The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-03-27
TIE Poisoning Affair at Mendoza.

W t nave received from SnerlU W 3ieT!ian
and others full verbal particulars of the
case Of Mr.. Lamb, the hote[keeper at Men
dota, who was arrested there few days
aso-on the charge of having poisoned his
wife in St. Louis last fall but the following
history of the affair, furnished to the Chi
cago Press by correspondent, agrees so
closely with the accounts we have received,
that we spare ourselves :he trouble of re-
writing by copying it bodily. The writer
dates at Mendoza, March 2lst.:
Our usual qliet railroad town was thrown
into intense excitement last evening by the
arrest Of one Of the princiPa! hotel keepers
of the place, Mr. George Lamb, for murder,
/ ALLEGED 10 have been committed in December
last at ST. Louis upon the person of his.form-
er wife. The arrest was made by the sher-
if and constable, on the strength Of tele-
graphic dispath from the Chief OF Police of
It. Louis, ia which it was announced that
officers was on their way hither with re-
QUESTION from the Governor Of Missouri for
his arrest and rendition.
The facts, as nearly as they have trans
pircd thus far, seem TO be these:
Mr.. George Lamb is now living with
. tliTu vile, MS IJlSt viz, IL S+Ni+'> ~ tiic
report that Lamb pats forth, ran away from
him three or four years since, IN Lee coun-
", IN this State. Her disappearance was
attended with some mystery, but no one
ever suspected foul play. She never has
| been heard of. In November. 1876, it APP
pears he was clandestjnely married in
Princeton, Bureau County, this State, or
perhaps secretly, as none Of Lambs ac-
Quaintancos except the family o. the wife
were aware Of the fact. II. wiie's name
was Sarah Stafford, and the family euigrat
ed from the State of Maine 10 this State,
when the father located in Hancock county.
He being in easy circumstances and dcsiriE,
his daughters company, Limb permitted
her to remain at home, visiting her occa-
siona'l:, and the best possible apparent
good feeling always existing between them.
In the month Of November last, 1897, Lamb
repaired to Hancock County - visit his
wife, and stated that he was N poor health,
was going to spend tie winter IN the South
and solicited lis wise's attendance with hin. !;
this was agreed on, and they left together,
with the good wishes Of the fam 3 follow
ing them bis vii; laJored under some
slight indispnsi,ion at the iine-somcthing
of the ague hind-Lut nothing serious.
Thus matters rested, when ~ twenty days
afterwards, Lamb returned with 4 w0c-dc-
pictcd couu;oaacc. and dressed in deep
mourning, to their falEer-ia-,aw In Han
cock county. The family were horror
stricken at his appearance without tAuir
daughter. Lamb bust into tears, anuoIac-
ing that Poor Sarah was dead and cone
The particulars were gathered from him,
viz, OF her sudden sickness and death. lie
stated that they had got as FIR south as
Memphis, Tenn. that there bis wife was
taken violently I'll with inflammation cf tie
bowels; that Ac called 20 her all II FIRST one
physician, then another, and 2 third; HAT
none ii ten could Afford any relief. Sac
died on TIA tLrJ day. IIe likewise gave
the names Of lie physicians, the keeper OF
the house, tie street and number; tia, be
did not erect ! stone, not knowing her age,
or what mizht DC the wishes Of her family
in regard 70 her remains. The father in no.
thing suspccting, and iG'i Of sympathy Tor
his afflicted son-In-.aw, took t.e names Of
physicians. places and streets, &c, with the
intention Of having her remains removed -
the place Of his residence. On writing TO
Memphis lie could learn O! no such Plysi-
clans or persons, or of any one who knew
. Of the occurrence. The police Of jaat city
we're pa; on the scent; letters were written
to this place. The father who is very re-
. spectacle citizen and in easy circumstances,
whose suspicious -ere excited by the seem
ing mystery, came up here about ten days
since, keeping himself secrcted. Here he
learned 20 lis horror and surprise that
Lamb WAS married sight days after The time
he stated the death Of his daughter 10 have
taken V'ace in Memphis, to girl who was
employed as chamberuaid in his lambs
hotel. Here nc also learned from the 'and-
lord Of the Passenger House tia, man By
the name Of Sawyer, Who Is at present stop
ping in this town. met Lamb in =. Louis in
December last. Sawyer was well known to
Lamb IS sporting man. Lamb made saw
yer the offer there of a thousand dollars 10
assume the character d a physician and
rive some medicine that he should give him
70 woman whom he had in that city with
him, who, Lamb sad, was CHrlsHts by him,
and he vas DESTROYS Of procuring al ahoT-
ton. Sawyer spurncd him and his offer :;
told him that all the property he had, and
the town itself. would not induce him to do
such a deed Lamb then said he meant no.
thing by the proposition; that the woman
was then labofiG- under the elect Of Iaedi
cine she had taken Of her own accord, and
invited him To see her. Sawyer complied,
and went with Lamb TO low house called
the ASper House, half bEothel and half dog
gerry, and was introduced 70 the woman as
a doctor, and begged him in mercy to DO
something to relieve her terrible agony.
So iTe, - roo,, e,rrosirr tbe case
80 NH lad etatsd and shortly aft ?
roT, <, Io,Ii. f-r Wv nr,-a-e II, r,t,,.n.
90 bCrc ofout thro, wee,s since not know
;,c. how, Tarl.s .e-,.r y,itb tho ,ro,nan tor
minated and learned of tho su,-,og,1t
marriage Of Lamb to his maid. With these
new facts, Stafford started for St Louis,
leaving the secret here with oAicers TO look
tisliod of the guilt ct his son in-law, he
WSaa te'rsraph 10 leiI 10 ailtso i-9 r.