Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-05-13
n Modern BorRis

A -
tragedy which has taken place nes, s"',s:
which perceive you have noticed trieay I;
your paper to- lay. -i 70
knew aod know well all the n,,.;.
have mentioned. The facts 10 the c, 80 |
stated upon hearsay, have learned fro... -. W
District Attorney. The confession va. W
TO MIR. Wood, the pastor Of the chm '''
which Mrs. W. belonged, and by the 6 I'.u "
Attorney told to me. with rrouo., ,S S"'I
should write them out for the prr.. "a' l
Mrs. Phete Wes,lake, formerly of r..
county, whose maiden name was Irwi, ..;
about 45 years, died at Chester, in G.a as'l
county, n. Y, on the 7th inst n, Nti'0s'
from the effect Of poison taxed for TIA ',-0'
pose of self-destruction. VIZ p6''
Phebe had lived in Chester ten o,,
years. She was industrious, and knar I've
to do all manner Of women's work, and nv
able and willing to do it well. With W" vas
was profeSsedly pious. She gained frisD3' 'a'
the best families in Chester, and wbs, ~
of them needed help, they thought i pI %!
If they could not get Phebe. -"
About twenty years ago, We hear bAr b..
band died suddenly. A paper Of sr.eoi, s wy
found in his pocket, ADD upon nos, ms
examination, arsenic was found in bis .,or
ach. 1t was supp ,sed he bad COMMITTEES =,
| eide, and no further action Of inquiry ~.
had vas
-Four or five years ago, Mr.. Pese, wb,
kept hotel IN Chester, died Of ery,ipe ss
He was widower, and bad but one d.
ter at home, noble young woman, win n
fore that time had been affanced TO Mr. n
ram Colwell, a wealthy and respectable d,o.
yer, we'll known in Orange county. She ana
her fathers assistant, Mr.. Heard. thouobI :
best to secure Phebe, as cook IN the bo,,
and they did so. Shortly after Phebe cam,
there, Miss Pelser was taken sick with .oo.,
strange disease, that her physician could M,
understand. Her only sister and her bu..
band, Mr.. Clark, we're sent for, and cam.
from the South and took charge of Mr. Pei.
ser's business and property at Chester
From that time, Phebe was lett mainly "A
purse aud care for the sick and diving Nil,
Pelser. She fingered and died unter cir.
cumstances to induce strange suspicious bar
no one suspected her faithful nurse Paeba
About the time Of her death, Mr.. Colwel
received an atfectionate letter, while he VA,
at the West bringing cattle, purpor,lng %
come from Miss Peser, but at a time when /,
is known she could not write requesting
bin among other things to remember Pnebe
for her kindness to Miss Peser.
Last tall Phebe was employed as domes.
tic in the house of John b. ruthil. re,ree.
table merchant OF Chester, in view Of the
prospective confinement OF bis wife, who va.
the snly daughter OF the late Francis Tu,hiI,
esq.-little Martha, as all who knew Der. and
many knew and loved ber--caled her
She was confined; her babe never knew life.
Some unusual symptoms attended her case
DR.. Smith, her physician, said they indicated
poison; but yet they might be the convulsly0,
which sometimes attended parturiuyO-
Phebe was her nurse, and she could not be
suspected. Martha died. and
blossom and bough Is wIthered in one b. "a,
Mr.. John b. Tuthil's family being thus
broken up-fOr little Martha was all be had
he went to board with his brother aud
partner 10 business, Mr. Charles :. TuthilI,
and Phebe was duly transferred to that cstal-
as cook and maid Of all work
On the first OF April last, Mr. Fuller,
clerk 10 the TuthilPs store, took possession Of
Mr.. John B. TuthilPs house. under sn ar.
that Mr.. John b. Tuthill vas to
board with him. Mr. Fuller bad no family
but his wife. Phebe was thrown out VI EN-.
ploynent. but still she was retained ,empOra.
rily between Mr.. TutbiIPs and Mr.. FuIIer'..
Pbebe did many acts OF kindness for both Mrs.
Tutbill and Mrs. Fuller, ard carried delIca.
ces to and from them.
On the 9th Of April last, Mr.. Fuller had
provided for dinner a can Of preserved corn
and beans They were not all eaten at do.
ner. Phebe was at Mr.. Fuller's. After tes,
and after Mr. Fuller had gone 70 his busire.:
she suggested to Mrs. Fuller that the corn
and beans might spoil, and they might as
we'll eat the little there was left, Mrs. fGl.
Ter consented, and Phebe brought up two
small plates of corn and beans, one Of which
she ate herself, aud the other Mrs. Fuller
ate. That evening Mrs. Fuller was taken
sick, with symptoms indicating poison. She
died shortly after. No one could be suspec-
ted. Her husband loved her. He bad one
else to love. Phebe was kind, oblIgIDg as,Ii-
nous and affectioBate. and remained By Mrs.
Fuller to the end Who could suspect he!
After the death of Mrs Fuller. Phebe re-
NAMED temporarily at Mr. Charles ). Tot
hills, where both the brothers we're periorcs
brought into the family. Some ten or twelve
lays ago both the Tutbills and the wife Of
Mr.. Charles S., also q Mrs. Derrck--ar
Irish woman-with whose husband Pbebe
mad had some difficulty about pOrterage,
" ere taken sick, with symptoms nearly akin
10 those of Miss Pelser, little Martha aOt
Mrs Fuller. They have been all treated
IN the hypothesis Of poison. The brothers
rutbill are out about their business. Mr..
Charles S. Tuthill is doing well, and Mr..
Derrick is still dangerously i'll.
Suspicious began to thiCken about Pne5e.
Last Monday she was taken violently III vita
the same symptoms. Ga Friday IN rnnS
she died. 10 her last agonie5 sbe saii "Sh'
had sprinkled little arsenic on JJ5n b.
rutbilPs toast; that she knew there was po!''
on on the window sill near where MS soup
sat and it might have blown 10; and that sb9
sprinked little arsenic on Mrs. FuI!er'
corn and BEANS" and farther said not. lhs
grave has closed over Phebe and her Sl;tIm''
No more OF the facts will probably ever %
known. Her motives must be LETT 70 cchJs',
ture, and imagination must ill up this ES'
OF horrors.
spanish Steam Frigate'
This beautiful Spanish vesselOi-w1r oa'
been in our harbor several days, and ha' a.