St. Landry democrat., 1879-05-31
Edith Freeana:aaa's Murder.
THE MOTHER STARVING HERSELF AND
DYING OF GRIEF-"OII, MY DARLING
CHILD, WHY DID GOD PERMIT Us
TO DO SUCH A WRONG Y"
New York sun

New York sun.
BARNsTABLE, May 12.-It was an.
nounced this morning that Mrs. Free.
man was dying, and investigation shows
that the probabilities are that she vii
live a short time only. She is weeping
and starving herself to death, although
she does not seek to commit suicide
Confined alone in the cell Oh the upper
floor of the barn-like building, she has
since the first Sunday after the killing
OF Edith, wept constantly day and night
She has tried to eat, believing that ii
was her duty to do SO, but in the ten
days OF her Imprisonment she has eater
less than would make an ordinary meal
When the Sunday passed and her little
girl was not rcstulected, as she firmly
believed would be, Mrs. Freeman al
once admitted that she and her husband
had made an awful mistake, and witt
this acknowledgment the maternal in
stinct that pleaded so strongly in prayer
that her child mi ght be spared has re.
TUNED. She has said that she conlC
not have consented to the sacrifice hat
she not firmly believed that Edith woulo
be restored to life on the third day
She also says that it was revealed tt
, her husband thrty-six hours before the
sacrifice that Edtll's immolation wa!
demanded. He went to the barn ant
prayed for hours that God would take
the cup from him, and she at length
went to the barn and, kneeling on til,
hay beside her husband, put her arm
around his neck, and both Of then
prayed to be spared the necessity o.
doing the act, but they got no peace
until they determined to dO it. He
sorrow is most distressing now. She i:
in entire possession of her reasoning
faculties, and the Jailcr's wife think:
that it would be a mercy it she could bt
belcft of reason. She means, "Oh, m,
little darling Eddie, my darling child
how could God have permitted us, Wht
loved Him 50 and tried to follow him
to do such a wrong;' and then sh,
/ bursts into the most passionate sobbins
that lasts for hours. The seraphic lool
that was on her face when she wa
brought before the Judge is gone. He
face has washed, leaving her cheel
bones prominent, and both are brigh
red with a hectic flush which indicates
fever. Her otherwise white face anC
| bloodless lips, and her great eyes tha
are red with weeping, her tottering stcl
and her inability to eat or sleep, arr
regarded rs indications that very sool
the reserve nervous strength will be ex
hausted, and that she will rapidly de
cline. Her love for the baby and he
remorse have overshadowed her reli
gious faith.
Her husband knows nothing of this
He is perfectly lf-cuntained and con
tented, and eats and sleeps well, still
confident that God commanded the act
He has been reading "Fremont's Ex
plorations.' He said to-day to the SUI
correspondent hat he did not want any
pettitoggers to defend him for motor
iety, but that if an eminent lawyer o.
Boston or New York would take hi:
case and conduct the defense on tn,
principles OF the ri ght OF every man tt
follow the honest convictions of hi
conscience, he would accept such de
fense. Justice Hopkins, in his verdict
given as Coroner, and filed to-day, say;
that Edith Freeman's death was caused
by the act of her father, who premedi,
tated it, and who committed it without
provocation, abetted by the mother, and
that such act was done because botI
honestly believed that they were com
manded by God to do it to illustrate
their faith. The Justice believes that il
any lawyer dareS go before the court
and argue that the act is consistent with
belief in the literal or supernatural
teachings of the Bible, and liable to be
therefore, repeated again, one of the
most remarkable points will be placed
before the courts of Massachusetts
which they have ever been called OF
to consider.