The New York herald., 1871-11-14
THE CONNECTICUT MURDDRESS
LUCRETIA RORGIA RIVALLED.
Mrs. Lydia Sherman on Trial for
Her Life.
An Adjournment Until the De-
oember Term.
Graphic Interview with the Woman Ac-
cused Of Putting Nine Persons to
Rest-The Silent Graves Give
Up Their Secrets.
The Struck Family. Of Now York, and How they
Died-A beautiful Girl Has Prssentment
Of Death and Gives Directions for Her
q Obsequies = Was she One Of
krs Sherman's Victinlsl


Obsequies = Was she One Of
Ers sherman's victinlsi
NEW HAVEN, Conn.,, Nov. IL, 1871.
The trial OF human being at any time Tor mur-
DER N well calculated 10 excite the mind OF the
community where the accused Is known; but when
the person charged with 80 grave o crime il q fe.
male much more interest taken in all the details.
This is shown In the case Or Laura Fair OF San Fran
cisco, and Mrs. Wharton, 06 Baltimore, who are ac
cuscd OF the awful crime OF life-takiag. Here in
Connecticut Is case Of alleged poisoning that far
overtops both these cases, for Mrs. Sherman sus.
pected Of having committed
SERIES OF MURDERS.
and not combining her administration OF deadly
draughts to adults but causing the death OF limo.
cent little ones, whose pratting tongues she had 80
often listened to, and f0r whose welfare she had
shown mothers solcitude.
No wonder, then, that the arrest OF LYDIA Sher-
man In July last for murder caused o c0mmOtion
in the aristocratc circles OF Birmingham, Conn.,,
where several OF the alleged murders were commit
ted and that the people Or this county should again
revive th,ir interest In the case the eve OF her
trial by jury for the murder OF her husband. Ho-
ratio N. Sherman, Of Birmingham, In May last, by
means Of arsenical poison.
before Justice Platt was held at Birmingham, in
this county, tile eth and 7th July last; but while
1t is believed she has poisoned nine persons, she
was examined only upon the charge OF numbering
her husband. Al her final trial commences Tues
day, VIII give brief
RESUME or THE CASE,
as developed upon the July examination
II appears that some time In the fall oi last year
Mrs. Sherman, who was then the widow OF Dennis
Hurlburt, who nad died very suddenly and mysterl-
ously after willing his property, worth $4,000, to
her, made the acquaintance Of Horatio N. sherman.
widower, employed In factory ut Birmingham.
For several weeks she visited MS family-wh,ch con-
sisted Of himself four children, the youngest OF
whom was aged one year-and finally, about a year
ago, they were married, and Mrs. Sherman was in-
stalled as the second wife Of Sherman. FRANK, the
youngest child Of saernan, was taken sick in
December and after lew days. illness, while under
the care OF hts stepmother, aud Of his grandmother,
ALL TIE sYMrrons or AssENIcAL POISON.
A few weeks later another cnhu, Ada, beautlful
girl aged nfteen, and . universal iavor,te in the
village. was taken sick and died on New YEARS.
poison In the May following sherman, VINO was o
dlssipated man, was taKen III and died, with the
symptoms OF arsencal poison, on the 18th OF tina I
month. The evidence o. DIR. Ambrose Bearhsley
the Health Ofcer o. the town and tho physician
AMER Snermanu e. In Lyda 5eft f0r New Ssrssy
ostensiDly on a visit Dr. Bearsisley's suspicious
having been aroused, he communicated with DR..
Pinny, post m0rtem examination was had upon
THE GRAVES OF THE CHILDREN WERE OPENED
the contents OF the stomachs secured and sent to
The parties VINO mad taken these preliminary
proceedings acted very secretly and on receiving
Inc report Of the chemists mat sufficient arsenic
was found In the st0machs OF each victlm 10 cause
death they instituted inquiries into
THE ANTEcRDENTs OF MRS. SHERMAN,
when the facts OF her marriage TO Dennis Hurlbnrt,
q wealthy farJuer living In an adjoining town, and
his mysterious death, were ascertalnei. One very
or wa was that the only person VINO was an occupant
OF the house with MIN during his illness was his
wife-the accused
HIS GRAVE WAS OPENED,
the stomach secured ana sent to New Haven Tor
analysis. Unmistakable evidence OF poison was
found in Its contents. Having care ully woven the
web Of clrcumstantial evidence around the accused
DR.. Beardsley and his associates communicated their
investlgations to A. H. GILBERT. the local Grand
Juror, who went before Judge Pratt and secured
warrant for tne arrest Of the female B0rgia This
was placed In the hands Of Of Sheriff Henry A. Blake.
her, conveyed her 10 Birmingham, where the pre-
limnary investigation already referred to was had,
Die. o ana George B. waterous fR o New Raven, and as S
NJ Gardener, OF Derby Tor the Defence After
tnree days. patient hearing she was
COMMITTED TO THE COUNTY JAIL
Of New Haven on the charge OF poisoning her nus-
This IS considered one Of the weakest cases or all
the alleged murders committed by her In TINS State,
aud upon 1t she Is TO be tried first Tne evidence
heretofore gwen shows that she could have no In
centtve 10 the murder OF Sherman unless
TO RID HERSELF OF WORTHLESS HUSBAND,
she had sqnandered several thousand dollars in
heri,ed from HurDurt that she might marry more
wealthy one. In the death OF the children she
could not achieve any gain; hence the absence OF q
motive IN making away with the sherman family
for whose members she had betrayed much anec.
ton, strong point IN favor OF ner innocence. In
the death OF her previous husband, HurourL
THERE WAS AN INCENTIVE
suspected. lie was wealthy ana mad made ms VIII,
bequealnng all hts effects 70 her. He was taken
sck m ana .. n 70
Dr. shelton was Called prescribed, and Hurlburt
died three days after, and was
LAID AWAY IN HIS LAST SLEEP,
no one being iu the house who could administer
poison but the accused, who attended him In his
illness. Yet. Professor George I. Barker, who made
the analysis OF the stomach, swears that Dennis
HurlDurt died rom arsenica poison. II acquitted
on the charge OF poisoning the sherman family the
case OF Hurlbur ~ so suspicious against her that
she win likely be tried for his sudden taking OF.
But the alleged crimes OF LYDIA sherman stop
not with The recital OF the ABOVE. rhcre are grave
suspicious that years anterior 70 her appearance In
Connecticut sue
CoMPAssED THE DEATH OF FIVE PERSONS
in your city by the subtle drug, arsenic.
About the year Is46, there resided In Manhattan
vile Edward Struck a coachmaker by occupation,
in the employ OF man named Butler. Struck at
this time was wid0wer, and IN that year he mar.
RED the prisoner, who bore him several children.
Tney hyed together several years, Mrs. struck
(now Sherman) being regular
COMMUNICATE IN THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
OF Manhafranvilie
In 1864 struck died. after short illness, and was
buried VI trinity cemetery. lie was appointed on
the police iorce IN January, 1857, and dlsmisseDn
DECEMBER, 1867, for violation OF rules. The next
member OF the family that ''snuilled or the mortal
coil" was Edward Struck, Jr., aged about four
years, who followed mis- father on July 8, 1854 TO
Trinity cemetery, and the same day his little sister
Martina died, aged SIX years and nine months. The
next to fnd resting place in Trinity was william
Struck aged nine mouths and fifteen days. Then,
nN In Asv. ,Isx,
twelve years, died. and was lad away 10 rest In the
family plot But death did nos stop here. ON May
10, 1865 l., dia struck an accomplished young lady
aged eighteen gears, eight months ana eevcn days.
breathed her last at the family residence. The
record In
The BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS
OF this city s as follows:-
Edward Struck aged nitynine years. residence Tenth
avenue; brhpace, New jersey; cied consumption; In
TERED at Trinity Cemetery; died May % 1854 attending ply