Mary Ellen Foust Tritch v Thomas Walker Tritch
A Drunken Doctor with No Patients, Divorce in Williams County, Ohio, 1883
By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 31 December 2021)
This is a major update as I had originally detailed the couple as FRITCH, but I recently discovered the surname was TRITCH.
The physician conducted himself so badly that nobody had any confidence in him. He had no patients; therefore, he had no means of support. He married a Williams County native and proceeded to make her life and that of his two children a miserable existence due to his penchant for wine, women, and song.
Mary Ellen Foust, daughter of Benjamin Shoemaker and Priscilla Markle Foust, was born on 13 February 1858, in Wms Co, OH. Her parents, natives of Berk Co, PA, came to this county in 1845, first settling in Jefferson Twp for the 1850 federal census (p27) and then moving to Bryan, Pulaski Twp in 1868. The family was listed in the 1870 Bryan, Pulaski Twp federal census, p2, as BS Foust 46 PA, Priscilla 52 PA, Ella Jane 13 OH, Martha A 11 OH, and John A 19 OH. The couple had seven children with one dying in the Civil War, two dying in infancy, and four surviving their parents' deaths. Mr. Foust was a member of the coroner's jury who investigated the death of the little Schamp son who was killed by Mr. Tyler, the convicted murderer hung in the 1840's.
Mary Ellen married Thomas Walker Tritch, an Ohio native, on 2 Mar 1876, Wms Co (Marriages V4 p452) and the couple had two known children, Ralph, b. 21 Feb 1877 IN, and Eva Belle, b. 11 Apr 1881, Pulaski Twp (Births V2 p33). Thomas, a physician, was the son of Trisby and Esther Isabell Walker Tritch, was born in Findlay, Hancock Co, OH, on 30 January 1850. He was enumerated with his parents in the 1850 Whitley Co, IN and 1860 Troy, Whitley Co, IN Federal Census records. He graduated from Findlay Normal School in 1872. As a married couple the Tritch family was listed in the 1880 Auburn, DeKa;b Co, IN Federal Census as Thomas W Tritch 30 IN physician, Ella 22 OH, Ralph 3 IN.
From The Kendalville Weekly (Kendalville, IN), 14 April 1881, p5 c2
Dr Tritch, formerly of Auburn, has been in Kendalville a few days engraving. The doctor is an educated gentleman being a graduate of the old reliable homeopathic college in Cleveland, Ohio and enjoyed at one time a good practice in Auburn, but it seems he has abandoned the practice and taken up his old business. Drinking too much whiskey has had considerable to do in the change we judge.
From The Goshen Times (Goshen, IN), 30 November 1882, p3 c4
Dr. Tritch, an engraver has been in our place a number of days doing a job of engraving for Isaac Rowell.
Mary Ellen Tritch stated to the Williams County Civil and Criminal Court (Journal 12 p133 - 28 Nov 1883; Roll 39 case number 1194 - 18 Aug 1883) that she wanted a divorce from husband Thomas. She told a tale of being taken to live in Indiana, away from her friends and family where Thomas failed to provide her with sufficient food, clothing, or fuel. The winters of 1876-1877 and 1879 were extremely cold. What money Thomas had he spent on drink and women. Mary Ellen stated that on 10 May 1879 in Fostoria, Seneca Co, OH, Thomas committed adultery with a Mrs. Folliot and from that day through Sept 1879 he was with other women there. During the years of 1882 and 1883 he lived in Kendalville, IN and had relations with this Mrs. Folliot there as well.
Mary Ellen called witness Will Jones, a 20-year-old man from Fostoria, to tell the court of Thomas' character. Jones said he knew Thomas from Fostoria as an immoral physician who spent his money on whiskey and prostitutes. He knew Thomas was seeing Emma Folliatt, a known prostitute, in Aug 1880. This evidence was enough for the court to grant the divorce.
Ellen Tritch married William Hartle on 20 May 1886 in Williams Co (Marriages V5 #836) and at the time of her father's death on 26 July 1902 she and her husband lived in Ft. Wayne, IN. The 1900 (p27), 1910 (p106), and 1920 (p217) federal census records for Ward 9, Fort Wayne, Allen Co, IN reveal the Hartles with a daughter Catherine L., b Dec 1890. William (born Apr 1862 IN with OH native parents) was a traveling salesman for Swift and Company; sometime between 1900-1910 the couple had another child but the infant did not survive. Ellen’s son Ralph Tritch also lived in Ft. Wayne in 1900 as a coachman for a wealthy couple. William died in Allen Co, IN on 3 May 1931 and was buried in the Lindenwood Cemetery in Ft Wayne. Ella died on 4 April 1937 in Ft Wayne and was laid to rest in Lindenwood Cemetery.
While visiting from Buffalo, NY Thomas Tritch, physician, died at the home of his sister in Findlay, Hancock Co, OH on 13 November 1898 and was buried there in the Maple Grove Cemetery.
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