Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-08-03
Murder Case in Ludlow.
DISCHARGE OF TUE RESPONDENT

l
| On the third day of December last, the
wife of F. G. Giddings of Ludlow died
very suddenly, and the symptoms strongly
indicated poison. 1t created considerable
talk at the time, and Il post norton ex-
animation was finally held by consent of
the husband and children and the stoma oh
taken out and sent 10 Prof. Henry M.
! Seeley of Burlington, who after keeping
it several months declared that it contain
ed strychnine, and Mr.. Giddings was &C.
cordingly arrested en- Thursday of last
week, and brought before Justice Crague
to answer the charge of procuring the
death Of his wife by poison. The testi-
mcny in the case presents curious mix
ture, and while it does not definitely settle
the question, there seems to be little
doubt that the woman actually died of
poison, and the question was how that
poison was administered whether by her
own hand Intentionally, or by the hand of
her husband with the intent to commit
murder, or by mistake of the doctor or
druggist. The dark circumstances against
Mr.. Giddings are that he bought strych
nine of William Thompson at Proctors-
vile on the 22d of November last, being
only about week before the death of his
wife. We copy the testimony of Mr.
Thompson, as reported in the Rutland
Herald, as follows:
sold strychnia TO Mr.. Giddings on
the 22d of November. He came to my
meat shop and talked about a beef that he
had to kill I told him did not 90 out
but perhaps father would go. He said
something about poisoning crows or foxes,
and asked if arsenic was the best thing
for that purpose. / said strychnia was
the quickest poison. He had never seen
any and asked if it was liquid or pow
der, and wanted to know if had some.-
| told him it was powder, and / used it
in my shop to kill rats, but did not keep
it to sell presumed he could get it at
Ludlow, or at Robbins & Whites. He
said he didn't want to 60 to the drug store,
didn't want but a little and it would accom-
modate him very much if | would let him
have little. / then took the phial from
my desk, showed it to him, and he said he
never saw any before, and at his request
put some into small phial and gave
him. He asked How much do you think
it would take to kill a man. | said
very small quantity what there is stick
ing on that cork would probably kill you
before you could get home. He stayed
few minutes longer, and in answer TO the
inquiry what would be the best way TO
use it, | told him he had better cut out
some pieces of his creature and sprinkle
the poison thereon, and bury the rest up.
DR.. Palmer testified that Giddings ask
ed him for powder for her on the after
noon of the night of her death, and gave
him Dover powder fol- her TO take. Not
having any on hand when Giddings asked
for it he went into A. T. Sherman's drug
store and got some himself. That same
night he was called to her about midnight,
but she only lived short fine after his
arrival. DR.. Palmer also testified that he
used the remainder Of the Dovers pow
der, being the same as that he gave
Gidd;ngs, with no injurious effects. Mr..
L. p. Sykes, clerk of Mr.. Thompsons
at Proctolsville testified as follows:
:" was clerk in Whitcomb's store,
Proctorsville. / think Mr.. Giddings came
into onr store on the 18Th of November
and inquired for s,rychnine, saying he
wanted to sprinkle it on 'critter' to kill
foxes. told linn we had none but pre-
sumed he would find it at the apotheca-
/ rvs"
Il L. w. Whitcomb sworn:
Mr.. Giddings came into my store for
cork He said, III bet you don't
know what I've got l took the phial
and said, don't know. Mr.. G. 1T is
strychnine.' Wines What the devil
are you going to do with il ? Mr.. c.: Il
am going 10 Kill foxes and skunks.' He tried
one cork, which was too large, and when
he was going TO put il back, said Don't
and he said, guess had better not 1