Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-18
SHE LOVES MEN TOO
PULLING ANTICS OF THE
SLAYER OF FREDA WARD.
HER LIFE AS A "iLNATIC.
Twice Youths Cause Her to Become
Desperately Infatuated-Experts in
the Dark-Likely that Miss Mitchell
Killed More for Hatred than for
Love.

On a beautiful June day in 1892,
Alice Mitchell, in chH rye of officers,
after being adjudged a lunatic, was
conveyed from Memphis to Bolivar,
eighty miles away, and there confined
in the West Tennessee asylum for the
insane. There is no doubt of her in
sanity. Her last act was that of an
insane person. Before leaving the
city she was conveyed to Elmwood
cemetery, where she scattered flowers
over the grave of Freda Ward, whose
throat she had cut few months
previous. This browning of her muir
dered girl-sweetheart's grave would
have unStrung any other person than
Alice Mitchell, but her nerves are like
iron.
The asylum at Bolivar is a pleasant
place. The officers are humane and
the best possible provisions are made
for the comfort of the inmates A cor
respondent recently spent day at the
asylum. The day was hot, but the i'm
mense shade trees on the lawn made it
an inviting spot. On one side the men
played crOquet and watched a pitcher
curve a baseball in a manner that
would make ''crack" doff his hat in
admiration. On the other side 200
women of all ages enjoyed the serene
calmness of the day under heavy
leafed trees.
Alice Mitchell stood apart with two
other patients. She was daintily
dressed in pink. She wore the latest
thing in puffed sleeves, the very latest
sailor hat and was a thoroughly ''up to
date" young woman. She was cheer
full, too, for when something happened
that excited laughter Alice clapped her
hands just as she would at boarding
school.
Alice Mitchell's case is still a puz-
Zle to the two doctors at Bolivar, Drs.
Douglass and Nicely. The latter is a
close student of psychology. He has
seen Alice Mitchell daily for three
years and has closely studied her case,
yet to him the motives that prompted
her to take the life of Freda Ward has
not been reduced to a philosOphic Ger
tainty.
Alice Mitchelrs daily life at Bolivar
and the little things in her life are
what this scientist watches in study
ing her case. 1t was stated and greatly
too, by those desiring to
throw certain unhOly coloring around
the mysterious romance in the lives of
Freda Ward and Alice Mitchell, that
she was not fond of the society of men,
that she, unlike other young women,
IA ther repealed the attentions of the
stronger sex and being strong herself
she lavished her affections on young
girls, and proved it by saying that she
killed Freda Ward because she loved
Bolivar one might with better reason
say that she cut F'reda Wards throat
because she hated her.
Alice Mitchell is not capable of the!
strong and enduring love that is the
glory of women. When she loves it lis
ton may be turned into hate by a
sharp remark, a quick retUrt OF a
frOwn. While at Bolivar she fell in
love with two men, one was an inmate
of the asylum and the other was an
attendant The first was young man
of artistic and refined temperament.
He met Alice at the balls given at the
asylum every Friday night. He was
a graceful Waltzer and so was she.
The young man treated her at times
with the utmost courtesy and consid-
Grafton. Alice received his attention
with all the maidenly modesty and
pleasure of any young woman. She
looked on it as her right that she, as
all other women, should be admired by
young men.
Little presents were exchanged, and
soon one would detect that there be-
gan to exist in the hearts of both some
thing that association would soon
ripen into love- This was a revelation
to the doctors. The whole theory OF
the case under which Alice was tried,
and upon which the learned insanity
experts so profoundly testified, was
that Alice AIitchell's mind and her
emotions were as if she were man,
and that she loved Freda Ward as a
hot-blooded youth loves young
woman. and thus the theory of the
eminent men of both continents was
knocked galley-west by lunatic.
Alice, remember, met this young art
list only at the weekly balls, but after
a time her lover sickened and died.
The news of his death was a terrible
blow to her. She received it with no
outward demonstration, but with calm
dignity, characteristic of any young
woman. She became melancholy, lost
flesh, and was in a bad way generally
for some time.
Time, however, healed the wounds
death had inflicted, and Alice's affec-
tons were again whole. Soon after
Alice looked with favor on one Of the
male attendants whom she met at the
weekly balls. The young man was a
likely fellow, and while he in no way
reciprocated her affections be made a
study of her case. SO far Us he could
judge the esteem Alice held for him
was Of the same kind that any intelli-
gent young woman would bestow ON
young man: but the attendant had a
sweetheart and he married Der. This
cut Alice up. Like a woman Of spirit,
she made no demonstration. However.
had Alice had another razor and had
she cornered the fair bride in her room,