The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1884-07-24
STARVED TO Death!
An INMATE FROM THE INIIRMARY
WANDERs FOR A MONTH
THROUGH TIE COUNTRY
AND STARvEs TO
DEATH!
4 Horrible Case.

On last Thursday, three chill
dren, Clara Snyder, her littl'
brother and a girl named Clar'
Byert, were out hunting for some
ducks that had strayed away. ant
found the body of a woman lyinl
in a gully, in the woods, on th'
farm Of David Shultz, about thre,
miles south of Logan.
The Coroner was notified ane
an Inquest was held, the finding
of the Coroner being that the
woman came to her death from
starvation.
From the testimony given in
the case, we get these material
facts:
The name of the deceased il
Mary G. Burns, of Benton town
ship, aged thirty-seven years.
She was a woman of feeble
intellect. On the 18th Of Febru-
ary, 1883, she was adjudged in
sane and sent to the Asylum
On May 10, 1883, she was dis
charged as cured. Her father
dying, she inherited pro.
perty to the value of $546. Ham
ilton Steele was appointed her
guardian. On August is, 1888,
she was brought before Judge
Acker again, on complaint of the
occurrence of insanity, but the
Judge adjadged her not insanes
On ths eta Of September, 1883,
she was plsced in the 1nflrmary
on a warrant from the Trustees
of Benton township.
Mr.. Nixon, the Superintendent,
tsstifies that she left the Infir-
mary twice before. The first
time he found her at the cid
home place in Benton township );
the next time on the road 10 L0-
gan q few hours after she had
left. When she left the last time,
Mr.. Nixon was not at home. On
his return he came to town and
notified a clerk in the Grange
store to be on the look out, and
also requested Marshal Deishley,
# he saw her to lock her up and
,end him word.
Mr.. Rodman testifies that he |
'awssher sitting under a tree by |
he road side, about three weeks
.go. About the same time she
at the house of a brother
,f Rodman's, and asked for wa |
er. She drank two quarts, then
lsked for bread. After she had |
eaten her satisfaction, she again |
vent to she we'll and drank two
more tincups of water. She in.
luired the road to Sater's, and to
.lesboro, and then left.
No one, rs far as can be ascer-
saw her sin e that late.
In her bundle were several ar
icles Of clothing, seven dollars 6
ninety cents cash, pins, buttons,
bread, quilt patches, and va
'iety of trinkets. Among other
,hings, a colored card with her
lame, and bearing this mocking
nscription-"Forget Me Not" p
4r. Nixon subsequently turned
,ver notes to the Coroner. sever
Il hundred dollars, which he said
10 found in her bundle. /
The theory is, that the poor
;reature becoming dissati.fed at
ne Inflrmary. left it, and for fear
# being seen and returned, she
lid away from human sight, liv-
ng on such scraps and crumbs
md herbs she happened to find.
Ter bundle was lying under a
rec about 40 feet from the place
vhere her body lay, pressed
lown as though she had sat on it
long time. The gully showed
igns of scrambling and strug-
ling along, indicating that she
vas searching for water from q
pring farther up. She lay on
er side, with a stick Of wood un-
er her head for a pillow. Her
'ody had several bruises, evi-
eatly from falls in her death ef-
orts. Her stomach and bowels
7ere entirely empty and con-
racted, and her body wasted to
mere skeleton.
Death from starvation!
1t is a horrible affair. Wei
hudder when we read the trials
f DeLong and his Arctic Explo-
srs, and turn away and try to
anish the thought of the agony
is men endured as they slowly
,arved to death. |,
Here, within three miles of
~~c~ ~~skh v,o~o~. g.. ho. n,,n i