Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-12-03

n.ema Miller. ehe ylurderess~UteP
Conf. s.iOm 81 IN Cr1sse~.
lena Miller. Who paid The penalty OF the
r-;ne =. mnrAering her husband on the
ec.ffald . fey dass since, Va the town Of
Cle.rgeld. Pa, las made the following as
nER CONFESSION.
first though. of numbering my husband
ia tie summer of 1865 I uied first TO
peison him With tea made with laurel leaves
Aad The filings Of q brass buckle. Then
with the QUICKSILVER oil the back OF a lcok-
ine glass. Then gave hlm, in two doses.
a bottle Of lauianum, which | GOT from
Or. Potter FOR the cramp. Then, one day,
gong after the cows, killed small, green
grass snake, which boiled and gave t.
him in coffee. All these things were given
either in tea or coffee, according a. one or
the other WAS used n meals. None ci
them had the least effect upon him-did not
even make him sick The time occupied
in giving them ali was about four weeks. |
then CAV: IL up. because did not know u
anything which would kill him. But !
thought Of il every day. and could not get
il out of my mind, trying - think OF some
thing 10 poison him with. At last remem-
Something at tho store 10 poison rats with.
The next time | wen, to Mr.. Crsnston's
store, which was in the latter part OF June
1866. asked for rat poison Tho first
he gave me, upon my asking him, he said
would not xii! man, bu. would make him
very sick. then asked him for something
stronger, and be gave me the arsenic and
told me how TO use il. Miller never told
me 70 get any "rat poison" and my little
cir. sworc to that because told her to do
SO took il home, bu, IN day or two
Miller went 10 the Horse Shoe, and was
gone until Saturday, and had no oppoTlu-
nifty to give il to him. lie came home on
Saturday at noon, (June 30th) and as sup
per l put teaspoonful in some RICE and set
I, a tbs plate. lie took two or three knife
fuls, then got up from the table and went
out on the porch, where he commenced to
vomit. The vomiting continued more or
less frequently until bed time, when he told
me lie felt better. The next morning ! gave
him what you could hold on the point Of .
pom knife In his coffee. This made him
sick again. Then gave it TO him again 1t
night and 90 on, in about the same guam
,ity, two or three tines dsy-ths number
of times depending on whether there were
atraugcrs 1T the house or not-until the
l0th Of July, the day DR.. Litz came first,
when the paper ran out; had given him oil.
On the 18th Of July, after dinner, went to
| tho store to get some vinegar 10 mix mus
tard plaster With for his breast, a. the doc.
tor had told me. could not get rid Of the
thought that must not give It up, and 30 !
| bought another paper OF the same kind OF
"rat poison" as | got before. | left the
| store about three o'clock and got home
| about four. Miller was much worse.
| could hear the death rattle" and KNOWN,
| that no WAS about to die did not give him
any more. wont aud told some of the
nsighbors that they must come over. that be
was going 10 die that night. lie did die the
| next day. never opened the las. paper OF
poison which bought, but put it in the
cupboard, where it remained three days
after the funeral. then took il and put it
in my pocketbook, and carried it two days,
when one morning, going over to Mrs. Pre-
tots, found 1t in my pocket, out of The
| pocketbook, with my tobacco, and fearing
that might poison my self threw il away
| where | sad | bad done it but ~ was
| noticing especially those who were with me,
AID not where was throwing it, could
not tell exactly the spot. Besides, the
ground was covered with laurel, and il hal
r4incd in the meantime, and as the run
| small s,rosml il there close to the road, j,
may 'avc fallen into that, 50 that it could
not be found. The powder which was found
on the clock was the one len ny Dr. Lit2
on the l2,h, to be given that night, but as
Ia diod before that he never got it, The
powder they came out to get, and gave him
the night before lie died, was the powder
left by DR.. liiz on his first visit gave
him al the medicine the doctor left, Just a.
he tod mo. Ny motive for killing him
was, bccsnse he treated ue bndly and
abused me so. lie mane me work hard on,
doors, on thu farm. lie would sometimes
| get mad and knock me down, and the mark
" abuse could often be seen upon my body
| could not live with him any longer, and
could not leave him. because could no,
bear TO leave my children, whom l loved
dearly. As soon, however, ~ | saw he Was
dead, was alarmed and sorry had done il
| could not bear to look at him after he wa.
dead, aud, after the funeral, was restive--
| cong all about and afraid to stay in IN,
house on account Of "spooks." know
! and feel that have committed a great sin
ana lsupwle Ike my punishment to he us.
hui lHak & cod. and trust that be vii
forgive me.