The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-02

THE WORCESTER CoALrdAs oAsE-FURrHER PAR
TICULARs-MYsTERIoUs CIROUNsTANCEs-AMUR
DER AND SUICIDE SUSPECTED.
Fross he Boston Post December 30.
The citizens of Worcester were startled out Of
their propriety yesterday on account of the dis
covery of the death OF man named Artemus
Ward and wife, who resided at No. OIL Nam
street The bodies we're discovered at Z O'clock
yesterday morning by the Oldest OF their five
children, VINO Immediately went to the next
door neighbor, Mr.. j. Ii. Raymore, and informed
him of the TACT. The father was found partially
living on his bed, and the mother was dressed
and lying upon the floor near the bed. Word
was at once sent to the authorities, and in about
half an nour DR.. Woodward, city physician,
made his appearance and remarked that
the unfortunate parties must have been
suffocated from the coal gas, as there was
a hot coal fire in the room. The windows
were Immediately thrown open, but all attempts
to resuscitate the man and wife were unayalllng'
The bodies were cold in the embrace of death,
and of course it was impossible to tell how long
life had been extinct. In an adjoining room
servant girl and two children had slept upon the
floor during the night; but it appears that the
coal gas had had no effect upon either OF them
although the two children, we we're informed.
were taken with slight vomiting about the time
Of the discovery of the dead father and mother
The remaining children slept in an upper room,
and escaped the influence of the gas. But the
fact that the two children and the servant
girl were not seriously affected by the coal
gas, and other circumstances which hung
intention of some iend in human form to
poison the whole family. AS il was, the perpe-
traitor, whether living or dead, was parti-
ally successful. 1t was also discovered that
some time during the night the woman was heard
to Vomit, which circumstance is a very suspi-
cious one. Other eminent physicians soon made
their appearance in the room where the dead
parents lay, among them DR.. o. Martin, who also
agreed with Dr. Woodward that the deceased
probably died from the effects of inhaling the
gas. But there are many theories advanced in
regard to the matter, and nothing short of
medical examination OF the bodies will satisfy
the public, which is considerably excited over
the matter. The character OF the deceased,
Artemus Ward, is not an enviable one and that
of his wife is not above suspicion. Ward was
resident of Worcester for many years, and had
always borne a bad name. He formerly
kept saloon near the Foster street depot and
had the day before moved on to Main street, and
yesterday was to have opened a saloon there.
He was a hard drinker, though not vicious
man, and had been in the House of Correction
Der of times for offending the laws of the
Commonwealth; and his open violation of the
drinking law had attracted the notice of one Of
the State constables, who had but recently made
out his papers Of complaint against him for keep
ing nuisance. His wife (hls second one, and
considerably younger) is represented as having
also been quarrelsome woman. Ward and his
wife had lived unhappily together. About a year
since she made an unsuccessful attempt to
poison herself, and two years ago, 1t is stated,
she threatened to poison her husband If she ever
caught him again in state of intoNcation. 1t
was shown that she purchased quantity of
opium at a druggists, but it was not used in this
affair, as 1t was found yesterday morning in the
original paper, and its weight answered to that
procured at the time The woman was known
to be an opium-eater, and it is coriectured that
she clandestnely administered that powerful
narcotic, or some other poisonous substance, to
her husband and TO two of her children. How
ever, the whole affair is shrouded in mystery.
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