The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1872-08-07

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STRANGLED--TIIE FATHERS INTENI
PERANCE DETuRoNING a MOTHER,
REASON, AND ENDING IN Ills
DAuGHTER's $ DEATH.
About q year ago the four rooms
on tho third floor Of 1873 Stanton
street werc engaged by q family
OF three persons, Charles Elliott
compositor employed by Styles
Il Cash, 95 Eighth avenue, his
Wife Margaret and their daughter
jamie, at that time 1Gycnrs of agc
Sho had been educated to bo a
Govcrncss, and possessed highly
cultivated mind and remarkable
personal attractions.
Tho family seemed to be very
retiring, and kept aIoof from the
other inmates Of tho house, with
tho exception of jamie, who was
general favorito. Her health
was far from good, and hcrparonts
wcro reluctantly compelled to
abandon the idea Of making hor q
govorncss. Not wishing to re-
main idle, the young girl somo
time ago obtained employment in
hat manutactory at SIS week.
Until about three weeks ago tho
Elllotts wcro living worry con-
tcntcdly, tho father, who was u
steady, hard d-worlsing man, earning
q salary sufficient to moct all their
wants, and jamie, who was idoliz-
cd by her parents, being permit
tea to apply her tivo dollars week
~ to her own uses.
At this timo their troubles be-
gan. Tho father lost his situation,
and after few fruitlcss efforts to
obtain another, he gavo it up and
began to drink.
Mrs. Elliott, who dislilzcd to 500
her daughter working, begged
her to abandon it, as hor father
would soon obtain employment.
jamie replied that it was more
than evor necessary to work now,
and from that timo she bravcly
continued to support tho family,
in spite Of her failing health.
Under the pressure Of tho trou-
blcs crowding upon her, Mrs. El-
ilott's mind began to give way,
but though tho inmates Of tho
house observed it, her daughter
was too much cngrossed in tho
struggle for broad to notice tn,
change, and hor husband spent so
little Of his time at homo that the
gradual collapse Of his wifc's in
tollcct passed almost unobscrvcd.
When jamie at length comprc-
honded tho nature Of hor mothers
malady she almost sank beneath
tho shock. But money had to be
procured, and the young girl rallied
her energies and untaltcringly
worked harder than before.
Always fragile and delicate, sho
grew weaker and moro attonuatcd
day by day. She had never known
tho amuscmcnts so natural to
girls Of her age, as her parents,
though their entire affection was
centred on their only child, on tor
tanned tho strictest notions Of
propricty, and allowed their
daughter to enter q thoatre or u
ballroom only y on raro occasions,
and ncver with any escort except
her father.
AS tho Fourth Of July, which
was Jario's seventeenth Birthday,
approached, Mrs. Elliott's malady
increased. Thus fur she had con-
ductcd herself without any ap.
proach to violence, and spoke SO
nationally that strangers could
hardly crodit tho fact Of hor in
sanity.
But few days ago hor madness
assumed II moro direct form.
Among other things, sho imagined
that u German named Stcvelor, oc-
cupying the top floor, had formed
a dcsign to blow up the house on
the 9th Of July, u notion which
doubtless owed its origin to tho
constant explosions Of crackers
and fireworks around her. On
ono occasion she summoned an
officer, and, charging that Stcvelor
intended to kill her daughter and
herself, cndcavorcd to procure
his arrest. Tho officer seeing at
once how matters stood, refused
to comply. Hor vigilance in guard
ing against imaginary danger nev-
or relaxed for a moment, and all
day long she paced tho room arm
ed with a large carving knife.
lIcr daughters safety appeared to
be n far greater object to her than
her own, and while the girl slept
she paced, watchful and walsoful,
outside tho door for hours.
Tho lodgcrs, fearing that sho
might do her daughter somo in
jury, begged tho lat:or to havo hor
secured, or at least to be on hor
guard against her. Poor jamie
entertained no fear. 1t was inn
possible, sho said, that hor mother,
who had idolized her from tho
cradle, would harm hor in her
most fronzied moment.
On the 4th Of July mother and
1auphtor Vnro ot homo oil dov