The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-06-23
Hester Dethrldge ID Real Life.
Mrs. Lamb Forced by Phantom to
Poison her Children and NeIghBors.

Lamb, ut Ellsworth, Wis, the prosecu'
ton rested after proving the facts as to
lie killing of Mrs. ottman. The dc.
fence, admitting that Mrs. Lamb poi
sOned Mrs. 0ttman aud volunteering
to prove that shO also poisoned to
death her two children and her neigh.
Dor Garland. hare set up that the
woman, being Of weak Mild tnedu.
Gated, and superstitious, is, because Of
chronic disease, subject to periodically
recurring attacks Of insanity which at
the times she committed the murders
caused her to imagine she heard n
supernatural voice she dared not dis.
obey directing and commanding her to
take away their lives. THIS theory they
have supported by the evidence OF DR.,
], A. B0wker, Of Charleston, Orleans
county, Vt, who pronounced her in.
sane twenty-three years ago, and ut
that time knew Of her insanity taking
such form It is further supported by
the observations VI her intimate ac-
quaintances Of late years, ana by
examinations conducted by medicai
experts. BY this time, also, it is prob.
able that Mrs. Lamb herself has been
called to the witness stand, and hah
repeated under oath the story she had
told to medical gentlemen and Others
who have visited her since she has been
in ia.l. We're it not Tor the strongly
corroborative evidence, it might bt
thought she borrowed her story and
the lawyers their theory Of defence from
Wilkie COllins's "Alan aud Wife,"
Her story is, US told to me by one oi
her friends, thnt when, in September,
1871, her husband fell ut his work III
tic cornheld aud died q few minutes
alter, saying to her US he died that lie
saw lis Jesus, she sat down upon tile
ground and lifted his head into her lap,
and thus held it for two hours, until
the neighIOrs came to carry the body
into the house. While she sat thus ali
apparition grew plainly visible to her,
which presented the form and features
OF being having human shape but an
unearthly aspect. Only the upper part
Of tle figure was clearly outlined
from the waist down it being Cloudily
lndistinct. The apparition spoke tU
her, not with IN audible voice, but she
felt rather than heard its words. BY
turns it consOled and ridiculed her grief
ut the death OF her husband. 1t re.
minded her TINT he had been q good
Christian, that he was an old man to
whom labor had become q hard burden,
anl it argued tint his death was a
blessing from heaven, q merciful relief
from all the cares and suilerings OF life
in the body.
The apparition remained with her
until her husbandw was buried, andafter.
wards appeared to her and talked to her
at any time when she had trouble OF
mind about her business or her respon.
sibility for the care of her property.
When she promptly acted upon IT,
advice it was pleased with her and
smiled upon her, and she felt entirely
happy. When she hesitated or tried to
reason upon its propositions it would
ridicule her until she was shamed and
grieved to the point of absolute sub.
mission to its instructions. II she was
obstinate il would so angrily frown
upon her that n terrible but indiscrib.
able fear seized upon her. And yet
the mad creature had no thought but
what her phantom visitor was sent tn
her direct from theRbode Of the blessed.
One day in May Of last year her SOL
Don was trying TO hold a plough in the
ield near by, while sho was employed
ut some work outside the house, where
she could see the boy stumbling md
being jerked along behind the plough.
The apparition became visible to her
md soon began an argument to con.
vince her that the boy, who was q sickly
ttripling, would be better of in heaven
han on earth. She was easily convinced
Of that, and made little objection when
it advanced the idea that it was her
,luty as n Christian mother to send the
boy to the better land. 1t told her to
rive him n small quantity Of strychnine
he had bought to kill squirrels, and
.fter he was dead to tell the neighbor,
he had died OF heart disease like his
father. Following the phantom's direc'
tion she substituted strychnine mixed
with apple satlce for u medicine with
which she had been dosing the boy,
and Donnie died and was buried the
apparition seemed pleased with her,
and she was happy.
The next month she was similarly
persuaded to poison her little girl,
Sarah, only tint she being u beautiful
and healthy child, the argument was
that size ought to TO removed from Ike
worlds temptations and from the dan
ger Of being condemned to such life
Of drudgery as ller mother had led.
In July aud again in August the
phantom required that Mrs. Laml
should relieve. Mrs. ottman:: from LEI
earthly troubles. The poor woman, II
said, was always i'll, complaining, and
unhappy, and 1t would be better that
she should DO taken to u world whert
she could have nothing TO complain Of.
At first Mrs. Lamb thought this wa'
asking too much, ms she was not so mucl
interested in tue welfare Of Mrs. 0ttmaI
Is she lad been in that Of her younger
children. But at this the terribleailgel
of the phantom became moro than sh,
could bear, until finally she gave th,
woman fatal dose Of strychnine, wller
it again beamed kindly upon her, ant
filled her soul with the contentmen
which rewards those who perform wha
they conceive TO be their duty.
Scarcely, however, was Mrs 0ttmar
wrapped III her shroud before the up
partition demanded that Mrs. LIANT
should remove Royal Garland's soul Il
the better land. "Poor, silly Garland,
it said, everybody despises him ant
nobody will live with him; he is Away
lonesome and miserable and he's O.