The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-10-12
SAYS CELL DRIVES HER MAD
MOTHER OF OCY SNEAD PLEADS
SHE DID NOT KILL DAUGHTER.
Cannot Stand Prison Life Longer

Tells Counsel of Mysterious Million
aire Cousin She Wants to Help
Her. Court Allows Unfortunate
Woman's Mind to Be Tested.
NEW YORK; am being driven
crazy in this place. When am l go
ing to get out of here?" Clinging
to the coat sleeve of Judge Chaun-
cey H. Beasley, her counsel, Mrs.
Caroline w. Martin, charged with
the murder of her daughter, Mrs.
Ocey Snead, in what is known as the
"bathtub mystery" made an impas-
stoned plea for the first time since
her arrest last December, to be re-
moved from the Essex county Jail in
Newark.
This place is driving me mad, J"
screamed Mrs. Martin. Il cannot
stand it much longer"
Judge Beasley tried to calm her
by telling her that her case would
come to trial soon, while she grabbed
his hands and held them tight dur
ing the half-hour interview.
Mrs Martin, unlike her sister, Miss
Wardlaw, at one time president of
a girls college at MurfreesbOro,
Tenn, where she and her mysterious
family lived in the House of Mys-
terry" and who starved herself to
mere skeleton, has lost none of her
flesh The semi-train on the cheap
black dress she wore as she came
heavily down the prison stairs to
greet her counsel added a touch of
dignity to her appearance which she
would otherwise have lacked, weigh
ing as she does 225 pounds From
her large, square shoulders hung
long flowing black cape made of the
same cheap material and long wild
owls veil from a little round widows
bonnet from underneath which ap-
peared a white muslin cap.
Face Is EXpressiOnless.
AS she came down the stairs in
her mourning garb Mrs. Martin
looked a pathetic object, but as she
drew nearer the big iron-grated door
where she received her counsel it was
seen that her eXpressionless face
lacked all the beautiful sOftness of
the declining years of womanhood
Mrs. Martin carried a big paper box
filled with letters and papers, which
she guards night and day. She had
sent a hurried call to Judge Beas-
ley early in the morning saying
that someone was trying to rob her
of her papers, and it was in response
to her request that he went to the
Jail to try to check the hysteria.
why do they keep me here?" she
cried. Il am innocent. l did not
kill my daughter Ocey. How can
they say such things? All lies. And
trying to steal my papers so l may
not be able to prove l never killed
my daughter.
MY life has been a respectable
one. l never thought | should end
it with such scandal"
The Rev Arthur T. Wardlaw of
Spartanbur1, S. c., and Mrs. Bessie
c. Spindle of Christiansburg, Va,
brother and sister of the prisoner,
who have remained in Newark for
the last two weeks, expecting to be
present at the trial of Mrs. Martin
when the insanity plea came up, re-
turned to the south. While they
both procured passes to visit the Jail
they did not do so, and this failure
to visit their sister caused Mrs. Mar
tin to burst out excitedly as she fol-
lowed Judge Beasley to the prison
door: Don't let my brother go out
of the county" she cried, clinging to
the counsel's hand. Whatever you
do don't let him go outside of the
county. He must not go away
need him here. I want him to find
my cousin. He is millionaire, and
he will help me.
Judge Beasley said later that he
had never heard of this mysterious
cousin, and had no knowledge of
him.
Another motion for delay in the
case was agreed upon by the court
of common pleas. On the applica-
ton of counsel for the defense Judge
Ten Eyck granted an adjournment
for two weeks in the proceedings to
test the mental condition of Mrs
Martin.