The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-17
MRS. HARRIET NERRIHEW.
DrtpiY M0r ~ tNp fHfSIciL P0TSON
~ IHE FIIIfY ar 4 I.iEMER

!
,c,,un,'. ~tnrt,ul confession or II Murder
,. t'iat ooilu. hcr Nccnmriicc with -
t.,s,n,.r thai = did r"t snt"nd to Wake
oo,d = Love story FROM seats County.
TovyflIr. y Y. June ~ On the main
,..,.. r.s t..wia G. unity ,ilia.t b. q building
i..,...- arrltrs 1.n.coi a wealthy family.
Il .r -..I.lv -'z.. has % s'rooth lawn in front.
s.I - .-t u.W surrounded by the green of
..rl ..r .-. with hrrr AMI there the brighter
li.- l.w'r-. u burglars from abroad wero
r.u- lat lou.' 60 break into. this is ono
th.ttlnr wull hc hSriy 90 chocsr as probably
r.n.aIriu.- portable valuuhles A so'iable Spitz
j,.r.. .ut uul lar, ri when the Writer opened
tho a.tr to-day and a bird in a cage swinging
nlm iur u.rtico WIS 81 irping loudly. 1t
lerl, uc,1. 4 d. WnmHu's singing to strengthen
u..inur. ss.ou that this WIS "a more thnn ordi-
r.r.y comfortable and cheerful home. Tho
v,uo wl- mclolious hui unframed, and there
vusaramp meeting TWAIN: &C. the words:
Vlrtanl,ui we hf,c 300 ic-ua
AL ur ''n'nml 10 3, :" hear'
Eyfyihmi ,u Goblin fra,cr
But iflurllars really should select this house
to under. the, wou mike n serious mistake.
for 10 is the LOWS County jail. The singing.
wlmmu WAS Mr.. Harriet Mcrrihew. aprisonor
n.u-.l.r' murder.
T.r, Intor FROM TIE SUN wantto the bncl,
uiit.. t.o lul.liuc. and there found the 500
cur .-..rl.od eel Of small prison. Mrs.
VI .r.0V came lat readily when told that
sH I'D. lt desired tn s"o her On FIRST si:ht she
D. ,.I Ukr m Indian. her comilrNiou being
sv.-a,. lcg lur hlHrk and straight. md her
g. .ra -omrwhat spu1wi-h; yet IN, was not
w. ly amy means. although the GOOD looks
6 ,. % pose. ssel were of "a sensual sort. she
= ttat She sunE TO keep up her spirits. and
imm 'l.at'ly began to weep. Gs though tho feet
wa- mot az an durable Her 2s years had not
c.iti.d her l. yond the dcmc8uor Of a Girl and
thrrc w.s something child.shly shy anl rt's1-
lutr iu hor movement us she seated herself on "a
how chair close 10 the barred door Of the CORR
d.. 10 ou which her cell opened.
Did you poison your husband?" she was
asked.
" Y g. sir" sho replied.
sho made tho confession poutingly. twisted
her apron with one hand. rubbed thu tears m m
her eyes with tho other. and then thoughtiuly
fastened brooch that had become lopscuel ut
lor throat Her rendy answer astonishel Shor-
~ e. Frank Smith who hal supposed that she
would refuse 10 talk. and he felt it right to tell
her that She necd answer no questions unless
fhr wanted to. She said however. that false
rumor- Of confession had bren circulated.
rri she vould tHkc this opportunity u tc,lin..
g.. .Aact truth. How nearly size did so is not
oftuu and 90 judge 81 that question il is 'ces-
cay 100 know something of her singular case.
The woman is tho wifo OF Charles y. Msrri-
how t1 whom she was married when she was
only II years old. and he nearly 80 aud a Wild
cvr She had letn a hayward girl. Nicholas
G.ut'rmont. who took her from her shifilcss
PARENTS aul reared her. says that She was as
tuu.su4ngiy dectitful. had an ungovernable
tm4"r. and WIS very precocious Always
ready to prom So good behavior but equally
rculS Goo offend again. she WIS n constant trou-
b. 90 tao Goutermoais. But she was hand
sone. and her peculiaritcs Of disposition did
H., deter Merrihcw from marrying her He was
fnay informed boy Mr.. Goutermont Of her
ten ur.es tut hc was too deeply in love With
her Co. De cautious. and said that she would UNI
dYubtedly reform rs she grew older. Mcrrihew
was carpenter and for years after his mar
rin;e worked at his trade whenever he could
Ct employment. Living at the edge Of tho Adj
honla' Wilderness. he WIS In neghborhool
81 .~nrrnl poverty. and IL WIS only by hard
wNrS shat ~" and his wife got along with any
d sr.' oi comfort. 4 few years ago they m owed
T. D"uratk. one OF the dairy farming towns OF
a. county. In the spring % 1878 they hired n
tmna .ngy iurm IN Denmark, which is about
uia. mll. , rth NJ here. Besides the husband
an W'' tl' hYps"hoid WIS composed Of pa
vel " rr Now. 10 hruth"rO OF Charles b.. and Nyr-
fNI.N Ni IrIl ~. las rNtlH. H. David and lIIrlpS
urr. ..I ,n IN being WORTHY men without
..I. .u.lt..n. iut ordinarily Intelligent. pa-
.u.... i..IDr. ANA the po-...r9or %! prop
rFN worth CT iNn Athnu1h this capital may
.nII.uuf o. rtF readrr. 10 was not so
DO u...Hlrh ghrr, collars are onsnrr inrn-
.... f.ir seen % ordinary deulnuS. and inc
W.,u... O.. Mu.uiy live on lt. and relieve .im-
s.t .f thr druil-.rv uf fitrm work Thu. he
lHl hIu,. .' ..utilu afnon.. the Nerrii .r,s.
Nru. .l Nrrr. ...N the cousi n wis distinctive
lu I.. Way. a.. had urut sixteen of his
iul'.-'NfN Years 100 pfiS ln having served three
terms f.r Ii.r-.tri.e and there are rumOrs Of
l. ..lu,. t.nu with ut.pr mines.
@ % .,A.ruIty 70 tAc Merrihew family may
rru'.y te Imagined. There WIS David. " u
s. I'D mau." 40 ono extreme and Winthrop a
L.r.,i. a criminal al the other while Harriet
u4.I.lr. ~ h.va been Influenced more or less
D., ll. .N.In ~. OF each. Her husband WIS nc-
r.-.t. . .u- and his n.ighLurs say that hn
Ni-u.rn,- BE- good nan He WIS ainenber ui BE-
L.ll-t Church and 80 was Mrs Merrih.W ufi'i.
81 Wii- expelled IN account III "A brech Of di-c-
uinn. Th'u Nnrrihry Withdrew from the Bap-
lists ANA .p.n.tl tl. NrthoIists because ne be-
l.t.! tIr 4 .t.t.-ts hui wrou-..l his wife Mrs
u rris,y. ..r.. uullv fell unlrr the lr,nn of tho
women of m. neigh orhood who in their
f-,-. D., .iat, Ia r ~ III ~ itthrnn tn. f,lon
/ 49,. I'm i.rs.r,.l it'at ne WINS nor XII .auius
" il. David yns her good genius and her
var,lpfiur ruture lea her 10 ,ynyar between
t..-. .i'5-,-'r', n, ou.,nr,s Tin family iy9,i
In ttn III. iifir farn' B. ma. inr n vrar bnr.
mon.ou-,y. h"weyer' or Al 'Snst without enough