Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-09-09
SUSPECTED.
MARIAN ELLIoT's STORY

Murderl |, Marian Elliot, am now
lying In prison. awaiting my. trial for
murder. Having read this, do not turn
with loathlng and disgust from nv mar.
ratlve Call it confeSsion-what YOU
will swear to you it is the truth. /
VIII keep back nothing, but will lay
bare my whole soul; then Judge me as
you hope to be judged.
When | was sixteen, much to nv
surprise, aud dare say to my aunt's
also, a Mr.. Elliott asked me to become
his wife. He was banker, and repu-
ted to be very rich. My aunt consid-
cred that in marrying him | should
make a brilliant match; and she did not
fail to point out 10 me that, if did not
marry, must try to earn my own liy-
ing. preferred to marry.
Of my married life | VIII only record
one scene. 1t took place on the even
ing my husband was found dead with a
knife in his throat.
L wish l could bring myself to say
something kind of him; but 1 cannot.
He was bad man, OF whom l can re-
collect no single instance of generosity
or good feeling. From the very day
almost Of our marriage We quarreled
fereely. a fruitful subject of dispute
between US was my refusal to lay N.Y.
self out to attract the friends he fire.
Quently brought to the house. One, a
cousin Of ms. particularly disliked.
and made no s. cret OF my dislike.
One evening We W re dining alone.
His cousin had been invited. but failed
to ocome. My husband sat down sullenly
to dinner He did not say word till
the servant had left the room.
81 won't stand this any longerl" he
burst out. ~ have been too kind to
you; but l mean to make you know !
am master now. Why didn't Tom
come this EVENING""
Il don't know"
"You dol II is because you treat him
with such Internal insOlencel One man
withdrew his account from my bank
this morning because of YOU, and i sup
pose Tom will be doing the same next. y
"That is nothing to me. The fact
of mans having an account az youI
bank will not excuse an impertinence
to me, nor will 1t prevent me from pun
fishing the offender.
'That means you will strike Tom?n
Eyes, if he provokes me-"
He leaned back and took up whip
that was lying on the table behind
him.
ssIs this the weapon you use to chas-
tise my friends?" he asked.
sWhen they are ins0lent 10 me.
"It will come very handy for me to
chastise those who are insolent to me
then; and you, my Gne lady, shall have
the first taste of ltl'
In another second he had brought
the lash smartly down across my shoul-
ders. As he raised his arm to repeat
the blow, / stepped back and seized a
knife which lay on the table.
"By Heasen,"I exclaimed. 'f you
strike me again, will murder you'll
lyon fiendp' he missed.
"YesI am a fiend,"1 returned.
"You have made me one; and now you
have found, as man man has before,
that it is impossible to lay a fend when
once raised"
-sNeverl'' 1 cried.
ssPut that knife down."
ssIf you go to the other END Oh the
He retreated slowly. He thought
nrohablv that I intended to stay IN the
rooro bnt as soon as he was at safe
distance from me, flung down the
knife and went out.
This is the truth Of what actually
~ n,oca between my husband and
n,vssif on that evening. l never saw
~, olive again. What happened al
80 left the room l cannot say. L
80 haen told that some hours after
Ids servant, going in found my
hnshand living dead on the ground; and
knife very similar to the one nau sI
threatened him with had caused his
On leaving him went at once to my
room and locked the door. L can
o" W. remember of being conscious OIL
o ona feeling. and that was a desire 10
on. rba house and never enter II AGAIN.
sSs sSaS,ng mo a bundle or few necessities.
1ahansed nv evening dress and put on
l SaL Sna tweed With thick shawl ana
nI boned so to conceal my iace anu
ven so az to escape notice l listen
ns1.e rooment at my door, hall alraiG
ed .or o1 9 husband might be there; put
hoard no sound; and lne1
.;Isntly. 1t was almost darh, .,L 10
had made up my minu 70 van hit
aaarest town. a distance Oh eigne
tnS 1aS ,.e mass the night at an Inn, anu 20
nlieo, srsp there the next morning 10 Eon
on iroi1 m rent at first as | had lnten,
don 7 nsached Hunford safely, anu
ded; nangements for the evening:
maae "a. train for town, L was toio, leis
The ni'' ~ That, 1 decided, wouid
suit me. Cor q long while that
old hoI LIS TOO excited; but to-
nignl, .1a ,Ds mornlng 1 fell into a souna
wards 'TV Then awobe, it was eiSht
sleep. So that I had just time 70 dresS Is
O0SeT OT and breakfast had conlio, 'a dressing
s my starting. had hnisaeu i,oor oS
tore 30 heard knock at my uooi, l.a =,
wIen was NV landlady. DoS ohe aood' "
IL w. =; lie curiously as she enseleu'
me s.What nat do you @ants" l asneo an,a wben
w S nav Aid ID not give any name wlea =
~ ou o and a gentleman arrived a
you canle, casia % 400. making inquiries ou.
little whhe Es thought might oe -
alady %no not at all likely" repllea,
cit is nos ,an a. must be expecting 10
"The gent gensieffbeer efber lady," FL
yns1 .ss soaEi said Ph%s hin%essrrora5vs.ly. va, :.
lottf' sue sue in spite of myself. was ~
,,ossibIe that my hnsudDu nd WAS going to
lv aiqht already, anu IIa,ermined not tu
own 10 name not Elliott Elliott" ann ansMfs MTs
ed, speaking cOOlly enough
NsyWsInIl' ss.W,Il you see the gentleman"
.'Certalng Vas @ pushed oPs ESef'