Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-01-22

him. GOOD Words for the Young.
Confession of Mrs. Sherman, The
Connecticut BOrgia.
Respectable women, Of honorable and
chaste life and exemplary piety, who
poison people at the average rate of one
year for eight years, are happily so rare
in tie annals Of crime that we cannot pass
by such an one without moments con-
sideration. The full confession Of Mrs,
Sherman gives a pretty complete history
Of her career as a murderess. though her
motives are stated with bh.ducss which
at the same time carries conviction and
yet staggers that conviction by the very
honor of the deed We will briefly state
the leading facts. She was born, Christ
mas eve, 1924, at Burlington, N. j., and
her mother died nine months after. She
was treated kindly in her girlhood, living
in an uncle's family, with occasional visits
to brothers. When about 20, she began
to learn the tailoress's trade and, being
employed by a Mr.. Owen, through his of-
forts became q member of the Methodist
church. In her class she met Edward
Struck, a widower with six children, and
married him. He was blacksmith, brt
soon after they moved into New York
and he became one of the first metropoi-
tan police. He was discharged for alles-
ed cowardice in kaking an arrest and APP
parently had the hybpochondria in conse'
quence. His old employer urged him tc
return to work in the old shop, but he re-
fused, fretted all the time, become morose
and took to his bed. He refused medl
cine, once or twice threatened suicide and
she had to lock up razor and pistol fol
fear he would use them. Finally he be-
came quite imbecilc and helpless, and
wanted she should find places for the chill
dren. IL told him could take care o.
them and he needn't worry, she says.
This first case is the interesting ole
but seems to be all there was in it. Ap
parently this man and wife had stood BY
each other faithfully for Is years, and
seven children were growing up as the
fruit of their welded life. They wcro M
more unfortunate than thousands have
been before and since, and there is enough
heroism in the common run of humna Ma
ture to have enabled the then Mrs. Strucl
to have supported an imbscile husband
put the children out, and struggled
along, painfully and hardly, to be sure
but guiltless. Perhaps she would kav,
done it, but a Sergeant Nc" neigh
Dor, who called to see her husband, advis
ed her ''to put him out Of the way, as h,
would never be any better or of any us'
to himself or anybody else" He told hcl
where and how much arsenic to get, Sh,
thoght Of it few days. Then she follow
ed Sergeant Mc-'s directions, CAV
her husband the portion in cruel, tendc'
him tenderly all night, and in the morn
ing see him de- Why, what an cas-,
thing to do What she thought, o
whether she thought at all does not nov
occur to this coarse-grained wife, nov
eight years older. That careless sergean
little kuew the devil he had unchaine,
in that womans heart, or rather the aoge
he had there smitten down, leaving mer,
human cunning regnant. ;f.s
Within few months, finding hersel
burdened with seven shildren, she '.go
much discouraged and down-hearted,
and poisoned the two youngest, thinkib,
at would be better for them if they wer'
out of the way Edward, she says
''Nas beautiful boy. and did not com
plain no was very patient She go
work at sewing and nursing, and wa.
keeping house with four children at home
when the next to the Oldest boy, Georg,
White6eld Struck, Ia years of age, hav
ing get place to earn So so per wsel
as painter, came home, sick with the
painters collie. He grew worse and worse
and she put arsenic in bis tea, bccase sh,
was discouraged. II know now that thai
is not much Of an excuse. but | felt SC
much trouble then that / did not thlpl
about that" The singular fact sticks ou
that her discouragement does not lighter
at all. with each succeeding release iron
care. She now thought she could ge
along with her daughter Lydia, who hat