The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-07-08
MRS. NELSON H. SHERMAN
A HISTORY OF THE WOMAN AR
RESTED FOR The MURDER
OF THREE HUSBANDS
AND EIGHT CHILD
rem.
ARSENIC AS A SEDATIVE.
IWorld De.by. Conn. letter

|
and fathers one refined and educated
young lady, and seven boys and girls, six
Of then. being her offspring, and all less
| than ten years of age.
| Mrs. Nelson ii. Sherman, nee Lydia
| Danburry, was born ut Burlington, n. j.
| When she was less than year old her
mother died and her father became a
| butcher at Trenton. She lived under the
paternal roof until her father remarked,
| when not liking her step-mother, she went
| to live with her aunt at New Brunswick.
Here she remained until II years old,
when she became acquainted with Edward
Struck, police officer in one of the upper
wards of New York city, to whom she was
married. Struck had been married before,
and had two children who were now plac-
cd under guardians. The newly married
couple lived together about seven years,
during which time six children were born. |
And now begin the awful events which
throw such an air of mystery around the |
woman who Is now confined in this house,
accused of eleven murders. First her hus-
band was taken sick and suddenly died.
1t appears that a physician attended who
| said he didn't know what the man died of.
The symptoms, as described by those who
saw him, were those of person who had
taken poison. Mrs. Sherman said the
cause Of his death was his getting up in
the absence Of the doctor and taking the
wrong medicine. Subsequentto the death
of her husband, her children, six in num-
Der, all died inside Of about two years, and
not one seemed to know what allied them,
except this--they all died suddenly.
COOP INVESTMENT.
Mrs. Shcrman-or Mrs Struck as she
was then named-spent two years after
, the death of her first husband as q scam.
stress and nurse. She next got employ
r ment in sewing machiue store in canal
:, street, where she made the acquaintance
u of Mr.. Curtis who afterwards engaged
n her to live with his mother at Stratford,
i, about nine miles from this place. 1t was
= while living there that she became &C.
a quainted with her second husband, a man
n named Hurlbut, who lived at Huntington,
and who was thought to be quite well Oft.
n Mrs. Sherman protested great fondness
}. for her husband, and was not long before
he had made will bequeathing all his
y property to her in the event of his death.
c They lived on, apparently happy, the
neighbors noticing that every time he re-
3 turned from his business she met him at
" the door and kissed him. Time passed on,
and one day DIR. Church, the village ply
stefan, was summoned to attend Mr.
e Hurlburt. On arriving AZ the house he
4 found him suffering acute pains in the head
and stomach accompanied by an intense
, burning, MS if the patient had violent
fever. DIR. Church, becoming alarmed at
the critical condition of his patient, sent
for consulting physicians. "Old Hurlburt"
died before the doctors had agreed upon
!, diagnosis, and was buried out of sight.
HUSBAND NO 3.
Nelson III. Sherman was skillful me-
chanic and man much loved for his GO
NAL spirits. A little more than year
and half ago his wife died leaving him
with four children, the eldest, n son named
Nelson, aged II daughter Addie, aged
IA; another boy, Matte" aged years,
and an infant FIVE months old. The widow
of Mr.. Hurlbut was still living in the same
place. He there first met Mr.. Hurlbuts
widow-his future wife. They woro mar
ric1 in September, 1869, and went to Mas
sachusetts on wedding tour. Returning
they settled in the house where the wife is
5 now prisoner From that stage on to
the present time the facts relating to the
career of this mysterious woman are
clearer and more terrible in proportion.
The next person to become suddenly ill'
was Mr.. Sherman's infant by his former
: wife, which died in few days. The next
victim, either to the devilish designs Of
the prisoner or to the strangest series of
I fatalities on record was the much-loved
daughter Of Mr.. Sherman. This young
lady was in the very bloom of health, al
ways vivacious and remarkably intelligent
4 She was the idol of her father and the ia
q vorite of many friends.
4 In the middle Of last winter she also was
!. taken suddenly ill., Her father, as SCOT
n as he found that her symptoms were dan
d gerous, became greatly alarmed, and sum
\ moncd the advice OF number of physi
ir clans. The symptoms Of all these cases ap
Of peared to be tho same-that of acute pain
ne in the head and stomach, with intense fe
yer. The doctors found it impossible
IA help the girl, and in few days she wa
lying in the grave beside her infant siste
at THE PRISONER.
III. l drove over from New Haven to-day
in there being no trains huntingdon tn
Of purpose OF looking upon the face of thi
oy most extraordinary prisoner, and Of talk
nv ing with her, provided she had anythiD
lie, she wished to say to a stranger and repre-
lie sentative of the press Mrs. Sherman wa
.e- in her own sitting room, where she ha,
sat with her husband and his children
l. many day and evening. At the sid
ed door, leading through little hallway in
~ to the room where she was imprisoned,
ID met police officer, who readily admitted
no me.
~ Mrs. Sherman was seated on one side Of
#. large sofa, with pillow for q rest wher
" she wished to recline. found the pris
ID oner tall woman, about forty years old
rather slim, with n sallow complexion, and
he sharp, firm features. She was dressed in
I'd llgbt-colored, cheap calico dress, and
" thin neglige shawl was worn around hel
ed shoulders. She sat with a pin in hel
hand, with which she kept picking at her
finger nails, or else at her clothing, proba
bly, more from the force of habit Of sowing
than from any want of self-possession
Her manner was quite cool and collected
When she spoke she talked off-hand anc
N free. ] should say that she was woman
Dr of little intellect, but great deal of firm
n ness and not little cunning. She has
4 dark eyes, quite large and thin black hair
W which was done up plain. The only way
v she had of betraying her feelings was at
ID occasional spasmodic lifting of the chin
NJ and simultaneous twitchng of the lips
a the way some women have for silent self
rs assertion. In the absence of the prisoner
10 counsel RETAINED from asking the wo.
= man any questions which might tend to
"a commit her. She said she felt quite con.
10 tented where she was, as it would be USE
~ less TO be otherwise.