where she was buried or who may have shown the 'Christian charity' such
an act required.
It was a sad tale and one that may answer the questions of distant
relatives of these individuals. Attempts to locate a grave for the woman
have so far met with no success. The newspaper indicates she was buried in the Ardmore area but her grave may be unmarked. If anyone knows more about this grave
and these people, I would love to hear more.
All in all it is a cautionary tale for all that forgiveness is the best
gift we can give another human being and charity should be for everyone
and not a select few..
Her haunting fnal words via her last letter was " my heart is breaking that I have been condemned without being given a hearing. Yours, Vivia."
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