The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-05-23
A Startling and Mysterious Tragedy
; at Weymouth Massachusetts.
sU~DDEStDEATH OF TWO sIsTERs-DfScovKRY
or sTR4oHNINE IN THE BODY OF ONE.


or s~rRfoHNINE IN THE BODY OF ONE.
. CFrom the Boston Traveller.
The people Of Weymouth have recently been
thrown into great excitement by the sudden
death, at ten O'Clock P. NJ, on the evening of
May Sd, of sBetsey Francis Tirrell, eldest
daughter of Mr.. Wilson Tirrell, a merchant
of this city, whose residence is at South Wey-
mouth, near Weymouth Landing. An inves-
tigation which has followed her death, and
leading to singular and sad revelations, and
| the connection of the circumstances attending
her decease, with those of a younger sister,
who died four months and one day previously,
have increased the excitement, and given rise
to numerous speculations in regard tothe cause.
Mary Tirrell, the younger daughter, was a
very beautiful and well-educated girl, of about
eighteen years of age. She had been COM
planning of i'll health for a brief period, when
she was suddenly taken with what was suppos-
ed to be a fit, and died ina short time. There
was nothing in the case that excited suspicion
at the time, and she was buried without a post
norton examination, ~ .; 900. -. :
Previous to her death she was engaged to be
married to George C.. Jersey, of bingham, a
young man whose wife had died suddenly
about two years previously. He was employed
to work a stitching machine, by N. Shaw &
\ Co., of this city. He was much esteemed by
the father of the deceased girl, and as he was
poor in health, Mr.. Thrill invited him to his
house, where he has remained till quite recent
ly, as a friend and guest. - 81
On Thursday afternoon last, Frances, who
is about twenty four years of age, went to the
South Parish, q short distance from her fa-
theirs house, and returned at about s o'clock.
AT about 8 O'Clock she retired to bed. A
younger sister, who slept with her, had pre-
yiously retired, but was awake when Frances
joined her. AT about 81 o'clock, she was at
tracted by the repeated twitchings, of her sis
ter's body, and asked her what the matter was
She replied that she was dying, and at her re.
quest her father was called. A physician was
sent for, but she died in five minutes past IL
o'clock. 80 .,.t ,n.
Her friends supposed that she also died il
a fit, but desiring to know if she had any or
ganic disease, decided to have an inquest, ant
Mr.. Silas Binney, coroner, summoned the fol
lowing jury. ,;~t5.+i...ff l;rz .asf,e ).
Elijah F. Hall, Esq, foreman; Cyrus sher
man, Minot Richards, Amos Merritt, j. II
Gannett, and Joseph D. Gardner.
One session had been held and some five o
six witnesses examined; among them, tn
young sister of the deceased, her father. an,
mother, George. Hersey, and DR.. Appleton
Howe, the family physician, who performe'
an autopsy. eafl q,. - - .stle +.
The session was, however, a private one
II II July fOOOu w hoNO- VIGIL PiOOCOuAhS
kept secret, until the termination of their in
} vestigation, which will not be for several weeks
DR.. Howe performed an autopsy in this case
and the result revealed the fact that the dc
ceased was about four months advanced i
pregnacy. It also resulted in the coroner d
recsing DR.. Howe to have the contents of tn
stomach analysed by a Boston chemist. Th
stomach was accordingly taken to DIR: a. A
Hayes, State assayer, ofthis city.
. DR.. Hayes has made the desired analysis
the contents of the stomach, and discovere
unmistakable evidence of the presence {
s~trychnine, in sufficient quantity to cause dealt
This morning a spoon was sent him by tn
family, upon which he found strychnine, an
from this it is supposed the poison was takel
f; There are, of course, a thousand rumors i
t circulation in regard to the affair, many poin
: ing towards a certain party as the seducer
4 the deceased; but as nothing has yet been l
. gally developed duplicating him in the matte
We refrain from publishing these statemen
until they have been legally Investigated.