Connecticut western news., 1878-05-23
THE CONNECTICUT POIsONER.
Death of che Notorious Mrs. gherman and, Sketch of her Life.

Death of she Notorious Mrs. sherman and a | Sketch of her Life.
 Lydia Sherman, the Derby poisoner, died in the Connecticut State prison. She was serving a life sentence for poisoning her husband. She was little over 50 years of age, having been born in Burlington, N. J., in 1924. Her life was one of the most remarkable in the criminal annals of the country.
 Even after having poisoned nine per l sons, two husbands and seven children, Mrs. Sherman was not suspected, but was viewed as model wife and mother. After her third husband, Horatio N. Sherman, died in Derby in 1871, his physician sent his stomach to the chem ist of the Yale Scientific School. Soon afterwards she was arrested, and she 1 laughed when the officer told her what his mission was. Her trial in 1872 ex- cited great interest throughout the coun- try. She was the coolest person in the court room. Her eldest son continued in attendance upon her throughout it all, and did not doubt, until it was over, that his mother was innocent. When the verdict, Guilty of murder in the second degree, was announced she made some commonplace remark and quietly sat
 down. One of the jurors said that had it been man on trial the verdict would have been in the first degree. r@
 While she was in the New Haven county jail for some months previous to the beginning of her prison life, she was treated with kindness by MT. Webster, the iailer, who attributed her conduct to monomania. For his kindness to her she wrote out the confession, an abstract of which is published below. It was re- ceived with amazement, and given as 6 proof of her insanity. Investigation, however, proved the truth of all she had said. After the revelations had been read there was some talk of hanging her by lynch law, and shewas speedily taken to the State prison. During the writing of the confession Mrs. Sherman talked of it with as much unconcern as if it was some simple business matter. In speak | ing of the incidents her face never paled, her voice never quivered, and she would say, 1T gave him arsenic" or 1T put arsenic in his tea," or s'little Ann Eliza was better off after she took the arsenic. " At this time, too, she declared that she had ''given herself to Christ, land main tained the role of a penitent Christian.
 In 1877, after she had served four years of her time, one morning when the cell door was open Mrs. Sherman es- capped, but was captured at the Central Hotel at Providence seven days after her escape. The Matron had been late in her last visit to the cells, and the thought of escape came to her like an inspira- ton. She arose and dressed herself, stepped into an unlocked eel, that was used for stateroom, and when the mat ron went to the kitchen followed her, secreting herself in corner. From this place she readily got ont by the main entrance, and losing her way to the de- pot, walked about until the early morn ing train for Springfield. She had $3O with her $10 she had earned by doing fancy work, and $20 had been given he1 by a convict to whom she had done a kindness. She bought some garments in Springfield, and went from there to
 Worcester, and at length to Providence. At Providence she became quite intimate with the landlady of the Central Hotel, and her mother, who recommended hel as 8 housekeeper to widower. Before any arrangement could be made the mother suspected who their guest WAS, and reported the matter to the police. A detective called upon her and she sup posed it to be the widower. In the con versation mention was made of Mrs Sherman and her escape. She had mol heard of it, and on being told that she looked great deal like her, she replied that it was incredible, for she was Mrs Moore, of Philadelphia. She made nc objection to being taken to the station house, A despatch was sent to the War den of the prison, and @ deputy came immediately for her. As his eyes rested upon her, he exclaimed, '" Caught a last P She expressed herself as very glad to return, and begged the deputy
 to take her "home" immediately.