The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-11-28

| ilolh Ut. otter lor tne cramp. liner
some indigo. Then, one day, going af
ter the COWS, | killed a small, green
| grass snake, which boiled aud gave t.
him in coffee. All these things wer,
| given either in tea or coffee, according
as one or the other was used at meals
None Of them had the least effect upon
him-did not even made.hi sick. The
time occupied in giving them all, was
about four weeks. l then gave it up,
because [ did not knowi of anything
which would kill him. But thought
of it every day, and could not get it out
Of my mind, trying to think of some~
thing 20 poison HIM with. At last |
remembered that some of the neighbors
had got something at the store to poison
rats with. The next time went to Mr..
Cranston's store, which was in the latter
part Of June, (lS66) I asked for "rat
poison" The first he gave me, upon
my asking him, he said it would not
kill man but make him very sick [
then asked him for something stronger.
and he gave me the arsenic and told me
how to use it. (NIiller never told ne
to get any rat poison" and my little
gill swore to that because l told her 10
do SOY | took it home, but, in a day or
two, Miller went to the Horse Shoe,
and was gone until Saturday, and L had
no opportunity to give it to him. He
came home on Saturday, at noon, (June
3Oth,) and at supper put teaspoonful
in some rice and set it at his plate. He
took two or three knife-fulls, and then
got up from the table and went out On
the porch, where he commenced to vom.
it. The vomiting continued more or
less Frequently until bed time, when
he told me he felt better. The next
morning | gave him what you could
hold on the point of pen-knife, in his
coffee. This made him sick again
Then [ gave it to him again at night;
and so ou, III about the same quantity,
two or three times day-the number
of times depending on whether there
we're strangers at the house or not-up,
til the 10th OF July, the day DR.. Litz
came first, when the paper ran out; I
had gtoen him all. On the 11th of Ju
ly after dinner, / went to the Store to
Isl ESt sSma %l} v9efar o S,p mT a. ppgSStard pas
had told ME. l could not get rid of
the thought that must not give it up,
and so | bought another paper of the |
same kind of "rat poison" as | got be- |
fore. | left the store about three o'clock
and got home about four. Miller was
much worse. I could hear the "death
raltlcs," and knowing then that he was
about to die, I did not gire him any
more. l went and told some of the
neighbors that they must come over,
that he was going to die that night.
He did die the next day. I never open
ed the last paper of poison which |
bought, but put it in the cupboard,
where it remained for three days after
the funeral, | then took it and put it in
my pocket book, and carried it two days,
when, one morning, going over to Mrs.
Prctotts, l found it in my pocket, out
Of the pocket-book, with my tobacco,
aud fearing that L might poison myself
[ threw it away, where [ said | had
done it; but as | was noticing especial
Iy those who were with me, and not
where | was throwing it, l could not
tell exactly the spot. Besides, the
ground was covered with laurel, and it
had rained in the meantime and as the
run (small strcam) is there close to the
road, it may have fallen in that, so that
It could lot be found. The powder
which was found on the clock, was the
'ne left by DR.. Litz, on the 18th, to be
given him that night, but as he died be-
'ore that, ne never got it. The powder
hey came out in the kitchen to get,
md gave him the night before he died,
vas a powder left by DR.. Litz on his
list visit. l gave him all the medicine
he Doctor left, just as he told me.
My motive for killing him was, be-
,ause he treated me badly and abused
ne so, He made me work hard out.
loors on the farm. He would some
lines get mad and knock me down, and
he marks of abuse could often bo seen
lpon my body. l could not live with
lin any longer, and l could not leave
lin, because l could not bear to leave
ny children, whom | loved dearly. AS
Don, however, as I saw he was dead, l
vas alarmed and sorry that | had done
t. could not bear to look at him after
le was dead, and, after the funeral, was
cstive-going all about and afraid to
tay in the house on account of 'spooks.'
know and feel that | have commits
ed great sin, and acknowledge my
punishment to be just; but look to the
mercy Of God, and trust that he will
orgive me.
A negro, former slave of JEFF. Da-
is, has been, it is said, made a MissisS
ippi Justice of the Peace. Since his