The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-07
4icllm1ond Dispatth.
MoNDAY....... AUGUST Z, 1871.
THE CIRCULATION OF THE DISPATCH
is LARGER THAN THE COMBINED CIR
CULATION OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY. *,lani


1
been for some years separated. though{not
divorced. from his wife; but coming to the
conclusion that his domestic afflirs stood in
need Of female supervision, he engaged the
services as housekeeper Of d widow Of about
! 30 years Of age. who went by the name OF
Anna Schonleber. Soon after entering his
service, this woman busted herself to bring
about reconciliation between her employer
and his wife with so much effect that Frau
Glkscr returned to her husbands house ;
but, unhappily, In about n month the lady
| was seized with sudden and violent i'll.
ness, which terminated fatally in 4 day OF
| two.
| Anna now left Glaser's service and en-
tered that of JustiZ-Amtmann Grohmann, a
widower of about thirty-eight years of age,
and in delicate health. He suffered greatly
ness of his new housekeeper in ministering
to his comfort were most exemplary. In
the spring of the following year, however,
Grohmann was attacked with violent i'm
Iternal pains. accompanied with vomiting
the same symptoms which had character
lied the fatal illness of Frau Glaser-and
Notwithstanding the unremitting attentions
of Anna, who undertook the duties OF
nurse, and administered all his medicines
with her own hand, he expired in about
eleven days. --.-.-.. - /
The care which Anna had lavlShed upon
her employer in his illness, and the grief
which she showed upon his loss, gained
her high reputation rs 4 nurse, and her
services were at once secured by the Zanl-
mer-Amtmann Gebhard, whose wife was
then near her confinement. A day or two
after her arrival this event took place. and
the new housckeeper fully justified her
treDlltation as gentle and judicious nurse.
All went on well until the third day, when
nf
inf lmmation of the stomach, violent thirst,
leXcruciatina internal pains, accompanied
with vomiting and convulsions, in the in
Itcrvals Of which she frequently declared
that she had been poisoned. In four days
after her seizure she, too. was dead.
Gebhards friends strongly recommended
the dismissal of woman who, whatever
might be her good qualities. seemed to be
the forerlInner of death in every household
that she entered; hut ADna's tenderness
and assidous attention to his suffering wife
had gained his confidence, and he refused
to part with her, treating their warnings
as the promptings of mere idle Supersti-
ton. For some time she remained the Vir-
t,lal mistress of the house; but ut last the
urgency of one Of his friends determined
him TO part with her. When he cOmllu-
nicated his intentions to Anna, she re-
ceivcd the announcement with some sur
prise, but without remonStrance, and q
coach was provided by Gebhard to take
her to Baireuth the next day. ~. III
The remaining hours of her stay Anna
devoted to putting the house in order,
umoDg other things replenshing the salt
box In the Kitchen, with the remark that
she was leaving al things III order for the
next conner, or something 10 that eltect.
! Before starting in the morning she invited
&t A., tr, nj nf ts0tpn nj hpr
making, which she swcctencd with sugar
from private supply Of her own. On bid
ding the family farewell, she took the in
fant, now nearly tive months old, IN her
arms. pettcd anu dandled it, and gave 1t Il
biscuit soaked in milk. 49,
| She had not been gone many minutes
when the child and the servants were at
tackled with violent symptoms resembling
poisoning, which prompt medical attentlon,
however, was successful in relieving. But
the indications of foul play were too plain
to be overlooked, and an examination was
made. resulting in the discovery OF con-
siderable Quantity of arsenic in the salt
box, which all remembered Annals filling,
and also in the barrel from which it had
been replenished.
| PEOPLES eyes were now opened, ana the
! fatality which seemed to attend AnnTs S
presence was perceived, to be something
more than series of unfortunate colncl-
dences. Other facts were recalled to mind.
1t was recollccted that two visitors, who
had taken dinner at the house the previous
August, bad been attacked, after that meal,
with vomiting and spaSms, and that ser
want who had called with message, and
been treated to a glass Of WING by Anna,
had been seized with similar symptoms,
resulting in severe sickness. 1T was also
remembered that she had taken young
man named Kraus into the cellar and Of
lered him glass of wine, Which, alter tast-
iuu, he refused to drink, because, as he
said, he noticed white sediment at
the bottom of the glass. There was one
/ of the maids, too, one Barbara Waldmann,
who was on bad terms with Anna, who
had taken cup of coffee from her, and
been attacked, after drinking it, like the
rest. They also remembered, what 1t seems
almost incredible should not have excited
suspicion before, that at an entertainment
given by Gebhard he himself and i've OF
| the guests who drank some beer, that had
been drawn by Anna, were almost imme-
diately attacked with violent retchlng,
pains, and spasms.
| Justice was now called in, and, by order
of the authorities, autopsies were had on
! the bodies of Frau GlaSer, Grohlnann, and
| Frau Gebhard. These all exhibited decisive
signs of arsenical poisoning; and IN one.o'
them, that of Frau CHASER, small quantity
of arsenic was found in substance.
| These Investigations were conducted WIN
secrecy, and no hint OF them reached Ahna,
who was living ut Baireuth. Whne on ner
way thithcr she had written letter TO 1en-
hard, reproaching him with gross in.rall-
tude in dismissing her, and. vauntlns i nel
own services to hls wife and chlld. She
| paid a visit to Nuremburg, where she had
| the etl'rontery to stay some time In that cfty
| rs the guest i'm The house of the mother OF
| the deceased Frau, Gebbard and from
| Buireuth she wrote several llmes Dotil To
Gebbard~ and to GlaSer, evidently with Il
view to readmission into the service ol one
or the other.
On the 10th of October, 1909, the chain OF
evidence being complete, she was arrested
| in Baireuth. On searching her person, In
her pockets were found three parcels, TWO
containing poisonous salt OF cobaie known
MS sfly.powder," and one arsenic. But
Notwithstanding every effort to induce her
| to confess she firmly protested her lnno-
cence until she was told the result OF the
| examination of the body of Frau CHASER.
This was not until the 10th of April, 1910;
! and our authority fails to explain why so
! long q time was suffered to elapse before
this conclusive piece Of evidence was made
known to her. When this was told her,
however, her firmness at once broke down;
she burst into tears and loud lamentations,
and confessed that she had twice given pol
son to her former mistress. This confession
was accompanied with sobs, cries, and
every token of mental anguish: and no
sooner was it made than she tell to the ioor
in strong commissions.
In the judicial examinations which fol-
lowed, the details Of her previous life were
brought to light. She was born at Nurem-
burg. in 1760. and left an orphan before she