The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-16
MRS. ATHEYS CRIME.
TO A CANTON LADY ON A VISIT TO CANAL
DOVER
The MurdersSs Substantially admits Her Guat-"I
Deserve d. 0ughto be Here, But rs
Hard 10 Die So Young"
Special dispatch 10 the Cleveland Leaderl

l5peclal dlhpaJCn 10 the cleveland Leader.l
Canton, September 9-The following is written
| by Canton lady who has just visited Mrs. Athey
the Canal Dover murderess, the news Of whose
crime as published in the Leader caused more
excitement, perhaps, than anything that has oc
Cured for years In Tusearawas county or vicinity.
Mrs. Athey virtually con 'esses the crime in the
following conversation, she having heretofore
been exceedingly retiCent.
The writer Of the following is a daughter Of one
Of our prominent manufacturers and her inter
view will surprise her friends and the Doyerites,
for Mrs. Athey has several times refused to be in
terviewed. While spending a few days in New
Philadelphia, we had several conversations with
B,Athey,the muTderess, whose crime, 80 horrible
in Its Details short time ago thrilled the hearts
Of all who heard It, Mrs Athey is only 26 years
of age, and is quite small and girllsh In her ap.
pearance. She has been married FIVE years and
has one little child II months old. She has al
ways lavished and still continues to lavish upon
her husband love amounting almost to idolstry.
This love, associated with an intensely Jealous
disposition is, by her own confession, the cause
Of all her sorrow. She seems greatly penitentand
is 81 i'd never to murmur sgslnst her confinement.
The current reports with regard to her ieigning
insanity are untrue according to the statement
made to us by Mrs Lyons, the wife of the Sheriff,
who told us that although sometimes Mrs Athey
acted in a manner strange and wild, and at oJh.
ers appeared very absent minded still 1t was quite
evident that both conditions were the legitimate
results of intense suffering and remorse, and that
no thoughts Of deception could be truthfully at
tributed to her.
Mrs. Athey is confined at night in an iron cage,
but during the day she has full use of the room In
which the cage stands. The roo isa front room
on the lower hoor and has window opening
upon the portico. This window is generally kept
open, the opening being protected by iron bars,
By this window, behind these bars, sits for the
greater part of her time the little woman whose
hands, almost faultess In their beauty, are so
deeply stained with blood. With tears in her
eyes she said to us:
"0hl yes, ought to be here; l deserve It, But
oh, 1t is hard to give up life, and so young II
had not been angry this would never have
occurred to me- II all came from a quarrel, but
it's too late now"
When we spoke Of her faith In Christ she burst
into tears and for few minutes nothing was said
Then she spoke:
"Yes, 1 believe In Christ. I was Christian
once, but my husband lcoffed at religion and told
me 1t was nothing mtre than excitement. was
four or FIVE miles from church. my husband
would not take me ard so grew cold and care
less, and now here am"
We asked her If she tried to pray.
"0h. yes, try to; but then think of this and It
seems so terrible that can't"
She then told us that we we're the first Christians
who had visited her to ia TX with her about Christ
or her own soul. All This woman sinned but
her soul is not beyond redemption. Shall 1t be
lost through lack OF Christian labor2 Shall its
blood lie at the door Of Christs protesting CHI
dren2 We held out to her no hope Of pardon here,
neither did she seem to entertain any. We told
her what life here held for her, nothing more and
that all she could do was to prepare for the
life beyond. She said she knew it, and then
said:
II try to think Of all this, try to feel that de-
serve my punishment and when can feel so it
seems (pressing her hand against her hearD obi SO
light here but then (bursting into tears) love
my baby and my husband, and, oh l love my
homel'
In reference to her home life, It can be saii that
the years spent together by herself and husband
were very happy ones She grieves more that he
is also imprisoned and says he ought not to be-
Through the prison bars we handed flowers to
her little babe and unconscious of Its mothers
guilt it capped its tiny hands and smiled then
one dimpled arm around her neck and still clasp.
ing the flowers, laid one dimpled hand against
her cheek. AhI Mrs. Athey, the murderess, may
deserve condemnation, but let Mrs. Athey, the
mother, deserve charity and pity.
Many things we might say, but space fMbids
When we left, ClaSping both our hands, she said
Don't forget me-" We also visited her house
and conversed with her mother. The Critics fam.
lily are very highly respected in the vicinity
Their home is pleasant one, and the appearance
of Mrs. Critics, who was the only member of the
family we met, was very pleasing, She seems
very much broken down with grief but endeav.
ors to conceal It, She thanked us for our visit,
and words of kindness and sympathy During
the conversation she said "Oh, If Ellen had only
told me OF her troubled I've loved my children
and have tried to raise them right; and must it
come to this2" She seems to be a lady of a good
deal of intelligence and refinement, and should
not be branded with gr ominy because Of her
erring daughter