Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-23
A SUPPER OF DEATH.
The Frightful Deed of a Dsmented
Daughter = She Gives Her
Family strychnins.
The Father Dead, aud Others in
PreearIOus Condition.
Nashville American, %.

years occurred night before last. III
comparison, some Of the dread acts O
the historical Lucretia BOrgia would
sink into insignifcance with it.
A few weeks ago james NJ. Cleve.
land, with his wife, four children and
one granddaughter, moved to Nash.
vile from Terre Haute, Ind. The
rieors Of the Northern climate had
affected his wife's health. She was
naturally delicate, and it was at the
family physicians suggestion that
they moved South. Mr. Cleveland's
children consist of three girls and one
young man, aged twenty five years.
The eldest Of his daughters, young
woman, twenty-seven years old, one
year ago contracted a malignant fever
that permanently affected her reason
Being OF a sensitive nature, the pow
erty Of her family, that had become
greatest few months after her recov
cry, preyed upon her, and contributed
materially to disarrange her already
weakened mind. About the time that
her family arrived in Nashville the
unfortunate woman's malady assumed
a more violent phase, and upon numerE
GUS occasions she made threats to the
effect that she would some day put an
end to the poverty and suffering Of the
family by poisoning them. Her threats
were not seriously considered by the
family, they little thinking how soon
her terrible intention would be exc
cuted. Day before yesterday Mr..
Cleveland, with his family, removed
from High street, where he had
been residing since his arrival
in Nashville, to the corner oi
Ewing avenue and Fogg street. I'm
mediately upon the arrival Of the
family effects at the new home, the
demented woman visited some neigh.
bors and asked how much strychnioC
it would require to kill six persons.
The question alarmed those to whom
it was put, and they declined to an
swer, advising the girl to 60 home,
As subsequent events showed, the
crazy woman did go home, and putting
on her street clothes went up town,
and from some place, as yet unknown,
secured paper OF strychnine. Night
before last, while preparing the
family's supper, she mixed the strych-
nine with the bread. The entire
family, with the exception OF her
mother, who was i'll and unable to
taste OF food, partaking heartily Of
the fatal bread. In no manner did
the murderess betray her terrible
deed, and a few minutes after the
meal was concluded the entire family,
fatigued from the days moving,
retired to bed. The first init
nation that Mrs. Cleveland
had Of the administration of
the deadly drug was yesterday
morning about 2 o'clock, when she
was awakened By the convulsious and
purging Of her children and husband
who were all in the same room with
her. With an effort she sat upright
in bed, and beheld her maniac
daughter in the act of taking, what
was, as she afterwards discovered. the
remaining portions of the strychnine
that she had not mixed with the bread.
Mrs. Cleveland's curiosity, more than
her suspicious, moved her to ask her
daughter what she was taking, when
she was startled by a wild blood
curdling shrek that the crazy woman
uttered, who at the same time in
triumphant manner stated that
her long cherished wish had
been consummated, that she had
poisoned the whole family and they
would soon be out Of trouble. The
shock was SO great to Mrs. Cleveland
that i'll as she was already, she tainted
and remained in a state of conn until
yesterday morning about seven 0 clock.
Upon the return of her consciousness
Mrs. Cleveland crawled out to the
front door of the house, where her
screams attracted the attention OF
passers by, who came in and saw the
condition Of affairs. DR. Sheffield was
called, and upon examination he found
that Mr.. Cleveland was past recovery
and the balance OF the family in a very
precarious condition.
The Doctor, upon commencing an
examination OF the unfortunate
woman who administered the poison,
found that during the night the large
amount she had taken had caused her
to vomit it up, thereby saving her life
Upon questioning her she acknowl-
edged that she had committed the
deed, and, arising from her bed, put
on her clothes and left the house
gcing no one knows where. At three
o'clock yesterday evening Mr.. Cleve.
land died from the effects of the poi
SOD. His son willrecover. The three
girls, aged twenty-five, twenty-ihree
and nine years, are in perilous con
dition, there being but slight hope fol
the recovery of the younger one.
The little girl who is now so low is
the daughter of the demented woman,
who, though a widow, is known by her
fathers name Mr.. Cleveland, who
at one time was man of some means,
was at the time of his death almost
penniless. He was kalsomincr by
profession, which business he has been
following here. His sudden death
leaves an invalid wife and large family
on the world homeless, and to the
charitably inclined. their case GER
tainly presents one where philan.
thropic propensities can be exercised
with advantage. The police have
searched in vain for the missing daugh.
ter, the presumption beiLg that she
has committed suicide by drowning
When last seen she was barefooted ant
going toward the graveyard, having
left her shoes in the spring near thu
house. The American would publish
a description of the woman could il
have been obtained when one of il
reporters visited the scene Of the trag
edy. Mrs. Cleveland at the time
however, was too i'll to be seen, sh
Obeyiug the physicians orders to re
main quiet.