New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-17

Coufession of Lydia shernaaa.

| American.
Coufessiou OF Lydia shernaas.
| I've reproduce the following special to the
| St. Louis Republ;c0n.
EEw SoRs. january 1.-THE main
| oo;n,s ~ confession made by Mrs. LydIa
| sherman, the prisoner who was sentenced
10 the penitentiary for life ~ new maven
| to-day has been published. 1t Is fearful
story of crime Mrs Sherman was arrested
| ia lime 1871. at New Brunswick. New
! Jersey. Oh the charge of having murdered
| her husband. Horatio n. Sherman, at Der
| nv. in 1871 She was also charged with
numbering two of his children, but was
| only tlied FOR the first crime. Besides these
| she WAS said to have poisoned two other
husbands and several of their chill
dren. The trial occurred in March, 1877,
| IN New Haven. and was noticeable among
poison trials for the very clear testimony OF
Professor Barker, OF Yale College. who had
examined the remains of the first mentioned
victim. The trial resulted in a verdict OF
murder In the second degree, the Jury
uniting in considering her guilty, but allow
ing that the cIrcumstantial nature OF the
evidence permitted of a reasonable doubt.
Since she has been imprisoned her mind mas
been seriously troubled, and recently 8he
has made full confession of her guilt, and
expresses herS6ll ds uluCn
On the twenty-eighth of December she
| began her story to the .jailor, Captain Web
ster. Mrs. Sherman is very ignorant wO-
man. She can scarcely write at all. She
il unable to remember dates with any ao-
curacy, 81 that part of her narrative is
vague, Mrs Sherman's story is as follows:
She was born in New Brunswick, New Jer-
sey, in 1875, and was early left an orphan.
At the age of seventeen she Joined the
49, law f.AaG 20
she met Edward S. Struck, whom she
subsequently, married Mr.. Struck in
time became policeman at forkville,
one of the suburbs of New York city.
One night there was row IN a
saloon on his beat. and detective was
killed. Struck was off without leave; he
was reprimanded and disgraced 1t troubled
him very much, and weighed 80 on his mlnd
that he became crazy. and had sOttening
of the brain. He was then discharged.
When he recovered, it was only to be very
feeble. physically, and unable to get any
work. so that he was only a burden to his
wife, One day q male friend of hers sug'
gested to her that she could get rid of the
man by poison She took kindly TO the idea,
and gave him some arsenic in his food. and
she also, with some poison. Killed their
Youngest two children. so that they also
should not be burdens to her. and should
not have. as she says. 70 grow up to lie
cares. She was not suspected OF this muir.
der. and soon after she went to Litchield
TO i've. Here she met one Dennis Hur!but,
and married him. but she didn. get along
satisfactorily to herself with him. and so
she poisoned him. Soon after his death she
was told by friend that there was 4 man
in Derby named HOratiO n. Sherman, who
had plenty of money, and who had lost his
wife, and that by skillful management. IT
she wanted a third husband. she could
probably get him. Accordingly. she wen:
there and applied to him for the place
of housekeeper IN his family and he
engaged her. and subsequently she
succeeded in marrying him. He had
two small children. Ada and frankie.
and these she determined to poison and
| did poison; but she did not plan TO poison
Sherman. She intended TO employ the ar
senic upon rata in her house AZ well as to
kill tie children. and che purchased it in
| New Haven in Peck's drug store with the
T first mentioned object. She took the pack
age home and put it on a shelf beside d SUM
liar package 0f saieratus. Mr.. Sherman
uaed to drink great deal of cider. into
which, he would put saleEatus ~ make 1t
foam. This was his !avoyite drink The
saleratus and the arsenic on the shelf be.
came mixed in some way. This was not.
therefore, such a clear case Ot murder as
the others. In fact she merely neglected to
warn him Of his danger. Il is curious that
the only death for which she could not be
held accountable. according to her story.
shnui3 be that tor which she has been con
victedp