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Mrs. Carrie (Phyfe) Phillips, d, 1894, NY, sp/o W. J. Phillips

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14 Jun 2016 18:18 - 14 Jun 2016 18:19 #1681 by Mamie
A Woman's Fall.

The church bells had scarcely ceased pealing their joyous New Year welcome in New York Monday morning when the soul of a weary woman lying in St. Vincent's Hospital, passed away.

Hospital surgeons say that an overdose of laudanum killed Mrs. Carrie Phillips. Her friends and her husband, whom she was separated, say that while the drug doubtless ended her struggle, yet death's real victory was over a broken heart and a crushed spirit.

Thus ends another chapter in a series of which the first was given to the public seven years ago. Thus died the daughter of a proud old Maryland family.

Mrs. Phillips, a beautiful woman of twenty-six, was chatting with her father, Colonel Alexander Phyfe, Sunday evening, at four o'clock, in her apartment in No. 49 Seventh avenue, New York, where Mrs. Decker manages a fashionable boarding house. For nearly a year she had lived there, separated from her husband, W. J. Phillips, a produce merchant, of 263 Washington street. They had not quarrelled, but for three years she had remained away as a sufferer, it is said, of dipsomania.

She broke one of her legs a year ago and then kidney disease made itself apparent. In order to kill the pain she gradually became accustomed to the use of opiates. While talking to her father she suddenly became drowsy, he said, and fell forward in her chair. Colonel Phyfe lifted his daughter to a sofa and found that he could not waken her. Alarmed, he ran down stairs and found the hostess, Mrs. Decker, in a reception room, and exclaimed:
"Mrs. Phillips seems very ill! What can I do?"
"Go across the street to Dr. Talson; he's been attending her," said Mrs. Decker.

The Colonel, bareheaded, ran across Seventh avenue, to No. 46, where Dr. George W. Talson lives. Fortunately the doctor was in and hurried back with the father. They found Mrs. Phillips in a comatose condition, breathing stertoriously and exhibiting all the symptoms of opium poisoning.

"I have no facilities here," said Dr. Talson. "You'd better rush around to St. Vincent's Hospital and get an ambulance."

Away ran Colonel Phyfe, and ten minutes from the time he turned in a hurry call the patient was at the institution.

She was taken into a special ward, and a stomach pump was put in use. Then hypodermic injections of atropine and inhalations of oxygen, and electricity was tried. From that time until three o'clock New Year's morning a hospital surgeon worked over the unfortunate; then her heart ceased beating.

The Coroner's office was notified, and later in the day Deputy Weston granted a death certificate. In the meantime Colonel Phyfe called and learned the sad news. Shortly thereafter he sent an undertaker to the hospital and the body was taken away.

Meanwhile Mrs. Phillips' husband knew nothing of this tragedy. Nothwithstanding that Monday was the opening of a new year, he and his father went early to their commission house in Washington street. They had been there but a short time when Colonel Phyfe appeared.

Surprised, shocked, almost crushed, Mr. Phillips and his father listened to the news, then they took steps toward the burial. The funeral will be private, and Mr. Phillips had not decided upon the time or place when I called late Monday evening at his residence, No. 233 west 77th street.

Colonel Phyfe came of an old Maryland family and came to New York, where he made money in real estate. He married in 1865 and then had an income of from $30.000 to $40,000 a year. One of the wedding presents he gave to his wife was the house, No. 226 west 46th street. In 1867 his daughter Carrie was born, and for some time financial prosperity reigned. Then the turn came in the tide, and as Carrie grew tall the family fortunes grew smaller.

When the daughter was sixteen years of age she was considered the most beautiful girl in the ninth ward, as old residents there say. Up to the present time her parents have lived there.

Judge Bookstaver listened on December 8, 1886, to a suit brought by Mrs. Phyfe against the Colonel charging him with abandonment. It was decided against her on January 19, 1887, when was made known the fact that the Colonel had brought against her a counter suit for absolute divorce. It was about this time that Carrie married W. J. Phillips, who had come to this city from Virginia, bringing considerable money and all the pride and accomplishments belonging to one who was really a "F. F. V."

The latter invested his capital in business and made a fortune. His accomplishments showed to such an advantage that he obtained the heart and hand of the greatest beauty in the ward, but in October, 1890, they separated. Mr. Phillips has sent his wife a regular allowance and has never let her suffer for the comforts of life. He called to see her frequently at No. 49 Seventh avenue, Mrs. Decker says, and was there three months ago, just before he went West on business. Her mother and father also called often.

Colonel Phyfe is boarding in Thirteenth street, near Sixth avenue, and Mrs. Phyfe lives in Fourteenth street.-N. Y. Herald.

Source: Alexandria Gazette, Alexandria, Virginia, Wednesday Evening, January 3, 1894; Pg. 1, Column 2

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