The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-05-24
Ramsey County Woman
who Killed Adopted Daugh-
ter Broken in Health.
WILL NOT RETURN
TO DEVILS LAKE
Recently Injured, She Must Get About
on Crutchcs-Hcre Was Ono of the
Most Interesting Criminal Cases in
the History of the State.

Mrs. Mary Wright. convicted over
TOUR years ago for the murder of
"Babe" Wright, her adopted daughter
will leave the state penitentiary at
Bismarck within a short time, and she
has no place to go.
Warden Frank Talcott is in a guam
Diary at what action to take. Her
term has alread y expired. but she re-
fuses to return to Ramsey county, her
legal residence, and SO far as the off,
Gals have been able to learn, she has
no place where she can go to be cared
for
Injuries recently sustained. together
with ailments Of long standing, make
1t impossible for her to earn her own
living. and she probably will be de-
pendent upon friends or the public
after leaving the prison.
Smothered Girl.
Mrs. Wright was a housekeeper on
a farm near Hampden. and the death
of Babe" Wright occurred there. Pc
culiar circumstances surrounding the
case resulted in an investigation and
the subsequent arrest Of Mrs Wright
after she had been almost successful
in disposing Of the remains without
detection.
Dtscoloratton from poisoning and
marks on the neck resulted in the in
vestigation being ordered. 1t was
then found that the girl had been
smothered to death.
Mrs. Wright was tried at Devils
Lake and. found guilty, was sentenced
to five years in states prison.
Tells OF Condition.
Concerning the case. DR.. F. r.
Smythe, prison official. has written
to Attorney Fred Traynor Of Devils
Lake as follows:
about year or so ago. you were
Interested in the case of Mrs. Wright,
an inmate Of the state penitentiary.
and at that time 1 sent you a state
ment regarding her physical condition.
mrs. Wright's time has now expir-
ed and she can be released at any
time, but strenuously objects to going
back to Devils Lake, whilst apparently
having nowhere else to go. She speaks
Of people in. Indiana who want to
make home for her. but has no let
ters to show that anyone would take
an interest in her there If she re-
turns to that state and becomes bur-
den on any community. the authori-
ties would probably ship her back to
this state.
LAS her legal residence is nRamsey
county We think it would be best for
her to return there, but she appears
to think that she has no friends in
that county and apparently would
rather stay where she is than return.
Will Be Burden.
Mrs. Wright is not in good health
now. About two months ago she fell
and injured her left hip. She is walk
ing on crutches at present but makes
no great effort to help herself. In ad-
dition she has long standing abscess
on the right side of the neck. This is
probably tubercular. This combined
with her age makes it unlikely that
she will ever be able to earn her own
livelihood and she will probably al
ways be a burden on her friends or the
public.
This is. of course. presuming that
she has no money or property Of her
own. On this point I am not informed.
warden Talcott is anxious to do all
he can for Mrs. Wright. but of course
has no authority to keep her after her
sentence has expired. He intends to
send an attendant with her to Devils
Lake II no other arrangement can be
made.
Probably you may know Of some
one who is interested enough in Mrs
Wright to see that she is taken care
of or who may know something about
her relatives east and arrange for her
being sent there.
"Unfortunately Mrs. Wright is so
unreliable that no credence can be
placed In her own statements"