The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-05
is NOT ITS VICTIM
DIAMOND QUEEN now DENIES SHE
IS A SLAVE To MORPHINE.
WHY SHE TOLD STORY.
COULD NOT ATTEMPT TO KEEP Up
HER SCHEME OF DECEPTION.

Mamie Do Girls Voluntarily Admitted
That Her story of the Use of Nor.
phine Was Intended TO Mislead
She Had to Account for Writing
the Remarkable Letters From At
Ianta and Could Think of Nothing
Else to sny-After Being Visited by
Minister and Receiving n Copy Oi
Religious Literature She Declared
That She Would Tell the Truth
Her Mother Swears That She Is
Insane and the Diamond Queen
Will Have TO Face n LunEcy Jury
II am not a slave to morphine. al.
though 1 have used the drug on sew
eral occasions when suffering from in
somnia. 1 do not crave for morphine
or any other form of dope"
OF her own free will Mamie DeCris
made this confession to a representa-
tive of the Morning News. in the coun-
" Jail yesterday. AS suddenly as she
asked for the drug two days ago did
she declare that she is not its victim.
NOlillLS ildQ DGtn Sdlu QuAlHS lAlC III
terview about morphine or any other
sort of drug. Before she saw the news
paper man Miss DeCris had been Wis
tied by a minister of the gospel and
several ladies who are interesting
themselves in her behalf.
She declared that she could not per-
sist in attempting TO keep up the de-
ception, and determined to tell the
truth and not endeavor to simulate a
slave to morphine.
Why She Told story.
The young woman not only confessed
that she had made a false statement
when she declared that she was a VIC
tim of the morphine habit. but she
gave her reason for having done so.
She even went further and explained
why she finally decided to throw off
the mask and make public the fact
that she had attempted to perpetrate
a deception. She says that she had
been asked so many times if she used
any form of drug that she finally de-
termined TO answer in the affirmative.
thinking that this answer would ac-
count for her queer conduct in Atlanta.
The young woman says she is unable
herself to give any reason for sending
out the fake stories and has no recol-
lection of having done so. She saw
the letters to the Morning News, and
recognized the handwriting, but for
the life of her could not explain why
they had been written. She said that
she realized that ii would be hard TO
make the public believe this without
some sort of explanation. She could
furnish none for the reason that she
could not recall the incident. Then II
was that she determined to announce
that she was addicted to the use of
morphine, believing that this would
satisfy the public of her condition
when the absurd and improbable sto-
ries were given out in Atlanta Miss
DeCris declares that this was her only
reason for doing what she did She
had used morphine tablets when suf-
fering from insomnia and for this rea-
son selected that form of drug.
After these people talked with me
to-day. and after l had read some of
the passages in the religious book sent
me, knew that l could no longer keep
up the deception" said Miss DeCris.
Il am thoroughly penitent and l could
not be so If l kept back the truth
Everything that l understand and re-
alize l am willing to tell. l am sincere
when l say that ! will not now at
tempt to hide a single thing that is
clear to my mind. Every word of the
truth as 1t comes to me will be told. I
have repented of my sins and am
ready to begin new life under some
other name in some city where my
past is not known. l will begin afresh
and try to look upon my misdoings as
a nightmare. God knows 1 am misera-
BILE, and that 1 have suffered for all
that l have done. The most heartless
person OH earth could not wish me to
suffer any more punishment. l have
already paid the penalty for my sin
Charged with LunScy.
Yesterday morning the Diamond
Queens" mother who says her true
name is Ann Eliza DeGracia, signed
warrant alleging that her daughter,
Mamie DeGracia, alias Mamie DeCris,
is of unsound mind. The warrant was
sworn out before Judge Henry McAlpin
at the home of Mrs. DeGracia at
Thunderbolt. 1t was placed in the hands
of Deputy Sheriff Charles Fennell and
was lodged ct the county Jail, where
the young woman is held on the Wick
nam warrant charging that she OBJ
tanned goods on false writing. The
additional charge of lunacy was reg
ularly entered against her.
The prisoner seemed very much ex-
ercised when she learned that the lu-
macy warrant had been sworn out.
surely this woman cannot be my
mother" she said. IF she is, all
that have to say is that l have been
misled and would have acted differ
emily towards her had I known the
truth. Miss DeCris insists that she
is perfectly sane at this time, although
she is certain that she did not have
control of her mind when she commit
ted the acts that resulted in her ar
rest. The lunacy case will probably
be taken up early next week.
In the meantime those interested in
the woman are working to have the
criminal charges withdrawn. In the
event that they are unsuccessful the
verdict of the july that will look into
her sanity will determine the qEestion
whether she will go to the peniten-
tiary or to the asylum.
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