The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-21
MANIA FOR DEATH
Fourteen- Year-Old Girl PoisOns
People to Go to the Funeral.
Three Children Poisoned by HEREAFTER Be-
ins Discovered She eonfeBses Her Crime,
but Does Net Realize Its Enormity

1speclalto TIE HERA1D-Examiner Dispatch
BrFFALo, July 20.-Out at Father Baker,
nstitution ut Limestone Hill there il q
girl Of fourteen years, Ella Holdridge,
whose morbid passion for seeing death and
funerals has led her to kill one Of her play
mates and cause the serious illness OF three
Others by poison. The Holdrsdges have
lived in Tonawanda several years. Tona-
wanda is ten miles from Buffalo, but IL
might just az well be at the bottom Of the
Jake IS fnr as the publicity of news is con-
ccrned, and thus il is that Elias crime did
not become known for more than week.
So far as learned this child Borgla's
work began July Z. On that day Ella had
been playing with Louisa, the year old
daughter OF Herman Steiner. Shortly
after she left Louisa was taken violently
III. The weather was hot. just the same In
which children's complaints flourish, and a
physician was called. He prescribed Tor
sumner complaint. but none OF his RENE
dies eased her sufferings and after two
Gays Of intense agony the little girl died.
She was buried on the 18th and Ella Hold
ridge attended the funeral.
Last Wednesday Mrs. Egglsston came to
buifao on a shopping expedition, leaving
ner TWO young daughters at home. she
nsd been gone only few minutes when
the Eoidridge girl went to her house. The
children were playing around the door
step. Ella sook them inside and told them
she would make them something nice. She
locked the door and made q pot OF cocoa,
Into which she threw generous handful
OF rat poison. One OF the children didn't
like the taste. She was pushed onto sofa
and the liquid was poured down her throat
Then Ella told them both they would be all
right soon, directing them not to tell any
enc. That night both the children were
taken violently i'll and DR.. Edmuuds was
called Questioning the little patients
closely, he learned enough TO put him on
the track OF the child poisoner. While the
doctor was working over the Eggleston
children IL was discovered that the 5-year-
old son Of Mr.. Gsrlock had been poisoned.
BY hard work the physicians who at
tended saved his life, although he is yet
very Ill. In the meantime DIR. Harris,
who attended the girl who died, and DR..
Edmonds had compared notes. The Hold
ridge child was sent for aud questioned.
AT first Bhe denied having given any
Of the children anything TO eat or drink,
but when told that she had been seen max
ing the cocoa and it was known she had
poisoned them she made full confession.
She told how she hao made the cocoa with
the poison in it and how she had forced it
down tbs Threats Of the little Eggleston
children because she Wantod 20 go TO the
funeral ard thought
TREY WOULD LOOK SO NICE DEAD.
She told her tale in the most matter-of-
fact way, without seeming to realize the
enorrity OF her act Mrs. Holdridge says
her daughter seemed always to have per-
feet mania for deaths and funerals. Every
time any one died she learned Of it in some
way and would dance up and down with
Joy, clasping her hands and saying, Hes
dead, he's dead.'' and at every opportunity
she would follow funeral.