Evening journal., 1906-10-02
INSANE PATIENT
MURDERS NURSE
PlungeS Shears in Throat Of
Her Fav rite At
teRdant
FOURTH VICTIM OF FIEND

NEWBURG, Oct. 2.--Victim OF an
insane infatuation she innocently had
inspired. Miss Nellie wicks, p years
old. of Long Island, head nurse in
the Matteawan Hospital for the Grim
inal Insane, was killed by Mrs. Lizzie
Halliday, who thirteen years ago slew
Paul Halliday, her husband. and two
women. Mrs. Halliday furious be-
cause Miss Wicks was to leave the
hospital to engage IN private nursing
followed the girl steadily into a wash
room. knocked her down, locked the
door on the inside and stabbed the
nurse i'm tibet hroat with Miss Wlcks' s.
own shears. Attendants. hearing the
victims screams for help, tried to get
into the room, but the lunatic, with
insane cunning, had left the key in
the lock, so it was not until they bat
tered down the door that they could
get to the woman. by that time Miss
Wicks was gasping out her life with a
fearful wound in her throat She died
In two hours.
This newest killing by Mrs Halli-
day was achieved with shrewdness
that. If II had not been the cunning Of
one afflicted with homicidal mania.
would be regarded as the cleverness of
sound mind. She tiptoed into the
room behind the girl and waited until
Miss Wicks stood IN front OF wash
basin Miss Wicks bent over and
plunged her face into the water. In
the next instant the maniac's fist fell
on the girls head. The nurse was
stunned and fell to the floor. Mrs
Halliday sprang 10 the door, slammed
and locked e. Then she tore the girls
shears from the belt at which they
/ hung and. sezing them dagger wise
plunged the sharp points of botf
blades into the PROSTATE girls throat
Maniac is Deliberate.
1t was as the mnatic leaned over hei
with shears appraised that Miss Wickl
recovered her senses. She knew hel
end was near and sent up shrek aftel
shrek. The maniac was apparently n
no hurry. having wit enough TO know
il would take a long time for any on'
outside to gain entrance. Through thu
door the attendants heard Miss Wick
pleading for her life. Guttrals from
the woman answered the prayers an'
a wilder scream broke from the help
less nurse as the scissors flashed be
fore her eyes and swooped to he
throat A choking sound followel
that half maddened those outside
They knew red death was rampant be
hind that stout barrier, yet they coul'
do nothing until a log heavy enougl
to serve as a battering ram was oh
tanned. With a series Of rushes the
smashed in the door. then fell bac
an instant at what they saw in tn
room.
on the floor lay Miss Wicks. He
face and clothing and the hands Of tn
maniac were red. Mrs. Halliday sti
J. grasped the shears and faced the at
. tendants dehantly There was a stron
probability that she would shed MOI
: blood, although IL was known that tn
y killing of Miss Wicks was her chil
I aim. Strategy had TO be employees
I The attendants did not go near the dy
, ing girl until two OF them had slippe
behind Mrs Halliday II was feare
that at sight OF an attempt to lift tn
nurse the lunatic would make
further attempt to slay her.
Put in a Straight Jacket.
: OF a sudden the two men benin
Mrs. Halliday pounced on her. on
pinioned her arms the other he
knees. and two more. leaping ovs
the nurse. seized the shears an
wrenched them from the maniac
hold Shrieking protests, the woma
: was rushed to q cell. a straightjack'
r was clapped on her and she was lock
= ed in. Meanwhile other attendant
. hurried the nurse to the emergenc
{ ward, but all efforts to save her wei
hopeless from the start.
Miss Wicks came to the hospti
! from Long Island a little more than
year ago" said the superintendent
In January of this year she wa
promoted and made head attendant
her ward
Mrs. Halliday had appeared d,
. votedly attached to her and was on
of her trusted patients. Lately Mi.
Wicks had signihed her intention {
! leaving the hospital and take
' course of study to prepare herself Il
trained nurse. She planned
leave October /. and it is learned no
that Mrs. Halliday threatened this
$ Miss Wicks should not leave her, bl
y as she is constantly making threat
}. little heed was paid to her Mrs Ha
s liday's insane infatuation for Mis-
y Wicks and the coming separate
= seem to furnish the only explanatio
e for the crime"
The Halliday woman killed the Nv
women and her husband in Burlini
ham. a Sullivan county village.
: 1898. She hid the three bodies undl
the house. It was adjudged that 81
was insane. and since that year 81
has been a prisoner in Matteawan.