Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-09-08
Girl, and she immedIatelY proceeded p

slfli anu sht iLhinculatciy prOcceueu "
prepare the tea as she was accustomed
to do. Mr. Ferguson drank two cups u
the beverage in considerable haste, willis
his wife, disliking the taste, drank but
about half a cup. As soon as the meal
was finished, they were both taken vio-
lently sick, exhibiting all the symptoms
of sufferers from poison, and they soon
became fully convinced that they were
poisoned, Nelghbors were called In and
a physician sent for, and during the ex-
cited conversations held, Mrs. Ferguson
remembered her dislike of the tea and
said she believed the poison was In that.
The tea which remained in the teapot
after the meal, had been thrown out by
the girl, but one of the ladies present
examined the tea in the canister, tasted
and smelt of II, and could discover moth
ing wrong about 1t.
The physician remained all night, and
in the morning, becoming fully satisfied
of the nature of the trouble, recon-
mended that the balance of the tea be
analysed. The lady who examined il
the night before again tried 1t and at
once declared that 1t had not the same
taste-that 1t was now bitter and ex-
tremely unpleasant. The physician then
took some OF it In his hand and thought
he discovered small particles of corro-
sive sublimate. 1t was during this Sec
ond examination Of the tea that the
| girl, evidently becoming frightened at
| the aspect the case was assuming.
dropped remark to the lady In ques-
tion which at once led to suspicious
that she was at the bottom of the az
fair.
| The lady questioned her closely, when
she acknowledged she put something
which she supposed to be poison, in the
/ teapot before tea, and that after the flrst
examination of the canister she threw
some of the same into that, so as to
make it appear that the poison was In
the tea when it was brought into the
house. When asked where she obtained
the poison she said her grandmother
gave it to her. She afterwards said her
grandmother sent it to her that morn
ing, and finally she charged the hired
boy with furnishing it to her and di-
recting her to put it in the tea, and this
she insists is the full and exact truth.
1t appeared that there had been some
intimacy between the boy and girl which
Mrs. Ferguson did not like, and she had
recently made some changes in their
rooms. This was the provocation for
committing the deed, according to the
girls story, the boy remarking to her,
as she claims, that if she would put
some of that (meaning the poison) in the
, tea he guessed the "old woman wouldn't
trouble them any more.
The girl was bound up and is now n
Jail in this village, but the boy was dis
charged, there being not particle OF
testimony against him excepting the
conflicting statements of the girl, and
the general testimony that he is exceed
3 ingly profane and reckless.
3 Mr.. Ferguson was man of good
standing in community and in comfort
able circumstances. The girl he had
taken from the poor house, and there
was no evidence going to show that she
had ever been treated otherwise than ~
one Of the family. The relations Of til
boy and the family had been Of pleas
! ant character. He had worked for Mr.
Ferguson but two or three months.
The excitement in Sharon and vicinty
is intense, and no effort will be RENTED
!. to ascertain where the poison CAM
from. 1t was brought to the girl b
some one, as she had not been away
Y from home for long time and has nc
correspondence. Before the examina-
tion every shop, store or physician 70,
miles around had been visited, but n
clue could be discovered.
The tea and the contents of Mr.. Fer
!. guson's stomach have been taken K
e Hanover to be afalyzed. - WoedstoeE
a Standard.