New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-02-27
An Insane Woman,s Curious story.

Mrs Theresa Alice Fisher an unfortunate
German woman is in custody in Portland
Oregon, and she tells the following remark.
able story:
MY father and lived on a little farm near
st. Cloud, in Minnesota, and last fall we con.
cluded to sell out and come to this country,
We did SO. We sold everything we possessed
and all told we had about So, 500 in cash to
bring with us. About $500 of the money
1 seWed up III quilt, o little over 81 800
put ina lard pail, covering it over with lard
and the rest of the money had about me
sewed in my dress and carried loose in nv
pocket. think it was the 18th o. Sept. when
we left Minnesota. Travelling along the
road on the train l soon began to observe
that the people were after my money. I gave
them some of the loose change had in my
pocket, but never said a word about the
money in the quilt and lard bucket Seeing
that they were intent upon taking my life al
so, jumped from the train. 1 did not care
for the money, but l did not think it worth
while to lose my life, SO leaped from the
train while it was going at rapid speed
(near Pasco, w T). 1t was not long before
they captured me, and in trying to manacle
my hands struck one of the men with lit
tie penknife carried with me. did this
with no malice or ill-will, but merely in self
defense had a right to protect myself The
officers seized upon this as pretext for tax
w SAAS
They removed me to Steilacoom, where l
remained until the end of January when
again made my escape by jumping from a
window. From that time until now have
been on the road, travelling along by day and
sleeping in the woods at night. Here, my
feet are all sore and am tired and hungry y
A Portland telegram says: The woman
seemed to be telling a straightforward and
truthful story. She looked careworn and
tired, while her feet were badly swollen
from her weary journey. Father Sommer
was sent for and he took the woman temper
arily to ST. Vincent hospital, where she will
be given an opportunity to rest up. 1t is
not very probable that she will be returned
to the asylum at Steilacoom, for she APP
parently has recovered her reasoning tacul-
ties sufficiently to take care Of herself, espec-
tally it she could find q home with some Ger
man family. Last fall her father was brought
here under just such circumstances as this
woman was brought here. He was picked up
at one of the docks and brought here by an
expressman. When Father Somers came the
old man told pretty much the same story
told by this woman. He told of his daugh-
ter escaping from the tr ain, and also of his
other daughter who was supposed to be here
IN the city in some Catholic convent Father
Sommer took him in the hospital for short
time, and then found home for him out
IN the country. In the meantime he
recovered the old mans trunk which. had
been sent to Tacoma and finally he also To-
Gated the daughter at the convent of Van
couver. AS soon as the daughter was ap.
prised of the old mans whereabouts she
made arrangements to have him sent to
Vancouver, where she could take care Of him
All the old mans effects were gathered to-
gether, and he was sent to his daughter. In
taking him here in a carriage one of the
quilts were taken out of his trunk for lap
robe. The driver observed that the quilt
was unusually heavy, and upon making in
vestigation it was found to be filled with $40
gold pieces. This was the quilt containing
800 of which this woman now makes men.
ton. The bucket of lard has also been seen
but just what has become OF it nobody seems
to know.