Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-11-27
LENA MILLER, THE MURDERss So.
Glzi~. a The Crime.

Lena Miller who paid the penalty OF the
crime OF numbering Der husoand on the scanold
8 few DAYS since in the town OF Clearheld, Pa,
L as n ade the folio wing her confession:
] frs thought of numbering my husband In
he summer Of 1865. tried first 20 poison him
with tea made with laurel leaves and the
q ings OF a brass buckle Then W to the QUICK
silver otf the back OF q looking glass. Tneu 1
gave MIN, in two doses, q bottle of laudanurn,
which i got from DR. Potter for he cramp.
Then some indigo. Then. one day. going
after the cows i killed small green grass
snake, which beiled and gave 70 him IN cot
tee. All these things were given either IN tea
or coffee. according as one or the other was
used - meals. None of them had the least
effect upon him did no. even make nim sick
The time occupied in giving them all was
about Tour weeks l then gave 1t up, because
L cio lot know OF any thing which would kuI
him. But thought OF it every day, ana could
not get ~ out OF my mind, trying 70 think OF
somethIng to poison him With. At last L re-
membered that some OF the neigh bors had got
something at the store 70 poison rats wi b.
IBe next time went 20 Mr.. Cranston's store,
which was in the latter part OF June, 1866, L
asked isr .'rat poison" The first be gave me,
upon my asking him he said would not Kill a
man. but would make him very sick. 1 then
asked him for something stronger. and he gave
me the arsenic and told me how to use il.
Miller never told me 70 get any s'rat pois on"
I'D my little girl svore TO thar because / told
her ~ do SOL i took il home, but in a day or
Two Miller went to the Horse Shoe, and was
gone until saturday, and hsd % opportunity
20 give 1t 10 him He came home on Saturday
az noon June BOY and a. supper i put tea
sToopfu in some rice and set il AZ his plate
he took two or three knifefuls. and then got up
from the table and went ont on the porch, where
he commenced 10 vomit. The vomiting con-
t.nued more or less frequent until bedtime,
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 1 gave IL to him
~ night; and so on, in about the same quantity.
two or three times day-the number Of times
he ans n rrho Tha- fhayA
at the house or not-until the 10Th OF July
the day DIR. Litz came first, when the paper
ran out; 4 had given him all. On the 18th Of
July, after dinner, L went 10 the store 10 get
some vinegar 10 mix a mustard plaster with
for his breast, as the doctor Fad told me- 1
could not get rid of the thought hat i must
not give II up, and so bought another paper
of the same kind of "rat poison" as 1 got be.
fore. left the store about three o'clock and
got home about four. Miller was much worse
could hear the death rattles," and know
ing then tina be was about TO die did net
give him any more. / went and told some
OF The neig b bors that they must come over
that he was gong to die that night. He did
DIE the next day. never opened the last
paper OF poison which 1 bought bat put IL in
the cupboard, where il remained three days
alter the funeral. i then took ii and put ir in
my pocket book, and carried IL two days, when,
one morning, going over 70 Mrs. Pretet.'s, 1
found 1t In my pocket out OF the pocket book
with my tobacco. and fearing that I might
poison myself threw il away where 1 said
those who where with me, and not where /
was throwing 1t L could not tell exactly the
spot Besides the ground was covered with
laurel, and 1t had rainsd in the meantime, and
as the IN small stream) is there close to the
road, II may have fallen into that so that il
could not be found. The powder which was
fHund on the clock was the one left by DR..
Liiz on the 18th, 10 be given that night; but as
De died before that he never got II. The DOW
r they came out 10 get, and gave him the
ntgni bsftr' he died, was the powder left by
Dr. Litz on his first visit / gave him all the
medicine the doctor left, Just as he told me-
NV motive for killing him was because he
treated me badly and abused me So He
made me work hard out doors, on the farm
lie would sometimes get mad and knock me
down, and the marks OF abuse could often be
seen upon my body. i could not live with
him any longer, and could not leave him, be-
cause i could not bear to leave nv children
whom loved dearlv. As soon, however a.
1 saw be was dead. i was alarmed and sorry
L had done IT, lcould not Dear to look at him
after ne was dead, and, after the funeral, wa.
Tesuye-g gong all about and afraid TO stay in
the house on account of sspooks" 1 know
and feel that have com mitted great sin, and
acknowledge my punishment to he lust: but
look TO God, and trust that he will forgive
me.