MURDER BY STARVING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 23, 26 January 1912, Page 5

MURDER BY STARVING.

THE SEATTLE CASE. ) (By Cable.—Fress Association. —Copyright. NEW YORK. January 25. . i In the Court at Seattle a bank cashiei . | gave evidence as to attempts by Mrs. [ Hazzard (who is charged with causing ; the death of Claire Williamson, a patient at her fasting sanatorium) tc i obtain money lying to the credit of de•:ceased. Mrs. Conway, an Australian nurse, de- ' posed that she received letters from ', I Honolulu purporting to come from the Williamsons, declaring themselves delighted with th-e treatment at the sana- • tori um. 'SOMETHING TJNHOI.Y." STOEY OF THE GIRLS' SUFFERINGS. OX STARVATION HEIGHTS. No small sensation was caused by the i first publication of the extraordinary exIperiences of the Williamson sisters. Dorothea stated that they came under the influence of Linda Burfield Hazzard. a woman practising as a physician in : Seattle, Washington, whose specialty is i fasting for the cure of diseases. After treating them for two months in Seattle, , Mrs. Hazzard transferred them to an isolated retreat in the woods at Olall.i, Washington, where the treatment was continued until Miss Claire Williamson died on May 11th. 1911. Miss Dora Wfl- | liamson was reduced in weight to 421b, j when an old nurse of the family named | Miss Margaret Conway arrived from I Australia and took charge of her. VATXLY BEGGED FOR FOOD. 'TVe placed ourselves under Dr. Hazi eard in Seattle on February 27th, 1910,'' i said Miss Williamson in evidence. "'During our stay in the institution we reI peatedly begged for food, as we felt our- | selves growing weaker and weaker, bat I Mrs. Hazzard steadfastly refused to al- ! ter our daily diet, consisting of half a t cup of orange juice and some thin scup ] made of asparagus tips, spinach, and lettuce. "I sometimes did not see my sister for a week at a time. Finally I was told J she had died on May 19th. That night ' I was moved lo a cabin at the edge of a big gully. The prace is called 't-tarva-Hon Heights.' Mrs. Hazzard told me another patient of hers had thrown herself over the edge. That seemed to me very horrible that I was so near .that ' deep gulch, lying all alone there at night, but I had no temptation to com- | mil suicide, although Mrs. Hazzard's re- : mark put the subject in my mind. She j repeatedly told me I was not sound mentally, and told m< that until I began to believe it myself." On the other hand. Mrs. Hazzard claimed that Claire Williamson had pleaded with her to take her to Olalla. . Slie knew Claire would not live long, but I thought the quiet and rest might prolong her days. She took them in out

of kindness of. heart. "COXVIN'CED OF FRAUD" In commenting on the case, the presid ing judge asserted that he was convincec there was fraud in the case, and characterised Mrs. Linda Hazzard as "an awful person to be permitted to have charge of women and small children," because, he said, he believed she sought to induce self-destruction by suggesting to Miss Dora or Dorothea Williamson thoughts of suicide. "I believe Dr. Hazzard gave the girls some sort of professional treatment, which she calls 'natural' treatment of her own." continued the judge. "I am strongly inclined to the view that she believed she was giving them proper treatment, but I believe on the other hand she was not giving them proper treatment. In the light of all the facts there is something which seems to me unholy about it; it don't look right to a court or chane<4lor in equity. Here is all the money the girls had practically in the hands of the doctor. ... It seems to me thc*=e girls were slowly dying there, and that Dr. Hazzard has not the scientific knowledge that a doctor ought to have." MOXEY MATTERS. The judge refused Dr. Hazzard's claim of £4OO for professional services, and ordered her to refund about £315 obtained from Miss Williamson. Dr. Haztard was allowed about £B7 for nurses' fees and incidental expenses, and £36 For professional services given Miss Dora Williamson against Dr. Hazzard, the x>sts of the suit brought by Miss Williamson, which amounted to nearly £4O The amounts which Mrs. Hazzard wai irdered to refund consisted of a draft 3.i the Canadian Bank of Commerce for ibout £llß. a cheque of £BO. a cheque ot £>: pension money, £33 cash revived at different times while Miss Williamson was at Olalla, £SO cash re •eived. £l2 in three travellers' cheques nven to Dr. Hazzard by Dora WilUam=on; also the £SO promissory note given o Mrs. Hazzard by Dora Williamson