Pastor Poisons His Wife, Convinces Girlfriend to Poison Her Husband, Sept. 24, 1924

Confessed Slayers Are Now Held in Jail. . . Rev. L.M. Hight and Mrs. Elsie Sweetin Held in Separate Jales

By the Associated Press

Mt. Vernon, Ill., Sept. 24—The Rev. L.M. Hight and Mrs. Elsie Sweetin, who have confessed that their mutual infatuation prompted the poisoning of the minister’s wife and the woman’s husband, today were held in separate jails. Mrs. Sweetin was transferred yesterday to the Salem, Ill., prison because the local jail had no quarters for women. Fear of violence caused the removal of the Rev. Mr. Hight to Nashville. The minister confessed Monday, implicating himself in the Sweetin case, and assuming responsibility for his wife’s death. Mrs. Sweetin made a statement yesterday that she administered poison to her husband at the instigation of the clergyman. It was reported from Nashville that Rev. Mr. Hight was taking his fate with a smile, and joked with the guards. According to reports from Salem, Mrs. Sweetin was near a collapse.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 1924

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1924-09-24/ed-1/seq-1/