Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-04-07
Wonan's Terrible Crime.

The crime for which Mrs. Meaker was
hung at Windsor, VT, last Friday, was
of q particularly shocking character. She
was of a very morose temperament, was
the ruler of her family, and of such
uuarrelsome disposition, that constant
wrangles with her neighbors compelled
as frequent changes of her residence.
During 1879 a half-sister of Mrs. NJ. was
taken from the poor farm at Charlotte,
where she had been supported by the
public, and placed in care of Mrs. Meaker,
the town paying a small sum for her board.
The child, Alice Meaker, was very trail
and delicate, and in demeanor modest ana
docie; in fact, her helplessness excited
the luminosity of Mrs. Meaker from the
moment she entered the house, and it was
vented in cuffs and blows. She seemed
to take delight in the cbild's sufferinSs,
whose stripes and sears famed the fire of
her hatred until the elimination in April,
1880, not quite one year after she had be-
come an inmate Of the Meakers' home.
Her hatred of Alice had then become such
a mania with the woman that she deter
mined to kill her in order to remove the
child from her sight, and proposed to her
son Almon that he should aid her in the
crime. At first he objected, but ultimate
" consented, and the horrible murder
was committed on the 23d of April.
The story OF the crime is coolly narrat-
ed by Almon Meaker in a confession made
by him subsequent to the trials OF this
fieudish mother and son: ellis mother
proposed several plans for getting rio OF
Alice, and finally, on the night of the
murder, she bought strychnine at Water
bury, and he procured team from
livery stable and waited for his mother
back of the house. He says: Mother had
mt Alice to bed with her clothes on,
mother took her out of the window, tell
ing her we were going to ride. My father
was in bed. Mother and Alice walked a
short way up the hill through the field
and came to the road where L had the
team. They got in and l drove through
the street and gave the poison on Henry
HILL below the street, when We put it in
some sweetened water and gave it to her.
We drove Oh, and she went into convul-
sions. MY mother held her hand over
her mouth to prevent her making noise.
We started for a sandbank towards Stowe
and took a shovel to bury her with, but
she died so soon as we stopped at swamp,
where the body was thrown, and where L
had stamped upon her body to bury her
in deep"
Mrs. Meaker ate hearty dinner Friday.
Her arms were pinioned before she left
her cell, and the procession moved to the
gallows, where she was seated in chair
and evidently did not like the crowd.
After a prayer by the chaplain Sheriff
Amsden handed her paper with these
words: "Emiline Mcaker, if you have
ANYTHING to say why the execution OF
yeur sentence should not take place you
have now an opportunity" This was
done on account of her deafness. She was
calm and pale, and sat with closed eyes.
She then said "Good bye, Mr.. Hall. l
have nothing more to say, only forgive
you for hanging me-" Her legs were
then tied, she standing all the time. She
showed no signs of fear, and no trembling,
but said: "May God forgive you ALL" The
fotsl drop fell at 80 O'Clock.