The New York herald., 1869-03-01
TIE ALLEGED WIFE POISONING CASE In
FirGBRURG, MASS.

my mother; he said he hoped would never marry,
but would always live At home; some two years ago
he told me to take warning by bis example and
never tie myself to one would be ashamed OF;
mother said that Pyke made some gruel for her on
the Monday before she died; she drank considerable
Cruel Sunday and the two days following. and she
said she wanted gallon; Pyke also made the tee
which mother drank; there was also some
lemonade made for her on Tuesday, which
she drank, but I do not know who made
II; Pykea told me Tuesday morning that awe
ought to have . smart child. for we had
been twelve years about 1t; when saw mother on
that day she looked very pale she had done at in
tervas during her Sickness and she said she wanted
some custards made Immediately; went into the
Kitchen, and Pyke was making the custards; got
the custard cups for him, and at his request tasted
of the custards to II they sweet enough and
then he put them in the oven and attended to their
baking; while was eating breakfast mother said
she wanted me to make pudding; found plate
with beefseak upon It, from which mother had eaten
her breakfast before / came from down stairs and
what steak there was left gave to the cat and dog
and brought the cup to and put in the pan where
was washing dishes; asked II she ate 1t all, and
liked IT. and she said very WELL but 1t was rather too
sweet; she then asked again for puudlng aud
drink that forenoon; when | was eating breakfast
Pyke said that he had been thinking that the doctor
might be right IN his suspicious concerning my con.
diti0n and added that he didn't feel very well about
It; wrote to Pyke occasionally while he was In Bos-
ton and had told him during the summer and fall
had said when he was called to see me, and he ar
forwards asked the doctor II he thought had got
ter which she had wristen g PyEs but its Contents
were not made known except to the court
and coInsell She then continued:IOne day
the doctor might be right IN his suspicious OF my
condition, but II 1t he said must keep quiet
and uknf1vv
how was getting along; on the Tuesday afternoon
before mother died Pyke went to Boston on the AZ
said her stomach and bowels did not feel right and
she complained OF great distress generaly she said
she felt as she did the saturday before but did not
hear her speak OF any burning sensation; gave her
some lemonade twice from the tumbler winch had
been standing on the table since came down stairs
first saw 1t; she drank about tablespoonful each
time, and the rest was thrown away; at noon she
eat some mutton BROTH which was made by one OF
the neighb0rs and at night she had some tea and
crackers; made the tea and Robert and drank
some Of It; the crackers had been IN the house 2
thickencd with meal and gave to the hens; PyKe
sent syringe for mother and me from Boston after
were some medicines In the house which were given
me, but don't know that mother took any Of them;
one in the house knew OF it; used some OF it on
my face, but without much effect; Robert had IL In
his room, and saw It there for two months. but
have not seen IL since and don't know what became
Of it, have not looked for 1t since mother died.
On the cross-examinati0n Miss Evans said:-I was
not at mothers funeral but was detained In jail at
the time a. . Witness and have been ever since;
have not had much conversation with any parties
there; have COnversed with General Kilnbal an
oficer, three times, also with A. r KImball ana Dr.
Hitchcock; was asked about the case and stated all
knew, and have stated the same since; have not
noticed anything indicate that Pyke Is guilty. and
never thought OF such O thing as poison.
General Kimball, the ofiicer who arrested Pyke.
the Sunday after Mrs Pyke's DEATH and In the cellar
he found number OF cloths covered with phlegm
these cloths, together with Mrs Pyke's stomach,
were given TO DIR. White . chemist In Boston, for
om his own st there had
an analysis made or tnat there had been any poison
Dr. Alfred Hischcock, OF Fitchburg, who attended
Mrs Pyke during her sickness, said tnat he first
called TO attend her account Of accident which
scribed her condition and his manner Of treatment
up to the day before her death, he said that that
day he found ,, her very low and her I whole system
this he was very much in doubt about. Upon In
qury he found that she had eaten and drank the
quently he visited the deceased In company with Dr.
Miller, and they found her still sinking and rapidly
use Of stlmnlants which he administer He saw
her again on the morning OF her death,
and every symptom indicated that she could not
hold out long. He could not, he said, conceive any
natural reasons for the symptoms OF the patient,
such as intense inward burning followed by SO rapid
been produced by an irritative poison and by no
other means so far as he knew. Some one Of the
Su he d ot think that an 81
exist unless they were the result OF powerful min
erai poison, such as arsenic, corrosive sublimae,
&C. On an examination OF the body OF the deceased
there was nothing unusual discovered In its ap-
pearance except reddish color In the In
color 81 o 81 ne
could DO accounted for In no other way than from
the administration OF poison: On the cross-examina-
Of the remains OF the deceased had been made, and
the question objected to by the Distrist Attor-
ness answered that he did not know whether or not
IN nnylysis had been made. He further stated that
n had been made, should be kept secret at this
time, but the contrary he had expected that the
result would have been made known at this ex-
reason why T L had @ not been BE-: % announced. " CON- 9
corning his suspicious Of poison as the cause
her II she had voluntarily taken any poisonous
substance or n any had been administered to her by
any one, and she answered IN the negative Dr. Al.
fred Miller and DR.. George ID. Colony testified sub
stantially AZ Dr. Hitchcock, that the symptoms OF
Mrs Pyke before death were similar to those likely
At tins point District Attorney Rice stated that the
government would rest the case--nn announcement
a u &c re
show that Mrs. Pyke even came to her death by
poison much more that deadly drug had been ad-
ceased was given 70 DR.. White in Boston, some four
weeks ago for the purpose Of making an analysts
2uu ~ WAS exVccteU tuHt tue Tetuls OF MS
chemical experiment would he made known:
but the prosecuting officers failed TO put him on the
stand, and the general inference therefore is that
ne failed to nnd any traces OF poison. In conse-
quence Of this action Of the government the counsel
for the defence summoned Dr. White for the pur-
pose OF showing ~ they claim, that there had been
the summona however. Notwithstanding he accepted
nve dollars or more to defray the expenses Of A.
tendance This refnsa II Ia said, Ia BY direction OF
the Attorney General OF the State and as there no
Jaw or constitutional clause protecting man for
contempt OF court capias will be issued for his
arrest between now and Wednesday, TO which time
the examination has been postponed The opinion
- gaining ground that Pyke In innocent and that ne
Will De acquitted, but there In nevertheless strong
his step daughter.
TM CLEVELAND musDtA TRIAL N BANGOR. M.