The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-07-21

The Jury Instructed 60 Find Verdict Of
Not Guiity-Insanity the Ground
For THIS Action.

l. the charge OF lhldnllclue In the nus
"A ings Court in Richmond, at 80 O'clOC
n saturday afternoon.
The case consumed hardly thrC
hours time, and the evidence intr,
duced 10y the Commonwealth was in
tended to show that the crime ha
been committed ny the aeeused, an
that she had no attempted suicid
herself, while that Offered by the de
fence was that the accQsedi was not re
sponsible for the commission Of TIN
crime.
The testimony of Drs. Hodges anC
Gordon, who had been appointed 10y
the court as experts on mental diseases
was sufficient to change the complex
rzn)n of the case so far as the Com
n0nwealth's side was concerned, and
pom that testimony, Commonwealth
ttorney Richardson asked that the
ry acquit the accused.
Mrs. Lizzie NJ. Ellis was acquitted of
fanticde on the ground of insanity,
d she will be confined in the Eastern
matte Asylum at Williamsburg.
When the verdict was given there
no demonstration of any sort, but
expression Of general satisfaction
adj over the faces Of the hundreds
% people who had gathered to hear the
testimony in the case.
At 1890 o'clock the accused was
brought into court, and hundreds of
curious eyes were fastened upon her as
she took her place at the bar beside her
counsel and her parents.
r. Commonwealth Attorney Richard
son made a short opening statement,
i'm which he showed what the Com
monwealth expected to prove. The
jury was directed to give their verdict
as to whether the accused was guilty
or not, and not to stipulate the punish
ment in such cases.
The Commonwealth expected to
show that the accused went 10 the
Windsor Hotel on June 9th and re-
gistered under an assumed name; that
during the night she was heard walk !
ing about the room as though getting |
her baby to sleep, and early in the |
morning she stated that her child was |
sick and physician called who, upon
examination, found that the child was
dead. The accused was told to send
for her relatives, and she stated that
her relatives lived in England.
The Commonwealth also expected to
show that the accused told conflicting
stories concerning the circumstances;
denying that she administered the drug
10 the child; that the child was given
Der by some one else, aud was poison
ID before she received it; that she did
the poison, and then at
empted to kill herself by the same
means.
The Commonwealth expected to show
hat the accused did poison the child.
Mr.. Wendenburg, in replying, said
here were sad conditions surrounding
he case, that Mrs. Ellis mind had
ever been of the strongest; that at
he age Of thirteen she became lnfatua-
ed with the man who became her
husband, and they were married, and
{ the early age Of fifteen she gave
firth to the child; that during the Sc
aration of herself and husband, while
e was in the army, she grew weaker !
lentally, and was unable to do any
hing about the house, save perhaps to
AIRY her child. I'm December her !
usband, who had returned from the :
rmy, left her and stated that he was
ping to visit his mother. She found .
'terward that her husband had not
lne to his mothers and she knew not =,
here he was. ;.
This preyed upon her mind and :,
ANY commissions came upon her; she >,
rev absent-minded, aud her condition =
came pitiable, and about two weeks :,
'evious to her visit to Richmond he -,
nceived the idea that the best thing o.,
r her to do was to depart this life and =
Try the child with her. She told her 49,
other that she was going to her =,
5ter's. She wrote another letter, how =.
er, to her mother in which 1t was
lted that she was really going to
edmond, and that when the letter
lched her she and her child would
dead. In this letter she made small -,
quests of her belongings and those =,
her child. -
Before leaving home for Richmond
e purchased two bottles Of laudanum :,
d when she reached Richmond, act -,
z under the irresistible impulse, she :,
We fictitious names, and told several =
,ries Of a conflicting nature so that :.
one could identify her, and then -
e administered the laudanum to the ~,
lid, and took some herself, and went !.
sleep. When she awoke in the early -
,rning and found that the laudanum
d done only portion Of its work -
3 screamed and shouted for help to
re her child, and in her frenzied con- ~
ion knew not what she did. Her =