The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-05-09


yard-tlus was the 2lst-Mrs. c. did not give
her any directions about throwing away the soup
Willis Ii. Blaney, high constable OF Philadel-
phia, who had Nina in his custoGy from Boston,
testified that Mida acknowledged to him that he
and Mrs. c. had frequently had criminal inter-
course while her husband was living-and that she
used to come into his bed room. He further con-
fessed that Mrs. Chapman had taken the poison
from a bottle which she had and put it in the soup
and that he knew it at the time (it was with the
greatest reluctance that Tie witness testified to
this last co''ession-indeed not until the Court
informed him that they would have bound him
over to answer for concealing it. The reluctance
arose from promise Of secrecy made by him TO
Nina in consequence Of receiving at the same time
other information of value to the police of the
country1
Col. Questa, the Mexican Consul. stated that
Nina. accompanied by Mrs. c., called on him at
Lis residence in Philadelphia, about the 18th Nav
when the former detailed to him in Spanish
what lie called recital of his misfortunes-repre-
sentng his father to be Governor Of California his
grandfather Immensely rich, his mother residing
In Mexico &c, with long narrative of absurd cir
cumstances. the falsehood of which the witness
was enabled 10 detect on the spot
The evidence OF DIR. Hopkinson, ana ;omica pro-
lessor in the Pennsylvania University, described
the condition Of the body Of Mr.. Char man. when
II was dlsinterred Tor examination. three months
alter his death. The stomach was taken out and
ITS contents subjected to chemical tests, which
gave reason TO believe in the presence of arsenic,
though not in the most salts actory manner The
testimony of Drs. Coates and Mitchell, who as
sisted in the inspection of the stomach. corrobo.
rated that OF .he foregoing witness. The examn-
alton and cross-examinaton of these gentlemen &C.
cuPied much time. presenting some interesting
questions of medical jurisprudence.
I'VE add the following extract from the letter of
the Reporter. published in the New York Enouir-
er, which presents connected view of the prnci
pal incidents and facts from the time Of Mina's re-
lease from prison in Philadelphia to his arrest in
Boston,
The matchless audacity of Nina is worthy of
note-his schemes were of such character as TO
require prompt execution, none of them were so
deeply laid as to warrant belief that they could,
with persons of common sense, long escape expos
ure. There is nothing known of him with certainty
up to the month of April, 1880; it is however said
by some persons from Porto Rico, that he is the
of lawyer, who resides, or dad reside at that
place they add that the young Nina fled from his
home TO Mexico IN consequence of some charges
made against him however this might be, certain
It is, that in April. 1880, he boarded respectable
boarding house in Philadelphia whilst there he
stole from some of his fellow boarders a musical
snuff box, watch, and some trinkets on these
charges he was tried. convicted and sentenced to
an imprisonment of eighteen months from the 18th
March, 1880. Whilst he was in the Pententiary
he was engage in winding bobbins in the Teav-
ing department of that establishment. On the 9th
May, 1881, he was pardoned and he Immediately
went on board steamboat bound for New York.
The Captain soon discovered that Nina had no
money wherevth to pay his passage, and conse-
quently sent him shore ct Bristol. from whence
he made his way to a tavern in the neighborhood
OF Mr.. Chapman's house. The proprietor of the
tavern not liking his appearance declined enter
tanning him, and the rejected guest unfortunately
reached the residence OF the Inflated Chapman
the reception of the imposor there, and his course
in fha fapnIly iafa LODI fba
evidence the rial, sufficiently plain to shew the
vigorous part which he acted On the 9TH day OF |
July be married. in the city Of New York to the
widow Of Hr. Chapman, and she Immediately pro- |
ceeded to the western part of the State to visit her
sister: he returned to Andalusia, and in her alb |
sence assumed the nastership of the household.
He availed himself Of this absence to sell her
horse and dearborn wagon, her silver spoons. and
other articles. The evening that Mrs. Nina
or Mrs. Chapman, as we will continue to call her,
returned to her residence, he sent away trunk
filled with books which had belonged to Mr. Chap
man on learning the fact that these things were
missing, she asked i'm what had become OF them
He replied that the books he had presented to Col.
Questa, the Mexican Consul, memorials of Mr..
Chapman spoons and other small articles he said
were stolen by black servant and the horse and
wagon he had LEFT with friend for few days.
So gross was the infauatlon Of the woman that she
believed this improbable story, and he in n few
days pretended he had occasion to go 10 Philade-
phla, taking with him the daughter of Mrs. Chap
man the day after his arrival there, however he
sent the child home with letter for her mother
in winch he stated that he had learned at the
Consuls house in Philadelphia, that his particular
friend CazanOva died at Baltimore and left a very
large of money in the ha..ds of his partre. to
his tMinis) credit, and that lie was about to pro-
coed to that city to recover it. From Baltimore
he wrote stating that the law did not allow him
to take possession OF the money and added that he
was going to Washington to see the President
and obtain redress. Whilst in hat city, he
boarded at highly respectable boarding house.
where he circulated a report that he had lost
his pocket book containing $500 whilst he was
walking down Pennsylvania avenue. lie even
published advertisement in the Washing
ton papers. describing the notes, and offering a
reward for their recovery. To the boarders in the
house he represented himself as having just ar
rived from Nexico-that he expected further re-
mittances daily, and several other stories of like
character. Under the belief that these things
were true one gentleman lent him $50 and an
other lent him $40 and became answerabe for his
board, an for some clothing got from a tailor
there and the impostor left Washington under
the pretence Of going on to his agent for money.
In the mem time Mrs. Chapman found, in some
part of the room which he occupied at Andalusa
a bill from the proprietor of one of the hotels in
Philadelphia, charging 81 for the use of A room
and board from the 9th to The 9Th of july for Nina
and Two ladies' Fearing, she herself says be-
IOre the cate oil MS letter from baltimore, that he
was sick, she went to Philadelphia to make some
inquiries relative to him she was informed
that the Consul was at the falls of Niagara :;
she then called at the taor's where Mina's
clothes were procured for him, and the tailor
told her that the Consul believed him to be an i'm
poster. la this state of things, she wrote TO Nina
at Washington, a letter full of upbraidngs, sd
concluding with the remarkable expression, that she
was constrained to acknowledge that " God would
not permit either him or her to be happy this side
of the grave" This last letter Nina never re-
ceiyed, he had left Washington for Andalusa
before it mad arrived at the former CITY. On his
arrival at Andalusia, she charged him in the pres
ence of her sister, with being impostor, and
wished him to leave her he consented apparently ,
but said he first wished to speak to her in private
after priva.e conference had taken place, she led
him 10 her sister, and declared her conviction that
ne was not an mpostor, but " very fine fellow.'
This was not all ; he not only induced her to be-
lieve that he was going to Boston to receive
the Sd5 900 left him by his friend, but even pre-
vailed on her to give him letters of introduction
TO some of her friends at Cape Cod In these let
ters at his especial request, no mention was made
OF his marriage with Mrs. Chapman.
The letter of complaint which Mrs. C. had sent
10 Nina, directed to Washington, lay in the Post
Office unclaimed, and was consequently adyertis-
ed with other unclaimed lettefs-the gentleman
whom he had cheated in that city, not receiving a
remittance from him, and suspecting from various
causes that he was an impostor, had the letter
opened. and on perceiviDg its contents, it was for
warded to the Recorder of Philadelphia, who i'm
mediaiely proceeded to Nrs. Chapman's residence
and informed her of all that had been commnnlca-
ted to him by the gentleman at Washington. lie
told her that he believed Nina to be an impostsr
she affected to disbelieve i, and exhibited GER
Co. &C h,etb 4 sin ~