The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-12-07
MORE COMPLETE ACCOUNT.
The Proceedings Which Ended Mrs. Van
Liew's Trip to Columbus.

/ UTI0l dCCOuu1 VI o1O OiuAhS VI n1IS.
Van Liew's case. The following
dispatch to the Chicago Inter Ocean
contains a much more complete ac-
count of the matter:
'sVan Vert, Ohio, Nov. 30.-Mrs
Emma Van Liew, the bankers wife,
charged with having murdered Miss
Alice Hammell by throwing a guam
tity of sulphuric acid in her face,
from the effects from which she died,
on Oct 16, after terrible suffering for
FIVE weeks, entered plea of not guilty
to the charge last Monday, and the
assignment of the case was to have
been made this afternoon.
"When brought into the court
room today her attorneys surprised
those present by saying that she wish
ed to withdraw her plea. The prose
cution then consented to her pleading
to the charge of manslaughter. In a
firm voice, as that of person glad of
the opportunity, she answered: 4 am
guilty. She was Immediately SEN
fenced to the Ohio penitentiary for ten
years, and in ten minutes time was
on the train in charge of Sheriff
Webster, accompanied by her husband,
bound for that institution.
''The following signed statement in
which they forgive Mrs. Van Lew
was issued by the mother, sisters, and
uncle of Alice Hannah
""To the Public: Ordinarily the
bereavement of a family is not a sub
ject which its members would feel like
bringing before the public. In our
case, however, the conditions are such
as to cause us to feel it our duty to
make this statement.
50 The relatives of Mrs. Van LEV
have asked us to consent that she plead
guilty to the charge of manslaughter
in the proceedings against her for
causing the death of my daughter,
Alice Hammell. In my own suffering
| cannot forget that those who made
this request are themselves innocent
sufferers and have granted the re-
quest. In this my brother, D. A.
Clark, and my remaining children,
Mrs. Neel and Mrs. Tumbleson, have
yielded respect to my wishes, and they
have joined me in asking the prose
cutting attorney and the attorn eys as
ISOLATED with him and, through them,
the court that this plea be accepted
in payment Of the debt to human JUS
tice. My request mas. been complied
with.
"'I could not rest content that the
terrible crime which has cost my
daughters life should go UNPUBLISHED,
but it could bring to me and mine no
comfort, nor could it lessen in ven
geance our loss. This could not restore
my daughter to us, not blot out the
weeks of anguish which have been
made her and our portion. I know
what suffering means, as no one can
who has not undergone affection such
as mine. and vengeance, adding to the
suffering of others who are innocent of
wrong themselves, could bring no
balm to my heart.
I" 4 have not many years remaining
to me. The days since Sept. 10 have
aged and broken me even beyond my
years. To go through a trial, giving
my testimony, every word of which
would tear my heart afresh, would be
to undergo again the tortures of the
five long weeks of my daughters
agony 1 cannot do it. Ny sole long
ing now is for peace and such soften
ing of my grief as time and the mercy
of Him who is above all can only
bring. I have one comfort for the
plea as given that / could not have
from jury convict in any degree.
The plea of guilty is confession
that my daughter was right in fixing
the crime upon the accused, SO that no
one can hereafter say that / or mine
caused an innocent person to be prose-
cuted. If in adopting this course /
have erred it is on the side of mercy.
The prosecuting attorney and his as
sociates have in this regard yielded to
my request and allowed this sad
chapter to be closed by the acceptance
of the plea offered. l am grateful for
the great tenderness that has been
shown toward us by friends and
strangers alike. May no sorrow such
as mine fall upon any who may read
these words
H"MRS. N. E. MEL.
"'We join in the words of our sister
and mother.
"sJ. S. NEIL,
"sMRS. IDA TUMBLESON,
SD. A. CLARK.
Few knew of the proceedings I'M
til after Mrs. Van Liew was on her
way to prison, and when the matter
became public it occasioned great sur