Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-07-23
Mrs. Col. Merritt" cd Uor Storv
What Is Know Of y
INV ".a - Of the Tnfcrfunafe
ed Her Little Child.

Ane " .aphic columns of THE STAR yes
attained the strange story told by
WIN n who claimed to be the wife of a Col.
H-erritt, OF the Z. s. army. She said that
STE had been placed in the Government Asy-
lum for the Insane, near this city, by her
husband, on account of her habit of eating
morphia, and gave thrilling account of her
escape from the asylum, and her subsequent
adventures, including an alleged outrage of
her person by four men on tug boat in New
York harbOr, TO which she had been enticed
by promise of Employment as a stewardess.
THE FIRST KNOWN OF THIS UNFORTUNATE
WOMAN
in Washington was in February, 1S14. at
which time the prOprietorS of the Arlington
hotel notified the superintendent of police
that there was woman and child staying
there, the former a. they thought insane, and
desired that she be removed. Detective Sar-
gent visited the hotel, and after a converse
ton with her. in which she frequently al
luded To her large deposits OF money in the
bank of Riggs 4 Co, with other extra VACANT
pretentiOns, he became convinced that
HER MIND WAS IMPAIRED.
He ascertained that she had made purchases
OF dry goo.s in some OF our AVeuue stores,
rendering in payment checks ON Riggs & Co.
lie visited Riggs bank, where he found that
she had q money and was uukDnvp +, th9
bank officers Mrs Charles Waldrln (Which
name sue eavel offered TO accompany NJ.
sargent to The hank herself. which offer was
accepted, and I'm the presence Of all there Size
coniCuded that she had some $4,000 TO her
credit.
Believing her insane. and iucarable of
taking charge or her child. Mr.. SARGENT con
dCCtei her TO police Headquarters. and after
hearing her conflicting stories she was sent
with
HFR CHILD aNYRTIE,"
the latter n beautiful little girl about six
years old, and a cripple from spine disease,
10 the Providence hospital. in charge OF San
ifaTy Officer COnnell. Here Sister Beatrice
at once recognized her as n lady who had
some days previous been there and secured
the best room AID accommodations in that
Institution for herself and daughter, repre-
Sentiug that she bad large amount of money
III Riggs bank, since which time and up to
mat moment she had not set eyes upon her
again Sister Beatrice declined to receive
her. and officer COnrell returned with her to
beadqU arterS. Mr.. Sargent then made a re-
quest of DIR. j. Harry Thompson, Of the Co
lumbia lyirg-tn asylum, TO take her in tor
treatment. which ne declined to 10 without
2 permit from Surgeon General Barnes.
rms was obtained. ana Mrs. WaldrOn and
her child were admitted there. This was on
The I'd OF February. and after remaining
there short time DIR. Thompson, finding
her 20 ne insane, procured the necessary pa
perS and sent her
TO THE INSANE ASYLUM,
frCT1 which Institution she recently scared
While at police headquarters she REPRESENT
Ell that she had brother IN good circura-
Stances near Chicago, and Major Richards,
after taking his address from her, underworld
70 communicate with him, bit never receIv-
Ell any answer, and abandoned the matter
believing fer mind 10 be impair
The child is now in the Cbildren'S Hosqi-
tai, On ! street. I'm this city.
DR.. NICHOLS STATEMENT
Is that ga woman sent To this the govern
NEXT lnsaGe) asylum by The District author
tiles as Mrs. Louisa WaljrJl, escaped May
3. 1870. She usually said her zeal name was
hrS- Louisa -. Averill. She is said ID have
taken voriOuS names N different times. Her
true name j. PFC badly Olive =. button, and
she Is native Of Ludlow, Mass. and is well
educated. The woman is greatly 70 be pitIrt,
tT17 "a .C~itatiGg Indulgence IN INDIGNATION ON
account Of the alleged outra - in jeT,ey City
- suggested"