THE PIEDMONT TRAGEDY.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1408, 12 July 1881, Page 3

THE PIEDMONT TRAGEDY.

The long list of tragical sensations ■which have brought shame on California during the past year or two was swelled, a few days ago, by the suicide of Miss Ida Foster, at Piedmont Springs, near Oakland. Miss Ida Foster, a pretty girl of respectable parentage, but evidently of a wilful and indiscreet disposition, met and loved, some two years ago, one Miles B. Dodge, a tailor by trade, and far more literally the " ninth part of a man " than most tailors are. Dodge is a little pinheaded fellow, whose highest ambition hap always been to over-dreB9 himself and pass for a full-grown "masher." To gratify this taste^ he has, on more than one occasion, stupidly got himself into sundry disreputable scrapes, and is even now on trial forattemptingto extort money from a gambler, which tersely shows how big a little fool he must necessarily be. But though Ida was in love with Miles 8., it appears that the feeling was not reciprocated to any extent, for in the midst of their courtship Dodge married the daughter of a San Francisco policeman. Ida knew of this marriage, though her parents, it is said, were ignorant of it, but her lover's faithlessness did not abate her unaccountable infatuation. Dodge, on his part, with characteristic impudence, continued to visit his old flame, until practically kicked out of her house, on the tiue state of affairs becoming known. The next scene in the tragedy was the arrest of Dodge for the attempt to extort money, which we have already referred to. Being released on bail, he, of cour&e, fled the city, but soon returned, and again secretly resumed his relations with Miss Foster, by means of clandestine meetings, moonlight buggy rides, &c. Thus the matter stood until last Sunday, when the pair met by appointment m Oakland and drove out to Piedmont Springs. It appears from the evidence given before the coroner that this last drive was anything but a pleasant one. The young lady was of an extremely jealous disposition, and accused her lover of having intimate relations with other women. In all human probability she wis right in her suspicions — surely she, of all women could expect nothing else— but he denied it, and a general pulling of hair and scratching of faces was the result of his denial. Exartly what happened after they reached the grounds at Piedmont nobody knows. Piobably their mutual recriminations became more bitter and violent than ever. It is alleged that Dodge struck her (as it is said he had on former occasions), but however this may be, the endence goes to show that the poor girl— frenzied by jealousy, despaii, and fury — took advantage of Dodge's momentary absence to swallow a dose of strychnine, with which she had provided herself a week or two before. Dodge, returning, found her in spasms. Assistance was, summoned, but shortly after being carried up to the house, tho unhappy young woman expired.