The day book. [volume], November 07, 1911, Image 5

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
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down, and .is Finally sacrificed to a life of
SHAME, BUT WHAT OF HIM? HE ESCAPES AS A
'ROMANCER' IT IS NOT JUST!"
Don't YOU think it is high 'time for somebody to be doing
something to save youth and virtue, while policemen are hounding
those who have lost both? '
t -The Day Book will again discuss this .subect tomorrow.
. ' - - o 07
MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF MRS. VERMILYA; MAY
BE SUFFERING FROM STRANGE AND RARE DISEASE
Symptoms of Necrophilism, Most
Horrible Disease Known to
Science, Exhibited by Alleged
Poisoner Other -Arrests
Planned. ,
Louise Vermilya -may never be
. tried for-the murder of Policeman
Arthur Bissonette nor any other
of the eight persons near and dear
to her who died sudden and mys
terious deaths.
, Coroner Hoffman today order
ed an examination of' the woman
by several physicians to deter
mine whether she is suffering
from. one of the strangest and
most rare df diseases, known to
the medical science as necrophil
ism. t
If Mrs"." Vermilya is a necrophil
ist she'-could not 'legally be held
accountable for murder, m and if
the physicians , who are to ex
amine her so report to Coroner
Hoffman, she will be committed
to "the state asylum for the crim
inal insane immediately.
Necrophilism is the most hor
rible disease known to medicine.
Its victims usually are women be
tween the ages of' 40 and 50, -and
most frequently women whb have
been mothers, -
Its outward manifestations are
a ghoulish delight in all forms of
death and in all the surroundings
and vestments of death and homi
cidal mania, particularly toward
the loved ones of the victim."
All these "symptoms" have',
"been most noticeable in Mrs. Ver
milya. The strangest and most revolt
ing part of the story of this'wq
man whom the police say poi
soned nine persons, isthe delight
shealways has shown in the pres
ence of death, or the dead.
.Two undertakers have told
how Mrs. eVrmilya '-persisted ia
visiting their morgues against
their wishes, in handling dead
bodies, in helping in embalming
of badfes.-
Neighbors of the woman have
told how, on hearing of death in
the neighborhood, Mrs. Vermilya
immediately would- go to the
house wherein the death had
taken place, and intrude upon the
relatives with offers of aid.
Mrs. Vermjlya's own bedroom
in ,"the "Death Chamber" of the
flat at 415 East Twenty-ninth'
(Street, is hung with photographs
of the dead andof cemeteries.
- There-is a large' picture of 3