Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1855-05-04
From the Dayton Ohio Journal.
A THRILLING NARRATIVE.
Poisoning a Husband-A Wife's Cen
fession,

Poisoning a Husband-A Wifs's Cen
II. fession,
Mrs. Elizabeth Regan, who stands
charged with the murder Of her husband
daughter of Martin Cunningham, an old
and esteemed citizen of Colesville, Miami
county, She is apparently about twenty
two years of age, medium height, has
blue eyes and brown hair, and may be
pronounced good-looked woman. She
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and was always consideraed by
those who knew her to be good Chris
tian, kind and affectionate wife, and an
exemplary member of society. But, in
the face of all this, she committed one of
the most cold-blooded murders ever recor.
ded in the annals Of crime. Her husband
is said to have been an honest, temperate
and Industrious mechanic, always proyid-
ing well for his family, and never SO hap
py as when administering to the comforts
Of her he so dearly loved, but from whom
he received the basestingratitude in return.
James D. Movry, also a citizen of
Colesville, was arrested soon after the
commission ofthe murder, upon the charge
stated. He is man Of property. has
wife aud three children, and has always
borne a good name, He is about thirty.
live of age, five feet ten inches in height,
and ill-favored man one would see in
a days journey. Mowry has been mem-
bci ofthe Methodist church, in good stand
ing, for many years. Upon the conclu-
sion of the testimony ON Monday evening
Mowry seemed in good spirits, and most
Of those who heard it were convinced of
his innocence, aud deeply sympathised
with him. But on Thursday morning. af-
ter hearing of the testimony of Mrs. Re
gan, the public mind underwent great
change; the sympathies Of great major
ity were enlisted in behalf of Mrs. Ragan,
and nearly every one seemed fully convin-
ced of the guilt Of Mowry.
Mrs. Ragan made full confession of
her guilt, the chief cause of which was her
passion for Mowry, The latter had, for
a long time, been importuning her to mur-
der her husband. Some four months ago
she wrote him the following letter on the
subject:
... .... PIorA, Dec. 6, 1854.
Dear Jimmy: Once again am sea-
ted to write a few lines to you. l said
would not any more, but you know cant
refrain from it, as l have been living in
perfect hell, (it you will allow me the ex-
preston, it is a hard one, but nevertheless
true, AMI have been tormented day and
night since l came home. He saw me
kiss you, and that was enough. Oh how
| have had to suffer for it. / did not think
he saw me, but he was watching me. I
am so nearly beside myself that | hardly
know what | am doing. He says that I
shall not so home any more, and he says
he will not get me any more clothes, and
. that cant go as much as / have.
Now | cant stand this any longer, and
will appeal to you for help. / have
thought of one more plan; l am going to
make one more proposition to you, and if
you will do it l will grant you the request
you have so long asked of me, as soon as
you do y hat want you should do, or be-.
fore, if YOU will only do as want ycu.-
Now, it is this: you make proposal to
him to go and look at some new country
10 Oregon or Wisconsin, or some
other place-and name the period i'm
mediately, and if he says he has not the
means, you tell him You will furnish him
with the means if he will go forcompany,
then l will pursuade him to go, and then
you can go on horseback or on tho cars,
and you can take your two horses and go
the rest of the way-that is, till you get
good ways from here, and you can pro-
cure your poison and administerit IN oys-
ters, and he will never know the difference;
you can eat your oysters on the road, or
you can give them to some farm m-house;
they Will never know the difference, and
you can pretend to take it hard to think
you have to turn back. @
" When you can accomplish what
have told you, that you can telegraph mo
that he is dead, and | will tell the Temp
lars and have them make up $50 and send
to you to bear his expenses. 1fyou will
come up as soon as you get this, will
tell You all about it. and then grant you
the request Come up right away; can
toll you better. Now, dear, do comc;you
know love you; you are we'll aware OF it.
| will write no more till see you. Como
up right away. My ink is pale.
Yours in life ordeath,
I "From yours, or one that love YOU"
4 This plan not being adopted by Mowry
she administered the potion herself. In
the course Of her confession she says
+ lprocurcd arsenic at tho drug store in,
4 lTipFecanoe on Friday; came home OH SAT-
urday an administered tito my husband
on Thursday; it was dark; 1 told Doctor
4 BrowneA he took it himself; l repented OF
| the act. and wanted thedoctor to save his
Ilife. have known nothing at all since
4 his death, until the day before Yesterday.
/ ltold DIR. Brownell not to tell ANYTHING
4 of it to Regain; gave him only 4 part of
4 what l Eal: he came home at half past 10
! inthe evening, sick: I gave him no moro
till Monday morning, when ] found howas
EoutFof danger; 1 thought the matter ali
J over, and concluded 1 would give him an
A other dose; | knew Mcwaylras urginx me
to doiit;if il were n0tfor this Jar,s /. Nov.