The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-22
STUCK NEEDLES INTO HERSELF.
Horrible Penance of an Inmate Of
Catholic Institution.

Cincinnati July. sI.--A well-6reSsed
Young woman applied at the Cincinnati
hospital for admission yesterday after
noon. She presented letter from the
had resided. The letter said the bearer
Miss Nellie Thomas. had been employed
AZ the convent some time. and was suffer-
Ing from swollen legs and feet. Nothing
except the symptoms referred 70 in the
letter was found on the preliminary ex-
animation. but later il was decided 10
lance the feet, when il was found the
limbs and feet we're imbedded With pins
and needles. Forty -one needles were eN-
tracted from her body. and she was not
able till today 70 endure further opera
ticns. when ten more were extracted. and
Il is thought more viii be found. II is
feared that blood poisoning would set in.
and than in any case IL viii prove hope
less.
She said she had been at the convent Of
the Good Shepherd for several years. She
was an orphan and alone IN the world.
During her stay there she had done wrong.
not only once. but persisteutly. She had
done what was not right, and for every
sin she had committed she had done pen
pance by thrusting needle into one OF
her legs. She explained that each opera
ton had caused her asonizing pain. and
AZ times the operations were almost un-
hearable. but she felt that she must hear
the pain as a recompense for the sin COM
mitied. This mode OF doing pennance. she
said. had covered a period of more than
two years. Her wrongdoings had been Of
frequent occurrence. and she was unable
10 estimate the number OF needles she had
placed in her limbs.
She said she and another girl In the con-
vent had become unnaturaily infatuated
xxrfra afh a 9
ers. and had together sinned against God
and nature. She said she had confessed
TO a priest at the convent. who was great
" shocked at the confession she made.
The sisters were greatly surrrised AT the
statement made b.. the girl, and could not
understand how such conditions could
have existed in the institution without
their knowledge. They made no attempt
TO deny the story. but were no doubt in ig-
riorance OF such relations existing between
any persons.
Sister Superior Mary Malone stated that
the outcome of the examination of Miss
Thomas was a startling revelation 10 her.
She had been aware Of the condition OF
the patients legs and feet for several
months but had no idea of the cause
Yesterday her limbs were so swollen and
her condAion so serious that the mother
insisted upon her going 10 the hospital
AS 10 thdf portion OF the SiCEN
Miss Thomas tnfatuation and intimacy
with another female in the convent. Sister
Malone declared she knew nothing OF II.
and was surprised and shocked beyond
measure. Miss Nellie is able to talk to-
night. but is very weak and suffering m
tense pain.
Chancellor Moeller, of the Cincinnati
diocese, when seen at the archiepiscopal
residence, said The case of this wo-
man is beyond all comprehension. tie
stated that IL was a case without paral-
lei in the history Of the Catholic church,
and one for which no explanation could
be given. 1T goes without saying" said
Or. Moeller. that such action on the part
Of this girl was voluntary, and | know
that had the sisters of the convent known
Row she had been thus Furnishing herself
they would have not permitted 1t. cana
not understand how any person can pre-
tend to believe that there is any such way
of doing penance. Such thing is beyond
my comprehension"