Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-09-16
Woman. Near Deati. is
Drugged i Pity.
ACCUSE Sh4& rs OF MURDER
Seeing Death Was Inevitable From
Consumption Two Companions
Administered Chloroform to
End Suferings.

New York. Sept, IA dispatch re-
ceived in this city from Kissimee, Fla,
says;
Sister Sadie L. Marchant, Shaker,
a member of that altruistic sect's col
ony in this county, died passed out
of the body'--on Aug. % last, just as
the day was losing itself In dusk.
Sister Elizabeth Sears and Brother
Egbert b. Gillette. Shakers, too, char.
acterized like all their fellows by the
attempt of perfect purity in thought,
word and act, by gentleness, honesty
and obedience TO law. are accused OF
Sister Sadles murder.
For, seeing her death was newt.
able from consumption, plying her
frightful sufferings, Sister Elizabeth
and Brother Gillette, it IL charged,
administered chloroform TO Sister Sa-
die; made her physical tortures to end
in euthanasia. in a peaceful, painless
death.
And II was at Sister Sadie's prayer
that her loving. sympathetic friends
administered the anaesthetic under
which she passed from unconscious
ness into the hereafter.
Before God think / did right,
calmly said Brother Gillette. MY con
science is perfectly at ease. II the
act was unwise, only my great feeline
for her prompted me to commit 1t. OH
how she suffered"
After a formal hearing Sister Eliza.
beth and Brother Gillette were held on
the charge OF murder Yet Judge G
#. Parker took an unprecedented ster
and admitted them to bail, Sister
Elizabeth in $4,000, Brother Gillett,
In $4,000 Other members of the col
ony, which is near Ashton, about nine
miles east OF Kissimee, furnished ths
bail
Never before were Shakers In Q
court in this county; the whole com
munity regards them as personifyinl
righteousness and honesty. That tht
magistrate admitted them to bal
when accused of a capital crime makes
II plain that in his opinion they were
far from being actuated by any crimi
nal purpose of intent. Indeed, public
sentiment already fayors their dismis
sal by the grand jury; and ever
| whether jury could be found TO con
Wet them.
tightening fact that an attempt to tak'
ones own life is not crime in thi'
state, and the general opinion is tina
Sister Sadie's death was by suicide
assisted suicide.
There is no doubt that Sister Eliza
beth and Brother Gillette consulted
prayer together, before they yielded
to Sister Sadie's prayers to end he
misery. Probably they consulted will
others OF the colony, but Brother Gil
3ette implicated no one In the state
ment he made composedly.
"Sister Sadie L. Marchant came Il
our colony six years and three months
ago. said Brother Gillette while hs
waited in jail for bail to be given fol
him. she was doomed TO death from
consumption then. One of her lungs
had been destroyed. She had beer
suffering terribly for several weeks
and we all knew the time was short
before she would be called TO her fnai
reward.
The climax came on Aug 20. She
was seized with chills, hemorrhage
and other symptoms, which every one
knows mean that the end Of any one
with consumption is near
Sister Sadie had always told us tn
let her die in peace and without pain