Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1866-02-01
Execution of Mrs. eariTsder-His-
Tory OF her Crimes and COnvic-
tiOn.

The case of Mrs. Martha Grinder who was
executed at Pittsburg on Friday the 10Th, was
so remarkable that we condense the following
narrative
On the 9th of August last, Mr.. James
Caruthers made complaint before Mayor
Lowry, charging Mrs Martha Grinder with
larceny This was mere blind, as the sequ
will show
George Grinder and his wife Martha, the
latter woman Of thirty-thrce years, were at
this time residing IN small two story brick
house on Grays alley, near River Avenue
near Hand Street Bridge Mrs. Grinder had
borne good character, and was noted io,
her sociablity AMI kindness of heart Her
husband was a laboring man, and deficient in
force Of character and intelligence. For sew.
eral months an unusual number of deaths had
occurred in her house, but it was not sus
pccted that foul means had been employed
The sudden sickness Of numbers who had
eaten at Mrs. Grinders table at length ava
kcned suspicion, and a subsequent investiga,
ton of facts led to the conclusion that She
had been in the habit for some months of ad
ministering poison.
Among others residing near Mrs. Grinder
was young man by the name of James 5.
Caruthers, formerly from New Castle, but at
thus time doing business for Mr. James NJ.
Carr, of Allegheny City He was married to
Miss Mary Caroline Phillips, of New Castle.
On the 9th day of last june Mrs Caruthcrs
took supper at Mrs. Grinders and immedi-
ately aftcrward was taken seriously i'll. She
gradually recovered, when her husband took
her to the country
On his return he suppel with Mrs G., and
was himself taken i'll in like manner as his
wife, to whom he telegraphed to return He
soon became convalescent, and on the 18th OF
July she again took tea with Mrs Grinder,
and again was taken ILL., Mrs Grinder paid
her frequent visits, paying her every aten.
ton, and carrying her delcacies, until the lst
day of August, upon which day she died i'll
terrible agony.
On the 18th of August. Mrs Amanda John
son. wife of Mr.. James NJ. johnson, of Allie
ghany, with whom Mr. Cnruthers had gone
to board, having taken supper with Mrs.
Grinder, was taken i'll, and was at Mrs Grind
er's house f,r several days in critical cond-
lion. She only recovered after having been
removed to her, husbands house. This and
combination of other causes aroused Mr.
Caruthers, and he determined to make iufor-
nation against her for larceny of several
missing articles, which would give All oppor-
tunity of searching the house for POISON
She was arrested and detained for several
hours until a search could be made A num-
ber of articles belonging to Mrs G. were
found in her house. A number of packages
Of drugs and other articles found in her house
were taken possession of and placed in the
hands of DR. Wuth for chemical analysis.
About this time quite a number of persons
r, ,membered to have been taken sick after
partaking of food at Mrs Grinders. A Miss.
Jennie Buchanan had been taken SILK at her
house and died, and circumstances pointed to
Mrs Grinder as her murderess An old lady
by the name of Gallagher; Mr. Grinder,
brother of her husband; an infant child Of
Mrs Grinder, and the child of woman who
had come from Cincinnati in search of her
husband--these were few among the many
whom it could be remembered had died after
partaking of the fatal hospitalities of Mrs.
Grinder .14ris.r
The information made against her, by Mr..
Caruthers, and also by one Mr.. johnson,
charging her with an attempt 10 kill his wife,
were read to her on the 25th of August at
which time she was only under arrest for lao
ceny. She exhibited great deal of surprise,
and denied the accusation from beginning to
end In default of the bail, she was commit
ted to jail to await further developments.
ExHUMATIoS OF BODIES
On, the 29th of August, Coroner Clawson
exhumed the body of Miss J. Buchanan in
the presence of several gentlemen who were
impanneled to act as Coroners jury, and a
portion of the abdomen was taken out, and
placed in the hands of Dr. Wuth. for ebemi-
cal analysis. The next day, the Coroner pro-
ceeded to New Castle with a jury. and the re-
naains &C Mrs ra.ntha.s ,ua=s taLaa.s a