The sun., 1881-01-15
LOCKED In AN OLD HOUSE.
THE VERY REMARKABLE STORY OF
MISS MARY H4MMEL.
Nailed Up In . Room, without Food for Sew
ersI Days Tho Conduct Of woman
under whose Influence she says she was.

Nailed Up In . Room, without Food for Sew
ersI Dnys-The Conduct Of Woman
under whose Influence she says she was.
The woman who was found imprisoned
and nearly starved in a room in tho old Texldo
mansion on the border Of the Flushing meadows
on Thursday. as related In THE Sun OF yester-
day, is Miss Mary Hnmmel. who says she is e
granddaughter of Philip Freneau. the poet and
editor OF Revolutionary times. About fifteen
months ago she lived with her maiden sister.
Sarah. in a house in Locust Grove. w. L.
This house thoy inherited. with two other
houses in the village. from thoir mother
They lived In almost utter seclusion. never en-
couraging visitors. and only receiving those
who brought them sewing 10 do Their house
was furnished with Brussels carpets and ma
hogany furniture. About two years ago
woman. giving her name as Caroline Allen, ap-
peared in the village. She became acquainted
with the Hammel sisters. and finally rented the
lower portion OF their house. paying one months
rent In advance. Mrs. Allen is about So years
OF age, slender and tall. She dresses in black.
and habitually carries n prayer book. She
told tho sisters and neghbors that she was
a philanthropist and that her only duty
was the care OF the poor. To prove these as
sertions she produced u package OF papers tes-
tlfying to her Christian character. and bearing
| men. Her conversation is represented by the
villagers ss having been brilliantly pious. She
| had pasaes on many railroads and prided her
| self upon her influence and social standing;
The sisters say she rrotessrd 10 he the willow o,
| been with them month 1t was noticed ~
Sarah Hammel that Mrs. Allen had almost ab:
soute control OF her sister Mary VINO is about
| 30 years old. BY sewing the latter had man
| aged to save t400. which she deposited in bank.
| on her bat HummPl
| Allen approached her and said:
| Mary. don't you think l had better Keep
! Mary silently acauiesced. having. rs she says.
| no power to resist. so much was she fascinated
| by the woman Mrs Allen afterward removed
from the house some Of the furniture. giving
! reasons for SO doing that satisfied the sisters.
Gradually, however. Sarah began to grow sus-
| picious. Mrs. Allen fnally persuaded Mary 10
| accompany her through the western part q the
State upon missions of philanthropy. Mary
| says she does not recollect much about this
| Journey except that when they were In Water
| loo. where. she says. the brother Of Mrs. Allen.
an Episcopal minister. was stopping the min
| lister refused to have anything to do with his
| sister. They kept up their lourneyinR Tor some
time Mary taking In sewing 70 bel pay their
| Mrs. Allen next rented from the present own
er. Miss Westbrook, the old Texido mansion
III ms bs bos ssss1 ro an Sa sd
| OF August. 1880 until May. 1881. This agree
ment was maize through n lady and gentleman
residing in Flushing. who acted as the agents
| Of Miss Westbrook. and who agreed to collect
the rent monthly. Before taking the house
permt Ssr to se reside here but in
her occasional absences in New York ,compe-
person would take Sharse Mss Nearly every
to collect the rent. they found the house closed
and silent One evening. Mrs. Carkson says.
ISOLATED dwelling. he heard screams. as II some
| ons was being beaten. He stopped and knocked
| at the door. Mrs. Allen responded to his sum
| mons. and when he told her he thought he
| heard some one screaming. she replied that he
must nave been mistaken; .,
| Miss Clarkson finally become impatient at
not receiving any rent since last August. and
she determined to call upon Mrs. Allen herself.
She aceoIdingly went over to the ma. mansion % on
| len was not there. and that u woman who ap-
nsared at u window was the only occupant.
| Mrs Allen and returned home. But she could
not sleep from think ing OF the strange appear
| ance OF the woman she Ind seen at the window.
and early the next morning. with a lady friend.
she went agnin to the old mansion. and found
How sho Sas
told In THE SYN OF yesterday.
Mr. wSsfb ,bn bS StTen sss
three houses in the adjacent villages. and had
been turned out OF them all for non payment OF
Hammel had told him. since her retura home.
that Mrs. lien had visited her in
her room at intervals Of four days; and
She took nearly all the clothing from her. and
gave her, bed OF meadow straw 20 sleep on.
her and never had fire during that time.
When Mary complained of her treatment. Mrs.
Allen frightened ner by declaring that she would
have Ter arrested and punished Sometimes she
beat her. On one occasion Mrs. Allen did not
appear at the house for nearly week. Mary
had become so iamshed that she jumped from
| a second story window into the yard below to
get someth ing TO appeass her appetite. Fright
what sss nS had Ss4s S94e es hS
When discovered and released on Thursday.
days and half without food. Mrs. Allen. she
said. went away on Monday, leaving her food
enough for one day Before going Mrs. Allen
A reporter visited the residence OF the Ham
mel sisters in Locust Grove last night Sitting
on u chair in q corner was Mary Hammel She
was emaciated her cheek bones nearly pro-
truding through the skin and her eyes large and
sunken. The room was almost barren of furni-
ture. bed a table upon which was Some
manuscript that they said was in the handwrit-
ing of Philip Frensau. a printed copy OF his
tanned. except portrait OF Freneau. with his
autograph, suspended from the wall over the
bad, Mary Hammel was very feeble. Speaking
She is not bad at heart. and she talks SO
nicely, dent believe she is bad; though she
tn nix she ID bad ?"
This she, asked tho reporter, He remarked
Thersupon she half sobted out:
Then wi! never get my bank book again
| Wlbh Hci IaiAit i NHOuRul bllt
would give II to me again; but IN never get it,
In answer to questions she said she found il
imposs ible TO resist Mrs. Alien: sho fascinated
her. She said she hoped no harm would come
to Mrs. Alen. II She cnmo back again she
thought she Mary could not be induced to &c
| with her. She had become stronger through
| her suffering.
The neighbOrs unite in saying that Mrs Allen
seemed to have mesmerlc powers. Very few
who held conversation with her for the 1irs
time failed To think her unusually good. An
incident is related about her crossing the
| E.uG n Hfr,NH ShAa afnH .lf
on the side Of a swollen stream and knelt dowl
and prayed. After getting over she knelt OIL
the other side.
The slayer OF his Bride Acquitted.