Six weeks passed. The terror of being bound and gagged in her bedroom by a stranger began to fade from Lillian Hawkins’ memory.

On Thursday, January 24, 1901, the girl opened her front door and was pleased to discover a basket of apples. No note was attached but Lillian thought the apples were a birthday present, as she had turned 20 earlier in the week.

The fruit looked tasty and the girl picked out “a particularly fine apple” and took a few bites. Suddenly, Lillian was in the throes of a horrible seizure. Her frightened mother called for the doctor who rushed over.

Dr. Morrison managed to save Lillian’s life, but she was desperately ill for several days afterwards. The doctor had the fruit tested and his grim suspicions were confirmed. The apple had been laced with strychnine. No other details were printed. We don’t know whether all the apples had been poisoned or only the one Lillian ate.

The next night, another anonymous letter was shoved under her door. “Now how high up in the world do you think you are?” the letter read. “I am glad you did not die when you were bound and gagged, for you have to live to hear the stories they tell about you. You’ll lie and say they are not true, but how can you prove it? It will be no use for you to try and find the person who bound and gagged you.“

This letter removed any lingering doubts. Someone had tried to murder Lillian Hawkins. Yet the girl swore she had no enemies and really… what could this sheltered young woman have done that would cause someone to become intent on murdering her? Lillian dismissed the idea that the act could have been perpetrated by a family member.

Plenty of people have committed murder by giving their victim poisoned food or drinks. But it seems odd that this person was totally unconcerned with collateral damage. Lillian was the target, but she lived with her mother and brother. Anyone who was watching her would know that. Wasn’t this person worried that the mother or brother might eat the poisoned apple? Maybe the perpetrator didn’t think of that or didn’t care who else got hurt.

In my opinion, it’s even stranger that Lillian’s would-be murderer returned to her home the next day. After failing to murder the girl with an apple laced with a lethal dose of strychnine, the perpetrator brazenly returned to the scene of the crime to hand-deliver a cruel, mocking letter. Wasn’t this person afraid of being caught?

But if Lillian was fabricating her story, she had covered her bases. Her doctor confirmed she had ingested poisoned. An official lab report stated the apple was laced with strychnine. The police made a serious investigation and indicated no doubt in the girl’s story.

Lillian was thoroughly rattled by this attempt on her life and announced she would return to Ashtabula as soon as she was well enough to go.

She found a job doing domestic work for a local woman named Mrs. Jackson, and she could board with her cousin, William Bliss, and his family. Lillian’s brother Robert would join her in Ashtabula and Mrs. Hawkins would return to the family home in Mecca.

Presumably as a safety measure, Lillian decided not to give out her new address. Instead, she arranged to have her mail sent to the home of an acquaintance in Ashtabula named Mrs. James.

By the end of January, Lillian had left Rock Creek. She was hopeful her malevolent tormenter would be satisfied with her departure and leave her alone.

It was a näive hope and Lillian soon realized her tormenter had no intention of forgetting about her.