Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-06-19

had died from natural causes, but tho
two children. Mrs. Ottman and MIR
Garland, had been dosed with strych-
nine. There was no doubt Of its pres
ence in fatal quantities in the bodies Of
the children; full five grains were
found in one half Of Mrs. Ottman's
stomach ind from Garland's stomach,
about sixteen grains were extracted.
Strychnine was found in Mrs. Lambs
house, mixed in bottle Of sarsaparil-
Ia extract.
Tho excitement in the Trimbelle
nc'ghborhood was naturally great, and
the circumstances Of her life, so
far, as the people there knew or had
heard them, were eagerly canvassed to
account tor her crimes. Her entlusi-
rstlc plcty was now regarded as dcv-
ilish hypocrisy. Her charitable deeds,
her visits to the sick, her readiness to
doctor them and nurse them-tor
which she would quit her own daily
routine Of work and make provisions
tor her family during her absence by
taking extra hours from sleep and
rest-wcre e. ow supposed to have been
tho devices Of wicked heart, in seek
ing for opportunities to commit MUIR
der.
1t was said that she had murdered
her husband aud children SO that she
might have the family property for her
own, aud in support Of this theory it
was told that she had had some differ
ences with her husband concerning .
division Of the property between them,
and that to satisfy her Mr.. Lamb had
made over to her about $500 worth of
personal property. Mrs. Ottman she
was supposed to have killed with the
design Of ultimately succeeding her as
wife Of Mr.. Ottman. And Garland.
the nciShborhood goss; ps agreed, was
murdered out Of sheer dislike, because
he had proposed marriage to her, for
he was but half witted fellow, who
was held in little esteem, and had Of
Tended nearly every manageable wo-
man he was acquainted with by his
proposals.
It was told that she first tried her
poison on her horse, and having thus
killed that, learned how to kill human
beings with the same kind of poison.
Rumor aud gossip also swelled the
list of her victims by accusing her of
causing many other deaths. A man
pamed Fuller, who died in Trimbelle,
during the year 1871, was said to have
been poisoned By her, because she had
visited aud nursed him during his last
illness. She was the second wife of
Mr. Lamb, and his wife who had died
about eighteen years before, was
nurscd by the second Mrs. Lamb. Then
there was young woman to whom Mr.,
Lamb, after his first wife's death, paid
particular attention, who died out
Of the way Of the second Mrs. Lamb.
But all this was and is no more than
the gossip Of an excited neighborhood,
puzzled by the contradictions between
Mrs. Lambs ordinary behavior and
her most extraordinary crimes, aud
seeking to account for them in the
ways that readiest suggested themselves.
The theory Of the defense was the
usual one insanity. Bnt although
medical experts gave testimony tend
ing to sustain the plea, the jury no
doubt held her to full accountability
for her inhunan acts. The main
thing established in excuse was her
mental peculiarities. She was an en-
thusiast in ieligion: a believer in for
tune tellers and ghosts, and the neigh
bors remember ofher complaining that
at times her head felt as if it were
as big as a halt bushel and filled with
some kind Of heavy fluid, which, when
she stopped forward or knelt at her
prayers would flow to the front Of her
head, binding her and tipping her for
ward flat to the ground. On the other
hand the woman was ordinarily clear
headed enough, and has for all the
years the Trimbelle people have known
her, attended to her house aud family
such business US she has had to do,
and all social aud church matters,
with as much Of sane method aud regu.
lar mental activity as any other woman
they knew.