Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-05-12


and suicide by MISS Phebe Westlake, at
Chester. Orange County, N. Y. A cores
pendent of the Daily NesOs, at Goshen, writes
the following particulars:
"Mrs. Phebe Westlake, formerly Of Ulster
County, whose maiden name was IRWIN, aged
about 40 years, died in Chester, Orange Co.,
n. y, on the 9TH inst, no doubt from the eff
feet of poison taken for the purpose of self
destruction.
Phebc had lived in Chester ten or twelve
years. She was industrious. and knew how
to do all manner of women's work, and was
able and willing to do it we'll. Withal she
was professedly pious, She gained friends in
the best families in Chester, and when any of
them needed help they thought it loss if
they conld not get Phebe.
About twenty years ago, we hear, her hus-
band died suddenly. A paper of arsenic was
found in his pocket, and upon post mortem
examination arsenic was foand in his etomach.
1t was supposed he had committed suicide,
and no further action or inquiry was had.
Four or five years ago. MIR. Pelser, who
kept hotel in Chester, died of erysipeas.
He was a widower, and had but one daugh-
ter at home, noble young woman, who be-
lore that time had been atianced to Mr.. Hi
ram Colwell, wealthy and respectable drov-
er, well known in Orange county. She and
her fathers assistant, Mr.. Heard, thought it
best to secure Phebe as cook in the hotel, and
they did so.
Shortly after Phebe came there, Miss Pei
ser was taken sick with some strange disease,
that her physician could not understand Her
only sister and her husband, Mt Clark,
were Bent for, and came from the South, and
took the management of Mr.. Pelser's business
and property at Chester. From that time,
Phebe was left mainly to nurse and care for
the sick and dying Miss Pelser. She linger-
ed aud died under circumstances to induce
strange suspicious, but no one suspected her
faithful nurse, Phebe. About the time of
her death Mr.. Colwell received an Affection
ate letter, while he was at the West bringing
cattle, purportIng to come from Miss Pelser,
but at a time when it is known she could not
write, requesting him, among other things, to
remember Phebe, for her kindness to Miss
Pelser.
Last Fall Phebe was employed as a domes-
tic in the house of John B. Tuthill, respecta-
bic merchant of Chester, in view of the pros
pective confinement OF his wife, who was the
only daughter of the late Francis Tuthill,
Esq.,-little Martha, as all who knew her,
and many knew and loved her, called her.
She was confined, her babe never knew life.
Some unusual symptoms attended her case.
DIR. Smith, her physician said they indicated
poison, but yet they might be the commissions
which sometimes attended parturition. Phebe
was her nurse, and she could not be suspect
ed. Martha died, and
Blossom and Dough lie withered in one blight.,
Mr.. John b. Tuthill's family being thus
broken up, he went to board with his brother
and partner in business, Mr. Charles S. Tut
hill, and Phebe was duly transferred to that
establishment as cook and maid OF all work.
On the first of April last, Mr.. Fuller,
clerk in the Tuthils' store, took possession of
MI John B. Tuthiil's house, under an ar.
rangement that Mr. John B. Tuthll was to
board with him. Mr.. Fuller had no family
but his wife, Phebe was thus thrown out of
employment, but still she was retained tenn
porarily between Mr.. ruthills and Mr.. Full
lers. Phebe did many acts of kindness for
both Mrs. Tuthill and Mrs. Fuller, and car
ried delicaces to and from them.
On the 9th day Of April last, Mr.. Fuller
had provided for dinner a can of pre-
served corn and beans They were not all
eaten at dinner. Phebe was at Mrs. Fuller's
After tea, and after Mr.. Fuller had gone to
his business, she suggested to Mrs. Fuller
that the corn and beans might spoil, and they
might as well eat what there was left. Mrs.
Fuller consented. and Phebe brong hit no two
small plates of corn and beans, one of which
she ate herself, and the other Mrs. Fuller ate.
That evening Mrs. Fuller was taken sick,
with symptoms indicating poison she died
shortly after. No one could be suspected.
Her husband loved her. He had no one else
to love. Phebe was kind and obliging, as
slduous and atfectionate, and remained by
Mrs. Fuller to the end Who could suspect
herr
After the death of Mrs. Fuller, Phebe re-
NAMED temporarily at Mr.. Charles S. Tut
hills, where both the brothers were brought
into the family. Some ten or twelve DAYS
ago, both the Tuthills and the wife of Nh.
Charles S., also a Mrs. Derrick-an Irish
woman-with whose husband Phebe had had
some difficulty about porterage, were taken
sick with symptoms nearly akin to those of
Miss Pelser, little Martha and Mrs. Fuller.
They have been all treated on the hypothesis
OF poison. The brothers Tuthill are out about
their business. Mrs. Charles S. Tuthill is
doing well, but Mrs. Derrick is still danger
ously ill.,
Suspicion began to thicken about Phebe,
Last Monday she was taken violently i'll with
the same symptoms. On Friday morning she
died. In her last agonies she said, 'She has
sprinkled little arsenic on John B. Tuthilrs
toast that she knew there was poison on the
window sill near where his soup sat, and it
might have blown in; and that she sprinkled
little arsenic on Mrs. Fullers corn and
beans" and further said not. The grave has
closed over Phebe and her victims. No more
of the facts will probably ever be known. Her
motives must be left to conjecture, and mag
nation must I'LL up this tale of horror.
A telegraphic dispatch from Chester adds
that an inquest has been held on the body of
Mrs. Phebe Westlake, by Coroner Fenton,
and the verdict was death by taking arsen-
ic' II the above narration regarding this
woman 10 true she may well be called mod
ern Borgia."