The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-04-30
1T H E DISPAT CHI.
ADMINISTER POISONING HIS SwIFE-FURrHER
PARTICULARS

The arrest of Rev. j. s. Harden, A. WbeeIiny
Va, charged with causing the death of his vife
ut Andersontown, N. j., by poisoning her, has
been noticed. He has been carried back To the
scene Of his alleged crime, and committed TO nri-
son to awaittriai. The Trenton American, of The
9th inst, gives a history Of this extraordiparv
affair. 1t says:
Coming to the appoin ment near Andersontovn
~ j be was invited to atop at the housa of Mrs
Haiden's parents (though they were members of
anot her church, where he formed an acquaiDtancs
with ner, which grew into Intimacy aud il An.
pears he had promised to marry her, which he AZ.
terwards regretted; but In his posses sion as m in
isser ne kpew not how to avoid 1.-THE young lady
and hef parents holding hin to bis promise Iet.
ters that were found in his position and nro.
duced by her parents, showed correspondence of
q very upfavorate character for the tuture han
piness OF persons whe proposed to unite together
for life. In letter he had written he wished to
be released from bis ngsgemens be sta ted in the
letter that IL they married they would neither
OF them ever see another ay's bar piness and sad
as much as though he would put an end to his
own existence; but they held him to his pro,
mise, Ard the unfortunate pair were married
sbout six moaths ago, and for time appeared to
all to live agreeably together. Part OF the time
his wife was with him at his boarding house whore
she died About week previous to her death she
was taken violently sick, and very i'll for some
days, but recovered that ehe was out at church
on the next Sabbath. On the following Monday
she was out in the village cheerful aud lively On
Monday, Harden went to Easton aud procured
some arsenic stating that he wanted it to kill rats
After purchasing it he sat down and entered into
conversation with the druggist, aud stated that
woman over In Jersey had taken arsenic once or
twice. and it had not killed her. He Inquired
whether, If she took another Dose il would not
cause her to throw it all up. The druggist told
MIN that where poison taken once and re-.
peated, 1t would be certain DEATH This conyersa.
tlon caused the druggist to notice him very par.
y " fan mn tt,nkt D a
reotype from seven others which person took to
him afterward) On Monday evening, after he
returned home, he went to the store ia the
village and bought vial of Godfrey's cordial,
which he opened before he went up to the
room where his wife was. and, tasting it HIM
self, remarked how pleasant it wss and then
passed 1t around among the family and pressed
| them aii to taste 1t. After this he went to- his
room, ana 1t Is supposed he put the powder in the
remainder of the cordial and gave il to his wife =
About eleven O'Clock that night che was taken sick
again, and died about eight O'Clock on "Wednesday
morning. The neghbors who were with her
stating that be thought she would get along
without one. After she died. he wished her buried
sooner than customary, stating that she had died
in full strength and that it would not do to keep
ner. Ihls created some suspicion that all was not
right, and post mortem examination was pro-
posed. to which he objected; but upon the exarni.
nation OF physicians they stated that there were
symptoms OF her being poisoned two or three
times, and all her sickness indicated the same
facts.
After the examination, Harden asked the priyi,
iege OF stating what he knew about her case and
said that she had taken poison, "a she stated to
him-aonut o o'ciock In the morning-giving as a
reason the difference between her mother and him:
which circumstance he was not to reveal excant To
save his own lite. This statement impressed all
present that he was guilty of the act himself and
his best friends told him he had his owl tn roat
upon which he Immediately made arrangements to
make flI5 escape. and "A IN 10 h
night to the railroad, putting on a suit of Grab
Clothes and an oilcloth cap, which this person pur-
chased Tor MIN. About one week from that night
he preached for a minister somewhere on the Can.
| ada line, stating that he was young minister who
| had been preaching about two years at Anderson
town, New JeTsey-that bis health had failed,
| and he had been travelling in Canada for the ben.
eft of his health, and was now on his way bome
lie also stated that he had been robbed of his
pocket book containing about $40 and wished the
minister 10 state his case and raise some money
for him, which he did, and seven persons gave
him 81 each They had some suspicion that all
was not right, or they would probably have given
him more; so this minister stated in a letter he
wrote immediately to the Postmaster where
| Harden had resided, inquirug into the truth OF
! his statements Upon the receipt Of this letter a
person was dispatched in pursuit of him, aud at
| the last accounts from him he wss on his track
and had gained two days.
1t appears that person at the house where
| Harden boarded had bought some arsenic short
time ago. dnu nau useu part OF IL for destroying
| rate, and the remainder was in a vial upon the
| shelf in the house, labelled arsenic or POISON
Upon examining tue vial since, it was discovered
| that the arsenic had been taken out and the same
quantity of -four put in its place. 1t is cup
posed be had given her part the coatents of this
vial, causing her first sickness, which corresponds
with the opinion of the jury of pbysiciaDs-that
she had taken poison more than once.
Harden was not a minister iD full standing In the
church, but had been trial. At one time his
application was refused, but by deyotino him satf
very faithfully as colporteur, and visiting much
he finally succeeded in making q favorable impres.
sion, aud upon a second effort was licensed by the
quarterly Conference to preach.