Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-09-28
MURDERED IN INSANE ASYLUM.

ginia, as second-class matter.l
MURDERED IN INSANE ASYLUM.
Lizzie Halliday, murderess, confined
in the Matteawan Hospital for insane
criminals, al Newburgh, n. Y, yes
terday male murderous assault on a
female attendant, Miss Nellie Wicks,
aged 81. Miss Wicks had occasion TO
90 into the lavatory adjoining the ward
about $50. The Halliday woman fol-
lowed her in, knocked her down and
taking a pair of scissors from Miss
Wicks, stabbed her in the throat. Miss
Wicks died two hours later. Lizzie
Halliday, who is a gypsy, in 1898 killed
her husband, Paul, and two women,
concealing the bodies under the house
at Birmingham, little place in Sullivan
county.
An insane fondness for Miss Wicks
and violent opposition to the nurses i'm
pending departure from the hospital was
the motive which prompted Mrs. Halli.
day to the murder. Mrs. Halliday had
displayed a great deal Of affection for
Miss Wicks and the nurse had made her
one of her most trusted patients. A few
weeks ago Miss Wicks told Mrs. Hali-
day that she was going to leave the hos
pital TO engage in private nursing.
Mrs. Halliday seemed to be greatly
depressed and beg ,ed the young woman
not to leave, and declared that she
would kill her before she would allow
her to leave the asylum. Although Mrs.
Halliday had made several attacks on
other attendants, she has also made 80
many idle threats that no attention was
paid to her threat. Miss Wicks pre-
tended to humor her, but continued her
preparations to leave. Yesterday morn
ing when Miss Wicks entered the lava
tory Mrs. Halliday followed her and
locked the door on the inside, leaving
the key In the door, so that none of the
other attendants could open it. Then
Mrs. Halliday knocke the young woman
down and attacked her with her scissors
Miss Wicks' shrek brought the other
attendants to the scene and they forced
the door and oyercsme the insane woman
alter desperate struggle. Miss WickS
home was on Long Island, where her
parents now reside.
Although taken unswares by an antag-
onist far more than a match for her,
Miss Wicks fought brsvely for her life.
But it was all in vain, for she was
quickly overpowered by the mad woman.
Her fury suddenly calmed, Mrs. Hslli-
day did not attempt to make resistance
as the other attendants came upon her,
standing over her victims body. On her
features was an insane smile, but she
did not utter a sound. She was placed
under restraint at once.
Mrs. Halliday committed three Of the
most shocking murders of the latter
years of the nineteenth century. She WAS
gipsy and was queen of little band
which roved over the Hudson and Mo-
hawk Valleys. In 1902 her band was in
Sullivan county. At Birmingham, set
Element above Liberty, she met old mau
Halliday, who lived on mountain side
farm with bis aged brother. Halliday
was about 65 years old. He and his
brother were bachelors.
He fell in love with the gypsy queen and
married her. She took the name of Liz
zie Halliday. The gipsies celebrated the
event, elected another queen and moved
on.
Mrs. Halliday knew that the gipsies
would be back the following year. 1t was
in September that the tragedy occurred.
A woman and her grown daughter, who
lived in Middletown, 10 miles away by
wagon road, called on old Halliday in
regard to some property. They were
never seen alive again. The nearest
neighbor observed that Halliday had sud-
denly dropped out of sight. Relatives of
the mother and daughter came from
Middletown to investigate and when they
compared notes with the neighbors who
had not seen Halliday they concluded
something was wrong. Mrs. Halliday
could give no explanation. A search
of the premises was made and the nude
bodies of the mother and daughter were
found in the mountsinside barn. Each
had been killed by blow on the head
from an axe. Thea each had been shot
FIVE times 10 the heart, the five bullets
forming a circle. Further search found
the body of old man Halliday buried
under the floor of the kitchen. He had
been killed by a blow on the back of his
head. He had also been shot five times
in the heart, the bullet holes forming
circle.
Mrs. Halliday was arrested. Her
prosecutors showed that she had robbed
the two women and planned to sell the
little farm.
She was sent to Jail at Monticello,
across the mountains, and at her trial
she was proved insane. Since that she
has been in the Mstteswan Asylum. In
the Monticello Jail she tried to kill her
keeper, and in a mysterious manner
poison was smuggled in to her with which
she tried to poison her prosecutors and
other prisopers. When she was sent to