Saturday afternoon Guard A.F. Sherman arrived from the Fergus Falls asylum and departed in the evening for that institution with Mrs. Mary Straus, she having been out on parole. She was not at all violent and in addition to having murdered her two daughters, seems to think that she should still complete the work of murdering her other four children. However, she showed no signs of violence and accompanied the guard without any show of resistance. Mr. Sherman has been connected with the asylum for the past 19 years and is very skilled in managing insane patients, though his duties are almost exclusively in the men's wards.

Mr. Sherman stated that Mrs. Straus would never have been released from the asylum had not her husband pleaded so earnestly for her. Her husband promised that he would watch her every movement and send her back to the asylum if she appeared at any time to grow worse.

Mr. Sherman also stated that the second time the woman was broought to the asylum her condition was worse than before. Acute melancholia is given as the cause of her insanity and she was at no time treacherous, according to Mr. Sherman.

The charge of infanticide against Mrs. Straus set for hearing before Judge Sullivan in municipal court in East Grand Forks, has been dismissed, inasmuch as the woman is out on parole and every evidence points to her insanity. With the case out of the jurisdiction of the court, the hearing set for next Wednesday will not take place.

The funeral of the two little girls, whom the mother killed in such a brutal manner, was held yesterday from St. Trinity church at Tabor and was the saddest funeral ever taking place in that community.

 

Source: Crookston Times, Saturday, August 28, 1909

Submitter: Brenda G.
Updated: April 20, 2015, K. Kittleson