The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1879-08-01

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village IA ilslfs I'mtl. 49, ~ IaHs Nsrhs
tlf STHe "a nnr ~ siss tnsWA stsaksnp
~nstsles tAtf II ~ iaHas#i - tslmsa
~as iasr i#sNAt " sis.s mnlsisn l#slste
tsasnssi Annas. ihSaa~ HI anl istnsna
Tfu~AuiIrs4 w. tfsigss II. tAe srsuHi
~ Ana vi. ssAtnrtsa Y, tsHfs II arr
kesn. s,nt srp chr ssssiha dss1 las
inp ihtsa. ls all, Il haselsssns lase~tts
ih ih. elasls u sIsss i s+te II I#stis afa
hun2Hs IT, rsht#l II tbs rasl IN. Il.
sn sbrsan, saIiis'isnt u supply MI sl..s
warts nn.l .uaifr ifstn IL nns. II Ie
lwes speiess Tiny s.ts m.alsrs Il Il
fahsmai,ln church, pase lilsfails It'll.
causs ~ missssias. and aMusi.tl IN aa
unassnnins mahnsf in fesIssse b. tn.
ealls ~ eiiatitlss They seis. IN
worl. thrr. Christian laalies III means
AMI culture. shn strive ~ l~ss tl,as
might a. make ihe world lrttsr far the
faei ~ their having lived, lsus, hardly
hal they ,srmn int fnll enjoyment Of
their heritage whsn ira,hle aro~e
Their father. ~ell.rm~fsr,l rli man.
remarked. and frnm ihr momeni ~ shr
wedding hr almed ~ hrrak his i,Ht
wifr's will and gain control III ihe
property, III this, II l. mil, hr was
alMttr,l anil encouraged l,y his s,~ns..
The result wes long and tedious Inv
Snit. which ended Inst week In ihc de-
frnt ri thr sisters and thr triumph III
the father. Who nj once took possession
ii lie rnsir. income, leaving iis dangh.
tcrS absolutely destitute.
They ~o,ight their lawyer, anil H.
told them there was no nae of longer
continuing thu tight. They locked
around them and could .ce the future
barred across hy great wall of despair.
Tcni,tls nurinrrd, with thoSc accom-
plishmcnts which make women ornn-
ments VI society. hnt leave them dessi-
tute of resource 10 earn their dali,
bread, thc sisters saw no avennc upca
save that leading down to starvation.
They spent nights in planning and
weeping. They laid out impractica-
bic schemes which could avail nntight,
and finally. on last Saturday, they spent
their last penny to puy the hires. girl,
discharged her. and came faee ~ face
with utter penury. Their house was
elegantly furnished, but they knew tina.
sale would leave them moi even n
straw tick alter the immediate wants of
nature we're for time supplied. And
NO, with grim, sannt hunger staring
NJ them, their courage gave away.
What, indeed. conld three modest, rc.
tiring, shrinking women. already past
the agu of attmctiona. do against baisy,
rcmorselcss worlds "We cam u.
claimed tho eldest. "at l~nrt die"
! And then and there the sisters wal
down and calmly discussed how and
when they 1hnnll put All end to their
N existence. They talked until the ,lny
laa dawncsl, and the first glad Sabbath
chimes rang ont ~ i morning III per.
feet beauty. Then they slept for lit.
tln while, and, arising, donned their
! best attire and attended the last church.
service they were ever To know IN
cartli. The remainder IL Sunday wns
spent ~ hnd lcuil the night before. and
! yesterday rnw them fully settled Iii
their resolve. The two elder sisters
would die hy hanging. Emma shn.ll
live to tell their story, and l,e 4 witness
| to their awful end. There Mas M food
| IN the homsc. lint that matterea not
They cared for noilc.
Finally, IN thu afternoon settled tlown
in the sombcr gloom II The night. they
made their preparations. Annie an.l
Elizabeth bntl,ed with all the neatlies,
and nicety horn of aristoetniie habits
They then put un their clothes. IN
white and pure ~ tliose of nun. After
this the three rcad aloud from the III.
lie the sermon au the Mount. and,
kneeitnR down together. prayed. They
lHsotight their Creator TO forgive what
they were about to 10: they asked thr
pardon III the neither ienI and gnne
they begged forgiveness for tlle father
This dome. they closed oil the blinds,
nailed up tl,r Windows and ,l.prn Will
great "tcn.lnhi,y" hailr, and lr.e i've
spikes III the wnll one il,sl over the
center IL tlic folding halI.i,s,r. tllr 9TH.
cr IN u similar place nl,psn thc ols',l
double louln " III. eulllsrtlnE lMflurr
There wAa another pfH,tr. tlla three met
Iii II last embrace, alii Emma retired I.
her room In tine story nlnye. There
niiscr,ng, sobhlng and moaning lik,
one bcrcii III rcaron through grief, iIn
poor girl rat from o'clock till II. Sll.
listened with that sense II thr l,arr,L,.
upon her which, In her calsG, was unique
She heard tile preparations completed
heard the chairs drawn u,it III place
heard tho same cllnirs FILL. heard
choking. final prntes. ri life against s,,i
citln, nnd then came silence silence ~
awful and tortnrinK ~ 10 more tl,ai
parallel the suffering inflicted ON tlt.
damned. She wrnt down stairs. nll.
her ssrnining eye.balls met the hiieoul
sight slle knew awaited her. TIE ~.
loved ones hung suspended mud i,nni
mate from ropes tiel IL the sIak.l
! driven IN abn.a the ,lnor. Two eLaIn
lay beneath them, anil the open iIl,l.,
wet with temrs. WAS on the e.iliet table
Neither fuee viz distorted. alti,o,igl
each wors pnrplish line. nnl III,
tongues proiui,lsi somewhat. III. rou
giil saw all III ail instant, ani then fsl
iaintinp 10 tic hoor. lint mercifnI oil
liyion wa- not granted 10 her long. nm,
| sWa HNhht NEltu dNVM1 - tHDAIl HHf
cry ont. and try 81 call baek the .lcas
companion. III lifetime. She sraAlr.
~ where they hung. md kissed thei
feet. an.l begged tiicm 10 slrak IL her
| Neighlnra heard vi. unusual nois.
and bruke Ia, Never, they my. shal
they forget the rickrning spectacle
Tho ropes we're III Dnre cnt. mud Iii.
forms III tho dead women neatly conn
posed On the floor VI the l,Hripr II hae
insn their pride 10 adorn and bc4ulity
The one still alive. now nearly maniac
II wax fonnd nrcrxxary, ~ matter o
common humanity md prrcatttiol. Il
takc ~ tho Hyde Park police station,
khc. tao, wanted 10 die. aud tile snlen,,
imprccaiions she called down upon III
heads of relatives responsible for Ill,
calamity were blocd.cnrtliing IN thu III