Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-03-08
THE sAMARIA TRAGEDY.
Particulars of the Dreadful suic,s.


Idaho Enterprise.
An inquest was held over the re.
mains Of Mrs. Mary Sawyer, and after
most careful investigation of the
case, the following verdict was rem
dered: That deceased came to her
death from the effects of strychnine
administered by her own hand. 1T
seems that this should remove anv
suspicious which may have implicated
Others in the sad affair. We offer
our sympathy to the bereayed hus-
band and children of the deceased.
Their misfortune is a most terrible
one, and may God give them strength
to bear up under their aflliction.
We have since been able to CLEAN
the following particulars concerning
the Samafia suicide. 1t appears that
Mrs. Sawyer had been acting very
strangely for several days and on
the morning previous to her death
she seemed more affected than ever.
Returning from visit to her sisters,
between Z and 8 o'clock p. M, she
laid her baby in the cradle and pick
ing up cat that was lying under the
stove, 1t is said; that she clutched it
by the hind legs and tore 1t to pieces,
remarking, "There, I've killed you
anyway" She then rushed over to
the baby and took it from the cradle.
Mr.. Sawyer became alarmed and was
about to interfere, when she kissed
the child and laid it back. She
soon after became calmed and went
about her household duties. While
kneading dough she turned to her
husband and said that her father,
who is now dead, had told her that if
a rooster should crow before the
dough raised, Smith was coming to
kill her. Mr.. Sawyer quieted her fears
and in due time the family retired.
Sometime between 2 and 3 o'clock.
a. M, Mrs. Sawyer awoke her hus-
band and informed him that she had
taken strychnine and requested him
to get her stme salt and water. II
appeared that the poor woman ex.
pired shortly afterwards, as, accord
ing to her husbands statement, she
died about 3 o'clock. Her husband
did not undertake to summon any as
sistance and made no alarm whateyel
until 6 o'clock, hence he must have
sat with the corpse three hours be
fore calling in the neighbors. Or
this night the elder daughter of Mrs
Sawyer was staying with her aunt
Mrs. Sawyer's sister, and the cir
claims that her aunt was extremel,
uneasy and restless during the night
that most of the time she walked tht
= floor and several times insisted oil
going to her sisters house, saying tina
she knew there was something wrong
there, that she knew something hat
happened to Mary (Mrs. Sawyer)
The girl endeavored to quiet her ant
get her to bed, but at break of da,
she jumped up, slipped on he
clothes, rushed to her sisters house
where the first question she aske'
was: "Did Mary die a natura
death?"
These are the facts as we hav
! been able to obtain them. Whethe
true or false we cannot say, and d
not pretend to vouch for any par
& In explanation we might say that
v great many people believe that NJ
SAWYER and his sister-in-law, Mr.
Sarah Hughes, who is a widow, ha
been rather too intimate, and th
, it came to Mrs. Sawyer's knowledg
! and finally drove her mad. This
,o simply rumor. We heard yesterds
70 that Sawyer and his sister-in-la
would be arrested. To our know
- edge, however, nothing has yet bee