St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-03
MISS HILLS soRCERY.
10 Charm Senator Sharon She B"rfes q
Bundle of Clothing an a GTdre.
San Francisco Letter

Chinese quarter, is agitated over the revela-
lions of the past two days in the suit of Sarah
Althea HI against ex-senator William
Sharon for divorce. It has been known in a
general way for long time that Miss Hill
had resorted to sorcery in her attempt to re-
gain the Senator'S affections. She had made
confidante of q negro woman from whom
she had purchased a 'Voodoo," and she had
INDUCED in various weird incantations both
in public and private. To the soothsayers'
astrologers, mind readers, spiritulists, seers,
fortune tellers and clairyoyants OF the Guy
she has for some time been a source OF great
revenue. The developments in court, now
ever, show that she has carried her supersu-
tions much farther than was supposed
When it became clear that Miss Hill 1u-
tended to push her suits against the senator
his attorneys set about most thorough IN
vestigation OF her soceries, 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 wife, would have taken. They ran
down many of her clairvoyants and Yoodoo
doctors. but failed to secure the expected
sensational evidence. When they were ON
the point Of giving up that branch of the case
as about worked out they received hint that
George Gillard, the sexton of the Masonic
cemetery, could give them some information
that might prove valuable. He was prompt
" interviewed, and after much persuasion
he told his story.
About a year ago Nellie Brackett young
woman whom Gilliard has known since child
hood, accompanied by another young lady
whom he did not know, called on him at the
cemetery and explained to him that they had
scheme in which they wished his assistance.
In the course of conversation it leaked out
that they wanted to charm a rich man. The
gravedigger 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 earnest
": eff helping us would make Nellie the
wife of a rich man, wouldn't you do it!" He
replied in the affirm native, urging, however,
that they must not ask him do anything
crooked. Then they explained that all they
wanted was the privilege Of putting few ar
ticles of weaing apparel under the coffin OF
some person who was to be buried. This he
assented to, though he told them it was non
sense. 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. Gilliard gave the young
women due warning, and at 10 O'Clock in
the forenoon of that day they arrived at the
cemetery. Going to the newmade grave,
they jumped into it, and pushed a 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 package was properly To-
Gated they climbed out of the grave, and the
unknown woman offered to pay Gilard for
his services. He declined compensation Of
any kind, but the women insisted that he
must take something or the charm would not
be effectual. Finding that ne could not sat
isfy them otherwise he received and put in
his pocket silver dollar, which the unknown
woman gave to him. The corpse of A. II.
Olin did not reach the cemetery until2 2. NJ,
but Nellie Bracket ard her companion did
not leave the spot until the services were
over, and the grave had been filledup.
Gillard was taken to court one day recent
" and asked if he could recognize the I'M
known woman in the crowd He inmedi-
ately pointed out Miss Hill, the plaintiff,
saying she was the companion Of Nellie
Bracket. Finding that they had struck an
important trail, the attorneys for Sharon
stated their case to DR.. Mears. the Health
Officer and from him obtained permission
to open Oiin's grave. Early last Sunday DR..
Mears two or three of Sharon's lawyers, and
the superintendent of the cemetry repaired
to the grave and directed the operations of
four gravediggers 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, fland the paper that had covered it was
almost pulp. Every person present at
tested to the genuineness of the find, and
the package was opened at the superintend-
ent's Office in the presence of all. The out
side 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 were a standing collar, show
ing that it had been cut from Il shirt a dark
colored silk stocking, and a piece of linen a
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 in as
many places as there were witnesses to the
disinterment. The parcel was then confided
to the care of Health Officer Mears, and the
desecrated grave of poor old DIN was filed
once more.
In court yesterday, during the cross
examination of Miss Hill, Mr. Evans, for the
defence, 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
potions!"
"Only his Medicines
''Did you ever were any of his clothing?"
''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 order to exercise
a spell over him, but claimed it was an idle
superstition which women of all ages and
countries had entertained. He recited many
passages from 'Lalla Rookh'' and other
poems, and asked what it would profit the de-
fence if they did show that the plaintiff had
had an abiding faith in the nonsense with
which the soothsayers and spell workers had
filed her head.
In reply Mr.. Barnes, Tor the defences,
said that the evidence soughtto be introduced
was of the utmost importance as going to
show the probable relation between the plain
tiff 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 unnatural control over
him, the court should be made aware of it.
The defence intended to show that she did
doctor his wine and his food at time when
he was already sick. She secured the city in
search Of fortune tellers and people who
were dealers in magic, spells, blessings, and
curses, and spent hermoney in buying drugs
and notions. medicines and all manner of