The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-01-16
Cesfeasios Of Lydia sherman.


From the Missouri Republican,
The main points of confession made BY
Mrs. Lydia Sherman, the prisoner who was
sentenced to the penitentiary for life at New
Haven to-day has been published. 1t il
fearful story Of crime. Mrs. Sherman was
arrested in June, 1871, at New Brurswick,
N. j., on the charge Of having murdered
her husband, HoratiO n Sherman, at Derby,
in 1871. She was also charged with muir
dering two of his children, but vas only
tried for the first crime. Besides these abe
was said tn have poisoned two other hus-
bands and several of their children. The
trial occurred in March, 1872, in New
Haven, and was noticeable among poison
trials for the very clear testimony OF Prot.
Barker Of Yale college, who had examined
the remains OF the first mentioned victim.
The trial resulted in verdict of
murder in the second degree
the jury uniting in considering
her guili, hu. allowing that the circums,an.
tial nature Of the evidence permitted Of
reasonable doubt. Since she has been i'm
prisoned her mind has been seriously troub-
led, and recently she has made full con-
iession Of her guilt, and expressed herself
~ much relieved thereby.
On the 18th Of December she hogan
her story to the jailor, Capt. Webster
Mrs. Sherman is q very igc0rant woman
She can scarcely write at all. She is unable
70 remember dates with any accuracy; so
that part Of her narrative IL vague. Mrs.
Sherman's story Is a. follows: She was
born in New Brunswick, N. j., in 1925, and
was early left an orphan. At the age Of II
she joined the Methodist church, and at q
love feast there abe met Edward g. Struck,
whom she subsequently, married. Mr.
Struck in time became a policeman at York
vile, one Of the suburbs Of New York city.
One night there was = row in = saloon on
his beat and detective was killed. Struck
was 0d without leave; he Was reprimanded
and disgrAced. II troubled him very
much and weighed 20 on his mind that he
became crazy, and had q softening OF the
brain. He then was discharged. When he
recovered, it was only To be very feeble,
physically, and unable to set any work, %
that he Was only burden to his wife. One
day male friend Of hers suggested to her
that she could get rid of the man BY p0ison.
She took kindly to the idsa and gave him
some arsenic in his food, and she also, with
come poison, killed their youngest two chill
drsn, 80 that they also should not be bur.
dens to her, and should not have, a. she
says, to grow up to life's cares She Vas not
suspected Of their murder, and coon after
she went to I>iich teld to live. Here she
met one Dennis Hurlbut, and married him,
hut she didn't get along satisfactorily 20 her
self with him, and 20 she poisoned him. Soon
after his death she wa Told by friend that
there wa map 10 Derby named Horaiio
N. Sherman, who bad plenty of money,
and had lost his wife, and that by skiiful
management, IL she wanted third hubabd,
she could probably get him. Accordingly
she vent there and applied to him for the
place Of housekeeper IN his family ap3 he
engaged her. and subsequently she succeeded
in marrying him. He had Two small chill
dren, Ada and frankie. and these she de.
termined to poison snd did poison; but she
did not plan TO poison Sherman. she in.
tended TO employ the arsenic upon rats in
her house ~ we'll a. to kill the children, and
she purchased il in New Haven in Peck's
drug store, with the first mentioned object.
She took the package home and put il on a
shelf beside similar package of saleratus.
Mr.. Sherman used to drink a great deal of
cider, into which be would put saleraius to
make IL foam. This was his favorite drinI.
The nleratus and the arsenic On the shelf
tecame mixed in some way. This was not,
therefore, such clear case of murder a. the
Others, In fact, abe merely neglected to
warn him Of his danger. 1t il curious that
the only death for which she could not be
held accountable, according to her story.
should Be that for which she has been con.
vlrAo1