The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-09-12
The Murder of Mrs Cole

The arrest of Dr. Wickham again
calls the circumstances connected with
the death of Mrs. Cole to our mind.
We hearwith present onr readers with
short histoay of the affair, which we
clip from an exchange.
A little over a year ago, Mrs. Solo
mon Cole, wife of a well-to-do farmer.
of the town of Vantage, Sussex Conn
ty, N. j., died under circumstances
which afford ground for the suspicion
that she had been murdered in order
to obtain a considerable sum of money,
for which short time previous to her
demise, her life had been insured. The
case excited a great deal of interest
at the time, on account of the social
position of the parties implicated in
the matter, and the Developments
of the depth of degradation to which
a lust of gold would lead persons of
apparent responsibility. From the
published statement of the affair, it
appeared that few weeks before the
anticipated confinement of the deceas-
ed, Cole was induced by one David
w. Wickham, practicing physician,
residing at Hamburg, place ten
miles distant from Vantage, to insure
his wife's life in a New York company
for which the doctor acted as agent.
An agreement was entered upon by
which Cole was to pay the first install
ment of the premium, after which
Wickman was to pay the annual in
terest. If, however, Mrs. Cole died
during her confinement, then the in
surance money was to be divided equal
ly between the husband and physician,
who also had engaged to attend du-
ring her illness. Wickham happened
to be absent from the county when
Mrs. Cole was taken sick, and another
physician attended her until the fifth
day from the birth of her child, when
he resigned his charge, apparently I'M
der favorable circumstances, to the
care of the accused. Almost immcdi-
ately after the administration of q
mixture which Wickham had prepared
for her. the poor woman was thrown
into commissions, and her death soon
resulted. Notwithstanding her sud
den decease, no suspicion was attached
to Wickham until some days subse-
bnent to the funeral, when it became
known that he had entered claim for
the insurance upon Mrs. Coles life, i'll
accordance with the arrangement
hitherto made by the parties =
The matter having been canvassed, it
was finally decided to exhume the
body and hold post mortem exami-
nation, which demonstrated, upon the
chemical analysis of the contents of
the stomach and intestines by DR.. Do
remus, that the woman's death had
been produced by strychnine. An in
quest was held, and the jury rendered
a verdict duplicating both Cole and
the doctor The accused were arrest
ed, and the husband was tried for the
murder, but the evidence would not
sustain the charge, and he was acquit-
ted. Meanwhile DR.. Wickham had
been placed under heavy bonds to
answer, but he escaped from the GUS
tody of the officer who was conveying
him to prison, and managed to elude
pursuit. Diligent search has since
been made for him, and a reward OF
$500 was offered by this state for his
apprehension, but no trace of him was
obtained until Saturday afternoon,
when he was arrested by Officer Ni7en
of New York city. The prisoner was
seen in Chatham street, walking with
his wife, by Mr.. VIM. G. Wardell, No.
% Beekman street, who formerly re-
sided at Sussex county, and was per-
fectly familiar with the appearance of
the fugitive. Mr.. Wardell at once
communicated with the police and
Wickham was taken into custody.
He was conducted to the Station
house, where at first he persisted in
denying his identity, asserting that
his name was James Lemont, and
that he had just returned from Europe.
Being confronted, however, with sew
eral persons who were acquainted
with him at his former residence, he
remarked, at is no use, | may as
well own up" and christening his
vest displayed the name of David D.
Wickham upon his shirt He express.
cd his willingness to return to New
Jersey with the officer, without await.
ing the formalitY of requisition, ant
was taken to Sussex county yesterday