Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-06-01
Murder as a Fine Avt


 Murder as Fine Art.
 A correspondent of New York paner oives the following startling account of a series O, murders ending with suicide. A very mora people they arc at the north:
 Mrs Phebe Westlake, formerly of Ulstar county, whose maiden name was Irwin. aged about 4o years, died at Chester, in Orange coun. ", \. r., on the Eth inst. no doubt from the eHect of poison taken for the purpose of self. destruction.
 fhebe had lived in Chester ten or twelve years She was industrious, and knew how to uo all manner of womens work, and Was able and willing to do it well. Witha she was pro- ieSSedly plous. She gained friends in the best 'ahlles m Chester, and when any of them need ed help, they thou5 5ht it d loss if they could not | get Phebe.
 About twenty years ago. we hear her hus- oand died suddenly. paper of arsenic was iouhu ln hls pocket, and upon post mortem examination arsenic was found in his stomach. It was supposed he had committed suicide. and no further acton or inquiry was had
 Four or tlve years ago Mr. Peller, who kept hotel In Chester, died of erysipelas. lie was a wldower, and had but one daughter at home. a noble young woman, who before that time had been affianced to MT. Hiram Colwell a wealthy and respectable drover. well known in Orange county. She and her fathers assistant. Mr. Heard, thought 1t best to secure Pbebe as cook in the hotel, and they did so.
 Shortly alter Phebe came there, Miss Prlser was taken sick with some strange disease, that her physician could not understand. Her only sister, and her husband, Mir. Clark, were sent Tor, and came from the south, and took the management of MT. Pelser's business and pro. perty at Chester. From that time phebe was left mainly to nurse and care for the sick and diyng Miss Pelser She fingered and died un- der circumstances to induce strange suspicious. but no one suspected her faithful nurse Phebe. About the time of her death Mir. Colwell re- celved all atfectionate letter, while he was at the west buying cattle, purportng to come from Miss Pelser, but at d time when it is known she could not write, requesting him, among other | things. to remember Phebe for the kindness to Miss Pelser
 Last fall Phebe was employed as domestic m the house of John B. Tuthiil, respectable merchant of Chester, in view of the prospective confinement of his wife, who was the only daughter of the late Francies Tuthll. esu.-lit tie Martha, as all who knew her. and many knew and loved her-ca!led her. She was con- lned, her babe never knew life. Some unusu- al symptoms attended her case Dr. Smith. her physician, said they indicated poison but yet they might be the convusions which some- times attended parturition. Phebe was her nurse, and she could not be suspected Martha | died and
 "Blossom '" and bough lie witlerel in one bght.n Mir. John B. Tuthill's family being thus broken np-he went 10 board with his brother and partner in business, Mr Charles $. Tuthill. and Phebe was duly transferred to that estab- hshment as cook and mad of all work. 1 On the lSt Of April last, Mr Fuller, clerk 1 Tn IuthIfs store, took possession of Mr. John D. IuthilFs house, under an awaugement that l MT. John 5. TUthill was to board with him. Mr. Fuller had no family bnI his wife. Phrhe was thus thrown out of employment. but still she was retained temporarily between Mr. Tut hltl'S and Mir Fulcr's. Phebe d,d many acis ot kindness for both Mrs. Tuthill and Mrs. Fuller, and carried delcacies 0 and from them.
 On the 9th day ul April last llr, Fuller had provided for dinner d can of preserved corn and beans. They were not all eaten at Giuuer-- Phebe was at MT Fuller's. Afterlea and after Mr. Fuller had gone to his business. she sut. 9eSted to Mrs. Fuller that the corn and beans might spoil, and they might as well eat The lit- tie there was left Mrs. Fuller consented, aud Phebe brought up two small plates of corn and beans, one Of which she ate herself and the other Mrs. Fuller ate. That evening Mrs Ful- Ter 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 oollglng, aS>idaous and aifectionate and remain ed by Mrs. Fuller to the end. Who could sus pect her?
 After the death of Mrs. Fuller, Phebe re- mained temporarily at Mr. Charles 5. Tuthill's, where both the brothers were brought into tile family. Some ten or twelve days ago. both the Tuthilis and the wife of Mi Charles $ :. also Mrs. Dcrrick--an Irish woman-with whose husband Pm be had had some q llieuly | about porterage, were taken sick with symptoms nearly akin to those of Mss PclSer, little Nj 1T. tha, and Mrs. Taller. They have been all treat ed on the hypothesis Of poison. The brothers Iuthli are about their business. Mrs. Charles 5. Tuthill Is doing well, aad Mrs Derrick is still dangerously ii
 | Suspicion began to thicken ahout Phebe.- Last Monday she was taken violently i'll with the same symptoms. On Friday morning she died. In her last agonics she said, ''She had l Sprinkled a little arsenic on John B. Tuthill's toast, that she knew there was poison on the window sill near where hs soup sal, and it night have blown in; and that she sprnkled a little arsenic on Mrs. Fuler's 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 mo- lives must be left to conjecture, and imagination must fill up this tale of horrors
 telegraphic dispatch from Chester adds that an inquest has been held on the body of Mrs. Phebe Westlake coroner Fenton, and the yer dict was "death by taxing arsenic" If the above narration regarding this woman is true, she may well be called modern Borgia.