Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-03
THREE MURDERS CONTESTED.
A Dying Woman's story Of the Killing
OF Her Husband. Her Child and u |
Stranger.
From the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times
WATERFORD, OHIO, January 1.
Mrs. Emma Stillwell, who lies on her death
bed in this small village, has made most re-
markable confession Of crime. She states that
She assisted in the murder of her first husband
and her child; that she attempted her second
husbands lfe and that she killed a transient
boarder In the family. The confession. which
was taken down from her lips. is so horrible
that but for cOrrObOrating testimony it would
seem more like the fancy of q diseased mind
than story of real life. The invalid Emma
Stlilweii. arrived at the home of her husbands
father. L. NJ. Stlwell, at Waterford, November
Is, suffering from lung disease. accompanied by
her Infant Child. nine months old. Her cOndi-
ton rapidly becoming worse, her husband q
freight conductor on the Chicago. Burlington
and Quincy railroad, residing at Ottumwa Iowa,
was teiagraphed Tor and arrived here the
seventh. On tile Sunday following the wife in
formed him that. knowing herself to be a dying
woman. Size had confession to make, and inn
plorins his pardon, related her horrible tale.
COMPOSING TO HER HUSBAND.
She SAID, and has repeated the statement
since. that before her acquaintance with her hus-
band She was married when fifteen years old at
Maryville. NOdbury county, Mo-, to Ben Swi.scrt,
to whom sne had two children In March, 1877,
assisted by her brother. Chester Hoard, and her
mother. she murdered her husband. whom they
believed to have had considerable money. They
were arrested for the crime. but were discharged
Tor lack of evidence, the general belief being
that Swigert came to his death i'm drunken tit.
after the death of her husband the family kept
a clearinghouse at Maryville for some time,
and few months after the first murder the same
trio murdered transient bCarder, whose name
she vas unable to recUllect. She told what dis
position vas made of the body, saving that it
was thrown into deep ravine near the town
where 1t was found nearly year later. but that
they were unsupported of the crime.
srRANGI.ING HER BABY.
She married her present husband. then a
brakeman on the Kansas, ST. Joe and Council
Bluffs railway. in January. 1878, the family soon
after removing to RulO Nebraska where she
confesses that in May. 1880, she stranged their
fourteen-months-Oid baby named Gertrude, by
the assistance of her aunt q woman named
Betsey Sunshine. for the reason that it was
sickiy and she thought she would have mere
liberty if it was dead. She described how the
horrible deed was accomplished the aunt max
ing strong tea from peach leaves, which she
poured down the babys throat while the I'M
natural mother held the baby. assisting In its
death By strangng it with her hand.
Mrs. Stillwell further informed her Mortified
husband of making three different attempts to
take his life. the object being to obtain a small
lhHuI dhtc hc WAS CII! liz. HI IieF l:tVOF. ana re-
lated details which leave no doubt in his mind
that his life was saved each time by the merest
accident. The husband bore the terrible secret
as long as he was able. Then ON Tuesday last
four of the best men of the neighborhOOd. in
Guiding minister and justice of the peace
were called i'm and the confession repeated to
them. the wife signing the statement. The
mother of the woman received fatal injuries in
q railroad accident in March, 1881. while travel
ing from RulO to Ottumwa. the wife says. for
the avowed purpose of connecting plan to kill
her present husband
letter was received by Mr.. Stillwell from
Chester Hoard the wOmans brother dated De-
cember 20. in which he expressed the utmost
anxiety to know if his sister was dead and if
she had told anything about him, saying he
could not rest until he had heard. The woman
is very weak. and can scarcely speak above a
whisper. and when requested to repeat her story
TO correspondent was greatly alarmed. fearing
that officers We're present to arrest her. Upon
being assured that they were friends she again
related her story, and declared it to be true in
every particular.