Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-03
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sORCERY AND A LAWSUIT


of Clothing in a Grave In Order to Ex-
ercise a Speil-Magicians and vOOdoo
Doctors Said to Have Been Consulted
The Young WOman's DeniaIs.
All San Francisco, from Mob Hill to the
Chinese quarter, says the San Francisco
correspondent of the New York Sun, is
agitated over the revelations of the past
two days in the suit Of Sarah Althea Hill
against ex-senator William Sharon for
divorce. 1t has been known in a general
way for a long time that Miss Hill had re-
sorted to sorcery in her attempt to regain
the Senator's affections. She had made a
cOntidante of q negro woman from whom
she had purchased a ''Voodoo," and she
had INDUCED in various weird ineanta-
tons both in public and in private. To
the soothsayers, astrologers. mind read
ers, spiritualists, seers, fortune tellers,
and clairvoYants of the city she has for
some time been a source of great revenue.
The developments in court, however,
show that she has carried her superstI-
lions much farther than was supposed.
When it became clear that Miss Hill
intended to push her suits against the
Senator, his attorneys set about a most
thorough investigation of her sOrceries,
believing that they could show that her
ambition from the first had been to secure
an unfair advantage over him, and that
her attitude was very far from that which
woman, knowing herself to be a wife,
would have taken. They ran down many
OF her clairvoyants and voOdOO doctors,
but failed to secure the expected sensa-
tiOnal evidence. When they were on the
point Of giving up that branch of the case
as about worked out they received a hint
that George Gillard, the sexton of the
Masonic Cemetery. could give them some
Information that might prove valuable.
He was promptly interviewed, and after
much persuasion he told his story.
About year ago Nellie Bracket. a
young woman whom Gillard has known
since childhood, accompanied by another
young lady whom he did not know, called
on him at the cemetery and explained to
him that they had a scheme in which they
wished his assistance. In the course of
conversation it leaked out that they
wanted to charm rich man. The grave
digger laughed at them and expressed
his unwillingness to have anything to
do with the matter. Then the young
woman whom he did not know and who
seemed to be more interested than Nellie
Bracket, said earnestly: ''If helping us
would make Nellie the wife of a rich man,
wouldn't you do it2' He replied in the
affirmative, urging, however, that they
must not ask him TO do anything crooked.
w
was the privilege of putting few articles
of wearing apparel under the coffin Of
some person who was to be buried. This
he assented 10, though he told them it was
nonsense. Promising to notify them of
the next interment they left him.
The first burial was on the LIST of May,
1888, being that Of A. S. DIN, an old and
highly respected citizen. Gillard gave
the young women due warning, and at 10
O'Clock i'll the forenoon OF that day they
arrived at the cemetery. Going to the
new-made grave, they jumped into it and
pushed small package, done up in a
newspaper, under the head of the pine
box into which the coffin was to be placed.
After they had made sure that the pack
age was properly located they climbed
out of the grave, and the unknown woman
offered to pay Gillard for his services. He
declined compensation of any kind, but
the women insisted that he must take
something, or the charm would not be eff
fectual. Finding that he could not sat
isfy them otherwise, he received and put
in his pocket a silver dollar, which the
unknown woman gave to him. The corpse
of A: :. Olin did not reach the cemetery
until , p. NJ, but Nellie Bracket and her
companion did not leave the spot until
the services were over, and the grave had
been filled up.
Gillard was taken to court one day re-
Gently and asked If he could recognize
the unknown woman in the crowd. He
Immediately pointed out Miss Hill, the
plaintiff, saying she was the companion
of Nellie Bracket. Finding that they
had struck an important trail, the attOr-
neys for Sharon stated their case to DR..
Mears, the Health Officer, and from him
obtained permission to open Olin's grave.
Early last Sunday DIR. Mears, two or
three of Sharon's lawyers, and the Super
of A..
grave and directed the operation of four
grave-diggers who had been engaged. The
men made quick work of the excavation.
and when the coffin was reached. it did
not take very long to raise the head of the
box and pull out the bundle. 1t was coated
with mud, and the paper that had COW
cred it was almost pulp. Every person
present attested to the genuineness of
the find, and the package was opened at
the superintendent Office in the presence
of all. The outside wrapper, as has been
said, was paper. The next was piece of
black dress goods about two feet square.
tightly pinned at every fold. In this was
standing collar, showing that it had
been cut from shirt, dark cOlOred silk
stocking and piece of linen about foot
square, evidently cut from shirt All
were soaked with water and discOlored,
but no attempt was made to cleanse them
before they were made up in another
package, the wrapper of which was
sealed with wax III as many places as
there were witnesses to the disinterment.
The parcel was then cOnfided to the care
of Health Officer Mears, and the desc
Grated grave of poor old Olin was filled
up once more.
In court yesterday, during tie cross eX-
animation OF Miss Hill, Mr.. Evans, for the
defense, asked the young woman if she
had ever played any tricks on Senator
Sharon. She replied that she did not know
what he meant.
''Did you ever give him any powders or
potiOnsp'
"Only his medicines
Ibid you ever wear any of his cloth
ingY
''No-that is, nothing but his dressing
gown when he was sick"
The attorney for the plaintiff, knowing
what was coming, objected to this line of
questions and made forcible argument.
He admitted that Miss Hill had worn the
Senator's shirts, socks and collars in or
der to exercise spell over him, but
claimed it was an idle superstition which
women Of all ages and countries had en-
tertained. He recited many passages
from "Lalla ROOkh," and other poems,
and asked what it would profit the de-
Tense if they did show that the plaintiff
had had an abiding faith in the nonsense
Win winch Lne S0OtnSayerS and SPELL
workers had filled her head.
In reply Mr.. Barnes, for the defense,
SAID that the evidence sought to be intro
duced was of the utmost Importance as
going to show the probable relation be-
tween the plaintiff and the defendant. If
at time when she was on friendly terms
with Senator Sharon it can be shown that
she resOrted to sorcery to gain an unnatu-
raj control over him, the court should be
made aware of it. The defense intended
to show that she did doctor his wine and
his food at "a time when he was already
sick. She secured the city in search of
fortune telIers and people who were deal
ers in magic. spells, blessin IS and curses,
and spent her money in buying drugs and
potlons, medicines, and all manner of hOr-
rIble things. This was not the action of
a woman who bore to man the honored
relation of wife.
At the conclusion of the arguments the
court ruled that the testimony was adj
Missile, and Mr.. Evans proceeded with
the crOss-eXaminatiOn. He asked Miss
Hill with great particularly concerning
the allegations that she had worn pOr-
tions of the Senator's wardrobe, and that
she had employed other people to work
charms on him, but she denied that she
had ever resorted to such eXpedients.
Turning suddenly on his heel Mr.. Evans.
addressing the Health Officer, said: CDR.
Mears, will you please come here?' The
doctor, carrying a small bundle, forced
his way through the crowd to the side of
the lawyer. Mr.. Evans took the bundle
and put it on the Judges bench for his in
spectiOn. 81 want you to see," he said to
the Judge, that this package is sealed as