Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-09-09
The Poison Cases,

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Hharion-.Sjngular Eccsntricities-
Is She Sane3
The Baltimore American alludeS to
the peculiar phases of the Wharton and
Bufenbarger poisoning cases. While
Mrs. Wharton, accused of a triple or
quadruple murder, met with little sym
pathy, correspondents of newspapers
outside Of Baltimore giving IN accusa-
torial cast to their letters, and many of
her acquaintances ahd former friends
raking up alleged suspicious circum-
stances against her. Mrs. Colburn Qor-
merly Mrs Butfenbarger,) on the other
hand, has been treated with all possible
consideration, and the best citizens OF
London. Ohio. the scene Of her alleged
crime, are strong i'll theireXpreSsions Of
belief in her innocence Mrs. Wharton
was thrown into Jail, and Mrs. Colburn
was released OH bail. Singularly
enough, however the first examination
ofthe remains of one of those said to
! have been murdered in the Wharton
case shows no trace Of poison, while
similar examination Of the body of Pc
ter Butftnbarger reveals the presence OF
poison, though not in sufficient quanti-
ties, it is said, to produce death.
The American publishes letter from
a lady friend in Philadelphia, concern
ing the early life of Mrs. Wharton, in
which is related certain eccentricitics Of
character going to show that she was Of
unsound mind. The fact has heretofore
been published that she was the daugh-
ter of Mr. Nugent, a French gentleman
of superior education andreputed wealth,
long a resident of Norristown, Pa. The
lady friend writes:
Even whilst the idol of her father
and the centre of attraction to score
of honorable men. Ellen Nugent now
Mrs. Wharton was in the habit Of per
petrating frauds and indulging in prac-
tices which would, had she been a poor
girl, have consigned her to a prison
cell. Being the child Of wealth and a
petted darling of society, however, nei-
ther exposure nor loss of position fol-
lowed her delinquencies Her tailings
were by common consent hushed up. or,
at worst, furnished little gossip among
those who had become cognizant of
them. Indeed some Of her escapades
were so reckless and undiSguised that it
seems scarcely possible to believe the
brain which conceived and executed
them to have been in a sane condition
mental ALTERATION, one would think,
could alone have prompted them. On
one occasion, whilst sojourning with
prominent family Of Philadelphia, she
asked her hostess to accompany her up.
on shopping expedition, exhibiting at
the same time huge roll of notes which
her father had given her for the pur-
chase of her winter outfit The lady
accompanied her to Levys and assisted
in the selection Of silks, velycts and
other expensive material. but was some
what surprised when few months later
the bill for the goods purchased by FL
len was sent to her husband, as having
been contracted by herself
For long time articles were being
missed at the houses she visited before
suspicion alightcd upon Miss Nugent.
but after a time circumstances indicated
that she had appropriated the missing
property and during temporary alb
sence her trunks were opened, and
perfect museum Of stolen property was
discovered therein-articles for the most
part which could never be Of the slight
est Use to her. Upon going to her
trunks after the stolen goods had been
removed and restored to their respective
owners. she manifested neither the small
est confusion nor modification, but
without voluntary remark or eXplana-
ton proceeded to set in order her be
longinrs. She STAYED the length Of
time she had laid out with these friends,
and the circumstance seemed neither 20
impair her pleasure nor cheerfulness in
the slightest degree.
She was very fond of playing practi-
cal Jokes, and utterly careless as to the
damage she inflicted upon property or
feelings in having her fun The most
innocent of these jokes of which we
have heard was the pinning up, on bit
ter cold winter night, the overcoat of
visitor so that he could not possibly
wear it home. and was obliged to brave
the inclemency of the weather without it,
she having used whole paper of pins
upon it. On another occasion she pre-
vailed upon one of her admirers to kneel
at her feet under some pretence, and
then sprinkled over new and expen-
siye coat bottle of fasafptida. Becom-
ing disgusted with the surveillance ne
cessarily execised over her, she resolved
to leaved home and determined to mar
rv. Sne had three suitors whom she
favored about equally, and to these three
she wrote on the same day, telling each
if they would meet at a certain hotel,
which she named, she would marry
them there and then The announce
ment was so sudden that each gentle
man doubted his good fortune, and in
turn called upon the ladys bosom friend