The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-11-04

with Sewerage;" the vegetables wer,
rank poison" She spoke rathe
anxiously about a general feeling O
numhnes', and asked what was th,
cause OF it. She was entirely mac
cessible to explanation, argument, OF
even positive proof as to the impos
sibillty of her statements. Occasion.
ally she would burst out unexpectedly
with peculiar and piercing shrleks oil
laughter which would seem impossible
to one in her weak condition.
Many Of her indiscrlminate anu
senseless charges seemed to be rather
the expression of an insane malignity
toward every one than the outcome OF
genuine belief that they were true.
But we were, at the same time, con.
Sinced beyond doubt that she was
also suffering from strong and genu-
Inc delusions OF persecution by poison
Ing, be ause her belief In this regard
SO con iStently influenced her con.
duct that her refusal of food bad prac.
tlcally reduced her to skeleton, aud
repeated forcible feelings had no eff
feet In changing her convictions. Her
persecutory ideas vary in strength
from time to time, but the deluslons
of suspicion from which they spring
remain unshakon.
BY the progress OF her disease Jane
Ioppan has come 10 believe that not
only every article Of food that is
brought to her, every cup Of tea or
coffee and every glass of water, is
poisoned.
she can see the spectres Of her vic.
Tins lowering over her and dropping
the poison into these things just as
she used to do to them.
O1e OF her favoritc methods was to
dissolve an atrophia tablet in glass
OF mineral water and hold 1T up smil.
ingly as a draugiit Of health.
This is the way she dlugged poor
MIR. Alden P. Davis TO death. Il na.
patients were particularly fond uf tea
or cotfe she dis lived morphia or afro
phia tablets in their cups.
When Jane Toppan was first com
mittsd to the asylum she was permit
ted to mingle with the other mildly
insene patients. But as her delusions
became more frequent and she broke
fol tn into violent Trades against the
other patients and the hospital atten.
dants, she was removed first to the in
Urinary and later to secluded cell in
the north wing. The windows have
gratings and 1t Is ia reality prison.
II saw them all last night -
she said one morning this week when
the nurse came to her room with a
tray of crust, ,tfee and bread.
What do you mean j ane, y asked
the nurse, as she noticed the unnatur-
al brightness In j ane Toppan's hollow,
suoken eyes. q
why, all the people / Ishave. killed =,
|pearing perfectly rational "They all
came and gathered around my bed in
the night. There were the Davises,
and MIR. aud Mrs. Durham, and Myra
Connors, and Mrs. Brigham, Mrs.
Bannister, Mrs. Gibbs and Mrs. Hairy
Gordon-oh, I'm sorry L kill d her,
she is so pretty"-and here the har-
dened murderess, WHO once seemed to
know no such thing as human SORROW
burst into tears. Then, recovering
herself, she went on:
But they're all after me now
thirty one OF them-some want to
poison me, and some come at ne with
their skeleton hands as if they would
choke me. See, they're coming for me
now-help, ldcr"-and tue poor,
demented creature fell back upon her
cot in paroxyi,m Of Insane fear.
Jane Toppan Is paying tine penalty
Of her crimes by Natures or Gods
own law In way iuat is an APPALLING
noral object lie Son-that no one can
take human life, even if he escapes
punishment OF human law, without
suffering the most awfu, fortunes to
the end of his or her own wretchd ex-
iStencc.