On this date in 1906, in Wahpeton, the County Board of Commissioners authorized a warrant for the admission of Mary L. to the State Hospital for the Insane. Mary, a domestic worker, had been employed in the household of Dr. and Mrs. Meckstroth.
Over several months, money and valuables had gone missing from the Meckstroth home—a diamond stud, other jewelry, and cash from the doctor's home office and his wife's pocketbook. Mrs. Meckstroth’s watchdog had also died under mysterious circumstances.
Though Mrs. Meckstroth thought highly of Mary, who came from a good family and was an excellent housekeeper, she began to suspect something was wrong. The missing items often appeared to have been taken during a break-in, with the house left in disarray. Eventually, Mrs. Meckstroth decided to set a trap. She placed an imitation diamond stickpin on her dresser the day after Dr. Meckstroth left for Europe. When she checked the next day, the imitation diamond was removed from its setting, and money was missing from an upstairs bedroom. Mary denied any wrongdoing.
The following day, Mrs. Meckstroth became violently ill, and Dr. Bates, who had been eating with the family, also fell ill. Mrs. Meckstroth was bedridden for four days. Each time she ate or drank something brought by Mary, she became sick again. Her young children were not affected. Concerned, Dr. Meckstroth had the county sheriff investigate, leading to Mary's arrest on charges of larceny.
Upon questioning, it was revealed that Mary's actions went beyond theft. She confessed to poisoning Mrs. Meckstroth on eight occasions, using "Rough on Rats" poison after first experimenting on dogs. She showed no emotion during the interrogation, stating she didn’t know why she did it but would do it again if given the chance. It was only as she was being taken to jail that she screamed, cried, and fought. Once in jail, she collapsed and lay in a silent, seemingly semi-conscious state for several days.
The County Insanity Commission conducted inquiry and adjudged that Mary was insane. She was committed to the hospital in Jamestown for two years.
Dakota Datebook by Lise Erdrich
Sources:
- Mary Lev Commits Robberies and Then Tries to Kill Whole Family.
- Wahpeton Gazette, Thursday, November 8, 1906
- Wahpeton Globe, November 8, 1906
- Wahpeton Domestic Attempts Poisoning of Entire Family
- The Evening Times, Grand Forks, N.D. November 9, 1906
- The Wahpeton Globe, December 6, 1906
- The Wahpeton Gazette, January 24, 1907
