Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-01-24
STORY CT A INDUSTRIOUS P0ISoNEEREl.
Nr>. SIsrrU,s,n,~ sentence and Com
fr>ei0u " ssOIcsaIe Poisoning 0f
BEu>bmnd> and Children Eight
Victims fH All.
TIII: EONEI.SNinN

Her confession was as follows: /
was born near tiic town of Burlington.
y H., December ~. 1924 Ny mother
died when ] WAS nin" Years Old. ;!l,.i !
was sent in live with my uncic. Mr.
john ClavraN. / never attended school
much, being able 10 60 only about
three months iii the wear. At sixteen
years of age ] went to New Brunswick
with my two brothers, and astcrward
to live with the Rev. iIr. Van Am
burg. in Jacksonville, twenty-five miles
from New Brunswick. Lived there
for three wears. then returned to New
Brunswick and learned To be Il tailor
css. | worked three months without
pay and was then employed by Il Mr..
Owen. He was class leader i'll the
Methodist church. of winch I 'tccamc
:, member. 1t was there that | met
Mr.. Edward Struck, who was Il de-
voted Christian mp II Il few months
before his death. was his wife
eighteen years: he has been dead about
eight wears. Our first child We called
Lydia. and after her birth We vent to
New York and resided near Elizabeth
and Houston streets. In New York we
had two boys. Afterward we moved
to Carmansvillc, where we had four
children born. At the end of that time
Mr.. Struck obtained an appointment
on the metropolitan police force. Six
months later we lost n daughter, aged
TWENTY-FIVE months, by the measles.
About this time my husband was trans
ferred to Manhattanyille. aud We moved
to l25th street. Then occurred our
first trouble, which came about IN tllis
WAY:
THE FIRST TROUBLES
4 man came up to Stratton's s hotel,
OH the Bloominglale road, and made a
disturbance in the bar-room. He at
tackled the bar tender with Il knife, and
immediately the cry of murder was
sounded. Just at this time the Man
hattanville stage came along, and on it
was n detective, who heard the cry
He rushed into the hetel, but finding
he was owariess to accomplish any
thug. he asked for the assistance ot n
policeman There was none near, and
he endearored to quiet the man by
talking to him, but he could not sue
ceed The man appeared deranged.-
The detective struck him with Il cane,
but the man would not desist. He
struck the officer with II knife, when
the latter drew pistol and shot the
man dead.
The stage drove un and soon met Mr..
sotruck. and as he was Il Policeman, the
driver told him the circumstances
about the killing OF the man at the no.
tel. Mr. Struck started Immediately
for the. hotel, and when he reached
there he found that
TJIr. NAN WAS DEAD.
Word was sent to the Manhatt.,uvilie
police station, and tie doctors gave it
as their opinion that the man was de-
ranged Ny husband reported at head
quarters. and soon after :: rliinur pre-
vailed that he would not arrest the man
because he had 4 pistol THIS WIS in
I correct. bu: the empioves,s ff the l,u-
tel test fed that Mr.. Struck was at the
place and WAS afraid to go III. The
result WAS that he Nas discharged from
she police force.
! Then my husband became down
hearted and discouraged. Captain
Hart tried to get HIM back ON the force.
/ but failed, and then Struck, who had
! always been Il good workman. sd
nothing hut fret all the filac. Samc-
mes he would I,e in bed for seven or
eight weeks without allowing me to
wanted 10 see his daughter Gertrude,
who was married to Mr.. Wi liam
Thompson, SO / went TO New York and
! took her up TO see him, but he sud
very little to her. Gertrude sent Il
doctor to see her father, b'lt the latter
! said he was not sick Once he put a
pistol in his mouth and threatened 10
blow his head otl. -Xnother day he
tried! to- get razor to cut his throat,
but took it away from him. Then ]
sent for Captain Hart, but when be
came my husband would neither look,
speak, nor have anything to do with
him The Captain said he was out ot
his mind, and advised me to have him
sent to an asylum.
MEETING aI.E TEMPER. q.
One night after this he was acting
very badly and called in police ser.
seant Nc, who lived i'll the lower
part of our house. The sergeant ad,
vised me TO put him out OF the way. a.
he would never be any good 20 me OF
himself again. / asked him what lif
meant, and he told me to get a cert:1i1
quantity of arsenic and give him some
| Of it. paid ten cents for it, put it il