The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-27
CRIME.
HlAtOry OF a Pru.slaa Foisoning Case.

The Berlin correspondent of the London DaiLy
Nea0s gives the following account of a remark
able criminal trial recently held in Germany
one OF those causes ceLebreS has just been tried
al Posen, which wouid almost justify the belief
as entirely destitute of all principle or con-
science as others are of Sight or hearing. The
facts are mainly as tollows:-Tne master BOOK.
binder Wittman was accused of having poi
soned four wives aud two Children in six Years.
W III man had worked as jOurDeyman for o
book binder named Pirsch, OF Violin, wnere he
made the acqualntance OF Maria Gehm,
a. Mni nouseheePer x3a was on q visit
1882 on January OF Wnich year PIrsch died
previous arrangement, came into The poses
session of all the properly.
Soon alter this William commenced business
Ia " o lin, and IN February, 1860, married Maria
Gehm, VINO IN addition 10 PIrsCn'S property,
had also inherited some money through the
sudden death Of an aunt. Two sons, John and
Paul. were the result of this marriage, Mrs.
Whitman died very suddenly in 1862, leaving all
her property to her husband aud Two children,
of whom the eldest died in the same mysterious
manner three months later. In June, 1868, WlJJ
man married his second wife, Charlotte Holm,
VINO possessed some fortune. The latter made
her WIN in the following December, leaving
every thing 10 her husband and died a
week afterwards In April, 1864, Whitman
married his third wife, Augusta KornoLzky,
who was richer than her predecessor
same words. she died in August, 1885, leaving
her property between her husband and her
mother. Only two months after her death
Whitman married his fourth and richest wife,
the widow Rose, who had one child by her first
|
alter It's mothers wedding, and died in a day
or TWO, by which the fourth Mrs. Whitman In
herited its property. Whitman then removed
from Violin TO Posen. 1t Is hardly necessary
to add that The fourth Mrs. Wittmal's lie was
not OF very long duration, as she oied in Sep.
tember, 1866. having made a Will in favor of
her husband a month or two before. Under
| the preLeXt That she had died of cnolera, Witt
man mad made arrangements for burying
| her the day aIler her death. But the extraor-
dinary mortality in the Whitman family
| had already excited attention. The police
| here took The matter up and their first
| p1cions were strengthened when Jhey found
| that Whitman hao called IN no medical
| advice. Wlttmann was arrested just as the
| funeral procession was about to start, and the
| burial of The body was prohibited. On search
| ing The house laI ge lump of arsenic sufficient
| TO poison hundred persons, was found locked
| up in a chest. All the bodies of WitLmans
| former wives, as also those OF his two children,
| were then eXhumed, and submitted to a cheml-
| Cal investigation The result was the same in
| all six cases. a large quantity of arsenic was
| detected, ana there could not be a shadow of
doubt that Whitman had poisoned his four
wives and Two children, He has been found
| guilty, and sentenced to death. II is not im.
| probable that he committed eight murders, as
| the very sudden death of PirsCh during Wit
mans visit, and also of his first wifos aunt,
are extremely suspicious condolences under
| the above circumstances.