The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-04-27
Found Guilty-An Interesting Murder
Trial.

We are indebted to T. B. Perry, Esq, of this
place, who was present at the trial, for the fol-
lowing facts in regard to the trial of VIM. Hinkle,
for poisoning his wife in Bloomfield in March,
ls56.-The facts in the case, as shown by the
testimony on trial, are substantially as follows
A short time before the death of Mrs. Hinkle,
she had been confined, but was recovering her
health very rapidly. A week or more prior to
her death, Mr.. II. applied to q druggist for the
purchase Of some st, ychnine, for the purpose, as
he said, Of killing rats. He was advised to use
arsenic instead, but declined, saying that he had
tried arsenic, and it was of no avail He was
furnished the strychnine and nothing more was
thought of the matter at the time. On the day
on which the murder occurred Mr.. II. had Just
returned from trip to the country. and found
his wife feeling quite well and in good spirits.-
There were present at the time . servant girl
named Linda Fisk, aud Mrs. Tull, a neighbor
woman, who had called in to see how Mrs. H.
was getting along. Mrs. Hinkle complained Of
being thirsty, and her husband told her that be
would fix her up some sweet stuff for drink
He accordingly took some ginger which he had
brought home with him and soon mixed up a
potion which he brought to her to drink. She
took it, tasted Of it and spit it out, remarking
that it was very bitter. Her husband replied
that he had not tasted of it and did not know,
but requested her to drink some more She did
so, and he then returned to the pantry and mix.
ed up some more, Of which he, the witness, Mrs.
Tull, and the servant girl partook. This the
witness says tasted sweet. Witness does not
know whether he used the same vessel as he did
for that which he mixed for Mrs. II. or not. Mrs.
| II. soon complained of feeling cold in her feet
and requested them to rub them with canphor,
and soon after showed symptoms of going into
/ spasms, her muscles contracting in . viOlen
manner. Mrs. Tull left the house to call in q
neighboring woman to her assistance, but when
she returned she found Mrs. H. dead, she having
died in her absence. Her sudden death e1ci ed
considerable remark at the time, but it was sup
posed to be spasm incident to her condition
and she was buried without any suspicious hav
ing been created. short time after her death
rumOrs began to be current that all was not
tight, which suspicion was greatly increased by
the statement Of the druggist, who related The
circumstance of the purchase Of stry chime BY
Hinkle.-This reused the suspicion to such
pitch that the body Was cxhuned and pos
mortem examination held upon il, ell the or
CANS appeared to be in healthy condition unit
they came to the stomach, upon which two darl
colored spots were visible. The stomach wal
| preserved and taken to q chemist at Keokuk
who analy zed its contents and found that it con
tanned strychnine.
Upon this evidence Hinkls was arrested, ans
held for ttial. Public feeling being 90 high il
Davis Co., he was taken on . change of venu,
to Wapello, from whence another change VA
granted to Appanoose, where hts trial came Of
before Judge Townsend, at the April term o
the court, at Centreville, and resulted in his be
ing found guilty Of murder in the 6rst degree
The date fixed for his execution We have no
yet learned; there being some talk Of carrying
bis ease up to the Supreme Court The cause
which prompted him to committee deed are no
known.
1 During the trial. he 10 said throughout to hav
manifestsd the utmost indifference, amountin
almost to st0ieism.-Albis Repub.