The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-13
Alleged Poisoning Case-Arfest OF a
Lady Charged with h Murder Of
Gen.. Kefchum by Poison, DC. ,

For some days past there have been ru.
mors la the community In relation TO the
sudden Illness of several persons and the
death of one gentleman ut the dwelling
house of q lady, the widow OF an officer. OF
the United States army, residing in Ham'l-
ton Terrace, Eutaw street, which on Mon
day evening eliminated in the arrest OF the
marty. charged with the atrocious crime OF
poisoning and murder. On the 23d of June
last Gen. VIM. Scott Ketchum, of Wash
ington city. arrived in this city, and became
the gnest of Mrs. Henry Wharton, widow
of the late Major Henry Wharton. q mem.
Der of q well-knowp Philadelphia family,
and an old friend of Gen. Ketchum's.
On the next day General Ketchum was
taken suddenly ill, after partaking Of q
meal. He was attended by Drs. Williams
and Chew. and died Oh the 18th ultimo ut
3 o'clock p. NJ. His remains were taken
to Washington for interment, where, upon
a post-mortem examination, there were
found in his stomach twenty grains of tar.
tar emetic, which is 4 deadly poison when
taken in large doses. The friends of the
deceased communicated the fact to the Bal.
timore board of police commissioners, who
placed the matter in the hands of Marshal
Gray and Deputy Marshal Frey, Of our
police force, who, after an investigation,
obtained q bench warrant from Judge Gil.
NOR for the arrest Of Mrs. E. q. Wharton.
In consequence Of the i'll health of Mrs.
Wharton, who is suffering from liver com
plant, and her daughter, who is affected
with disease of the heart. the authorize
did not desire to commit the lady to jail
until further action was had in the case,
and the officers held her in custody at her
OWL residence.
Yesterday morning a conference was held
by the counsel of the accused, L. hewitt
Stedle and John II. Thomas, Esqs., with the
deputy States attorney, Fred. Pinkney,
ESQ, (Mr. Knott being absent from the
citN) Judge Gilmor being present. An out
line of the case of the State was presented
to defendants counsel by MIR. Pinkney, the
result of which was that it was decided to
permit the case to take it's course, and it
will come up before the grand jury, which
meets on Saturday next.
Two servants in the house are also under
surveillance. The warrant of arrest will
not lie served upon Mrs. Wharton before
the grand jury have acted in her case, pro-
vided she remains quietly In police custody
at her own residence.
Elrs. Wharton and daughter, Miss Nellie,
q young lady Of some twenty-five years OF
age, ,had previously engaged passage for
Europe in Il steamer to sail to-day from
New York city.
There is also another charge against Mrs.
Wirtrton Of fcloniously poisoning Mr.. Eu-
oclc Van Ness. 4 ~book-keeper for AleXan-
der Brown IL Sons, who is said to have had
u business intimacy with the accused. A
few days before the visit of Gen. ketchum,
Mr.. Van Ness, while visiting Mrs. Whar-
ton, was gwen 4 glass OF beer or punch,
and soon after drinking it was attacked
with illness. and fell upon the floor Of the
%dininy-room. lie has been quite i'll ever
since, and was unable to be removed from
the house for several days. He is said to be
recovering. What evidence exists i'll this
case has not transpired.
Tue accusation with which Mrs. Whar-
ton is charged has astOunded the commu-
nifty, and particularly the circle of society
in which she moved. She is a lady appa-
rently between forty and fifty years Of age,
of engaging manners, and is thought by
her a~cquuintanceS to be incapable of such
a crime from the promptings of any pecu-
MARY motive which may be inferred in her
case.
Mrs. Wharton lost her husband and also
her only son (Henry) Il few years since.
BY the death of the latter she obtained
upon a life insurance policy 10000. Ru-
mors have been started prejudicial to the
accused in connection with their deaths,
but nothing of that character has been
proved, and they have no connection with
the present case, which will be laid before
the grand jury on Saturday neXt.-BaHt-
oDoro Sum 10Th.