Louisiana capitolian., 1880-03-20

entered drug store. The clerk stepped
forward to wait on her. She said she
wanted come strichnine. He asked how
much. She replied:
ooh, some in vial"
He informed her that it was in the
shape Of a powder, and inquired wleth-
er she wanted five or ten cents worth.
She said, smilingly, about ten cents
worth, and he put up four grains He
inquired:
"Your first name is Julia, isn't it."
"Yes," she answered, and continued:
ooh, You have to keep record"
"Yes," he replied, "this is the most
poisonous drug in tbs store"
ayes, l suppose little goes q great
ways"
She returned home and before tea her
little sister Jessie noticed her crying.
At the supper table she appeared in her
usual spirits, and after partaking of the
meal, at about half-past six o'clock she
went out. She proceeded to the post
office and thence to millinery shop.
She remained in the latter place for
some time. A little after seven o'clock
she started for home and met Lindsey.
She asked him to go home with her. He
inquired:
"What for ?'
She replied
81 want to talk with YOU"
lie accompanied her home and staid
until eleven o'clock. At that hour he
took his departure, after making an Gu
gagement to call on Saturday evening.
Julia, Lindsey said, conversed in the
common strain, but made no reference
to the deed she contemplated. Imme-
diately after the Mautz tragedy, in SYRIA
cuse, she remarked, in joking way,
"That is an easy DEATH"
At about twelve o'clock .Julia's father
heard a noise that sounded like groans.
His wife called his attention to them,
but he said he guessed the sounds were
made by some boys in the street. He
listened, however, and perceived that
the sounds came from above. He sprang
out of bed and hastencd upstairs. The
sounds came from Julia's room, and he
hastened thither. The groaning was
unmistakablc. He tried the. door of the
room and found it locked. Thinking
that Julia must be dangerously i'll, he
burst in the door, and hastily lighting a
lamp, bcheld the girl writhing in con-
WILSON'S. Josie, the sister ran in her
stocking feet and night clothing to the
residence of Dr. Dana, adjoining. DR..
Dana came and at once saw that Julia
had taken poison. In glass on a chair
beside her bed was white sediment
which adhered to the bottom and sides
This the doctor pronounced strlchnine
About grain and half remained in
the glass. The girl must have taken
two and half grains, quantity suffi-
cient to kill several persons. On the
table in another part of the room was a
sheet of paper bearing the following,
written in trembling hand:
All my clothing goes to Josie.
want my funeral from the NJ. +. Church, as
! am member
| Oh, God this is terrible
Falsehood is wretched when told to the person
one loves. JULIA.
The plaintiff note was tear-stained and
showed plainly the agony of mind that
the girl must have endured when she
wrote it. 1t was written with a pencil.
No one heard Julia utter word, al
though her father thinks she said, "Turn
me over and and let me die" Her teeth
were set and her hands tightly clinched.
The doctor tried to administer an emetic
but only partially succeeded. Julia was
placed under the influence of chloroform
which seemed to relax somewhat the
spasms. At half-past one o'clock she was
seized with cOnvulsions agaiD and at
twenty minutes of two he expired. Julia
was a general favorito and the intelli-
gence Of her death quickly spread and
cast a gloom over the entire village. AS
the parents were avcrse to publicity it
was deemed best not to hold tho servi-
ces at the Methodist church, and the
rites were conducted at the family resi-
dence on Lincoln street. AS the inani-
mate clay of the beautiful girl lay in a
handsome rosewood casIlet yesterday
afternoon, one could not help pq!dcriug
over the relentless cruelty of fat }. The
remains were robed in pure white, with
flowers in the hair and shroud On the
casket lid was silver plate, bearing the
simple inscription:
.................
JULIA F. BENJAMIN,
Aged 81 years.
................. ..........