The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-01-31
Execution Of Mrs. Grinder.
PITTSBURGH. Jan. 10, 1866.

PITTSBURGH, Jan. TO- 1866.
The tragedy of a week ago was repeated
to-day in our city. Martha Grinder, the
modern Borgia, against whom terrible list
Of murders is charged, persisted on the same
scatfold from which last Friday Marshal and
Frecke dropped into eternity. The murder
that sent those wretched men to the ribhet
is unparalleled in this region for its horrible,
cold-blooded atrocity, but for cruel steadi-
ness Of purpose, malignant, unsuitable thirst
for life and fendish refinement Of torture,
the crime for which Martha Grinder died is
unmatched here, and perhaps in the entire
country; and, in addition to the one murder
for which she was formally arraigned and of
which she was convicted, there Is an awful
array of suspicious, some of which are al
most certainties, charged to her account, and
her poisonings were so cunning and so elab-
crate that any one trying to fathom the mo-
tives and understand the nature of the woman
who could combat such deeds is thoroughly
batfled. She seemed to experiment with
poison at random, and the entire neighbor-
hood where she resided was flied with vic
Tins of her cruel tests; and when she set
ont in earnest to kill, she did not put her
victims by one stroke out of ANGUISH, but
tortured them to death by delicate degrees,
seeming to take . fiendish delight in their
long drawn out sutferings.
PERSONAL HISTORY.
The woman by whom these deeds were
committed was at the time Of her execution
about forty years Of age She was rather
delicate and refined in appearance, and q
stranger would suppose her to possess actu-
ally the character she liked best to assume
that Of pure, sanity woman. She was
Kentuckian, and in her youth was almost
entirely neglected. At the age of fourteen
she married. Her husband died shortly af-
ter, and she married her second husband,
George Grinder, who was laborer in a
Louisville coal yard. Six years ago they
came to Pittsburgh in INDECENT circum-
stances, but after few months improved
their style Of living and moved into veal
thy neighborhood Mrs. Grinder Joined the
Methodist Church, and made herself uniyer-
sally popular by her display Of sanity graces
and her untring kindness to the SICK and
distressed.
THE ARREST.
The most unsuspecting have suspicious
sometimes, and at last the kindly disposed
neighbors of Mrs. Grinder became SUSPECT
Gus of her. The number of deaths which
had taken place in the nci ghborbood, among
those to whom she had access, the violent
and uniform symptoms of sickness exhibit
ed by these who associated with her, the
invariable change for the better in cases
which were removed out Of the neghborhood
where she had sway, all tended against the
woman, and at last Mr. Caruthers, the hus-
band of the last victim to Mrs. Grinders
arts, made an information before Mayor
Lowrey, charging the prisoner with murder.
On Friday, August Goth, she was arrested
and taken before the Mayor. Her arrest
and the terrible charge brought against her,
caused rapid and fearful developments in the
neigh borhood where she had lived The
only marvel was how she could so long have
carried on her devilish work unsupported
Everybody now remembered how strange
her conduct had been at times how invari-
ably every one partaking of her hospitality
had been seized with symptoms which it was
easy enough now to see were produced by
poisoning how strange and terrible had
been the deaths of nearly al whom she had
nursed in sickness.
TERRIBLE ATROCITIES.
In March, 1865, brother-in-la law Of Mrs
Grinder wounded soldier-arrived and
was kindly nursed. But he died-from poi
son, it is supposed, administered by Mrs
Grinder.
few days afterward, soldiers widow
with a young child, was kindly taken in by
Mrs. Grinder, who protested great benevo
lence and charity. The child died in few
days.
An old lady, named Gallagher, in July re-
ceived the hospitality Of Mrs. Grinder, and
found an immediate grave.
Mrs. Grinders washerwoman in August
received dinner from her benevolent en-
ployer, who took great interest in poor peo-
pie, and nearly died.
A Mr.. Smiths family received some soup
from the same charitable hand, and the
whole family nearly died.
A young Irish girl, named Jane r. Bueh-
anan. was employed by Mrs. Grinder, and
died in 1864. Her trunk contained $40 OF
$50, which the murderess took care Of
The murder for which she was tried and
condemned was that of Mrs. Mary Caroline
Caruthers. Mrs. Caruthers was young
married woman, only bride. of great per-
sonal beauty, and of most amiable and lovely
disposition. She and her young husband
commenced housekeeping next to that occu-
pied by Mrs. Grinder, in Gray's alley, Ale
ghany City. It was understood that Mrs. c. s
father had presented her with 81 200, with
WHICH 10 PITCu3Se u iHu lutt sue Hiu
the money in the house. On Tuesday, the
9th of June last, Mrs. Caruthers was invit-
ed to take tea with Mrs. Grinder, which she
did. Shortly after her return home, she
was taken with violent purging and vomit-
ing. and became so Frustrated that she was
confined to her bed. She took trip to her
fathers house in New Castle and Immediate
" became better. Her husband. during her
absence, was invited to partake of Mrs.
Grinders hospitality and Immediately be-
came affected in the same manner Is his wife
had been. He became rapidly worse and at
last in despair Of his life, he sent telegram
for his wife to come home. She came in the
full bloom Of restored health and beauty
Mrs. Grinder was constant i'll her neghbor
" Offices Little delicacies and medical
preparations were furnished literally to the
sick man by his kind nurse, and Mrs. Caru-
theirs was invited repeatedly to partake of
food that Mrs. Grinder had prepared. On
the 10th of July Mrs. G. was again taken
ILL., AZ before. Mrs. Grinder was
in her kind attentions. Every
dose of medicine administered was given by
her; every dellcacy was brought from her
cellar, even the ice and the milk used. The
stricken family she insisted on taking into
her care. The beautiful victim fingered IN
til the lst of August, when she died, suffer
ing the most intense agony. After the arrest
of Mrs. Grinder, the chemical analysis Of
Mrs. Caruthers' stomach was made by Prof.
Otto Wuth, Of this city, and large quantities
Of anthony and arsenic were found At
the inquest held by Coroner Clawson, the
verdict returned was death by poison, ad-
ministered by Martha Grinder