Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-02
MAD MARY'S MANIA,
2e Attacks Rev. Father OCOn-
nell With a Hatchet at
the Church Door.
REPELLED BY A PISTOL.
Ten Years Spent in Lying in Ambush
to Assault CIergymen.
CR4ZED BY A BROTHERS DEATH.
Sad but Romantic Story of scotchwoman
Who Was an Actress.
REPELLED BY A PISTOL.
,RAZED BY A BROTHERS DEATH.
Sad but Romantic Story of Scotchwomar
Who Was an Actress.
A GRIEF THAT CLOUDED HER MIND


'T'u chop your heart out and cut your
body into pieces" and, with scream of in
sane fury, Mary Cameron, Mad Mary, of
Mt. Washington, sprang upon the Rev.
Father O'Connell with a keen-edged hatchet
lifted high in the air,
The priest of the Church of st. Mary's of
the Mount turned quickly and faced the
crazy woman, and, realizing that his life was
IN immediate danger, drew a revolver and
1eyeled il straight at her head. The move
men+ was so sudden that Mad Mary fell
hack a step or two. Father O'Connell, think
Ing the woman was cowed, started toward
1he.chnrch half dozen yards away. Again
seizing her opportunity the demented
woman sprang forward a second time and
was upon the instant OF burying the blade
OF the ugly weapon into the priest when he
again turned and leveled the revolver at
her. She covered back, and Father O'Con-
nell stepped quickly forward and entered
the church door.
Cursed by the Mad Woman.
Seeing her intended victim had escaped
and now was facing her, the mad woman
broke into 4 series of demoniac shrieks and
cries. hurting anathemas, oaths and abjura-
tions of the most vcnomous kind upon the
head of the Young priest. The neighbor-
hood was aroused. and men, women
and children rushed to their doors, half
expecting TO see the mutilated remains of
the clergyman in the road, as Mad Mary's
deadly hatred for ali men of clerical garb
is well known. They were happily disap-
pointed. Officer Schuck was quickly sum-
moued. and the insane woman was placed
under arrest and lodged in the Twenty
eighth ward police station, where she made
the night and day hideous with her yells,
The hair-raising episode occurred late
Saturday afternoon, and the quiet dwellers
OF Mount Washington are still talking
about it and seem to breathe easier now
that the dangerous woman is out of harms
wav She will be tried this morning for
insanity and sent TO some asylum.
Lying in Wait for CIerGymen.
The attack of Saturday upon Father
O'Connell is the tenth she has made upon
him. and the third one with a hatchet.
For years she has been a source of fear to
Il. III.
mention of her name has been enough to
make the more timid shudder. For ten
years or more the same malignant occur
RANGES have happened iron! time to time,
and the reason she has never before been
arrested is that her intended victims. in
variablv priests or ministers. have been
able to protect themselves from her and
nave Oavm very lenient with her after the
occurrence.
Father O'Conneu has occupied his present
charge for a year, and during this period
has had a great deal of trouble with the
woman. Father Eiernan, who preceded
Father O'COnnell. was attacked a short time
after his arrival upon Mt. Washington by
Mad Mary with large butcher knife. He
succeeded in parleying With her and es-
CaDed before she did him any serious harm.
Father Tobin, who died about q year and a
half ago. WAS, during his stay upon the
Mount, frequently attacked by the insane
woman and Father Brennan, the pastor of
s. Nary's for number of years, underwent
the same experiences.
Mad NIary's Sad History.
The history OF Mad Mary is most interest
tng. as she was Of good Scottish descent and
now has brother who is a British grenadier
in India. She is some 80 years o; age and
came 10 America from Glasgow about Is
years ago with her youngest brother, David,
who was then a boy of Il years. Mary was
Uevotcdlv attached TO this brother, and often
said she had given her life for him She
never married. and while "Davie,"
s. she called him, worked at the
ShOcusakcrS tIHGe for n firm on Wood
street in this city, Mary went among her
ucighborS on 1T. Washington and did
laundry work. The scottish trait of Iru-
Eality was strongly developed in each ard
they finally amassed enough money to
purchase cottage and place some money
in the bank. Finally Davie had $500 in the
bank. and seeing an opportunity to place
liS money simultaneously he told his sister
lie would "a AXE the investment That was
tie last ever seen of Davie.
The days went and the weeks passed by
with no word from the absent loved one.
One day party bore a litter down the hills
and dalcS of Mount Washington. They
stopped before Mary Cameron's and drawing
lack the pail the horrible bloated face of
Davic was before MaTv's eyes. His body had
been dragged from the river some 80 miles
below Pittsburg. There were but Il few dol
lars in the water soaked clothing of the
corpse, beside the boys watch.
Frustrated by Her Profound Grief
The awful blow prostrated the sister and
when she was again able to be out her mind
was turned. \ friendly minister for whom
Mary had worked kindly took charge OF her
little affairs ana invested part OF the money
she had in a small shop where she sold can
dy to the school children. As her dementia
became more forcibe it took most peculiar
deUed ana robbed her brother, and from
that period dates her hatred for men Of cler-
ical garb She had received a superior edu-
cation in her youth and also studied
for the stage. In her insane mo-
ments she gathered children about
her and recited selections from
Shakespeare by the hour. Her costume
fantastic and grOteSque at all times. She
wore a single band OF white linen, about two
inches in width, about her head and tied
tightly beneath her chin for a bonnet and
pinned Tags OF all hueS and co!ors about her
dress. She never wore anything on her
feet while about the house except half
dOzgu pairs Of stockings. Some three years
age she parOlcd the streets at night and
frightened pedestrians 10y making hideous
facial distortions at all of them.
The people of the neighborhood all seem
to be relieved now that she is gone and her
name and ridiculous exploits are upon every
ones tonGuc. Father OConncll is a sturdy,
well-hutt young man of athletic physique
and said last night that he was not at all
frighteDed at Mad Mary, and only drew his
revolver to frightcn her.