The Republican journal., 1871-08-17
The Alleged Poisoning of Wealthy Ohio
Farmer by His Wife.

| The Builinbarger poisoning case, rs il
| is called, is the prominent sensational
topic of the Western papers. Buffinbarg-
CT was wealthy farmer and stock-raiser,
| owning between 5000 and 6000 acres of
rich land, within eight miles of London,
Ohio. His entire property was valued at
oyer S500,000. Until 1854 he had lived a
bachelor, being then over 60 years old
In that year he married the daughter of a
neighboring farmer named Hudson, the
young wife being but eighteen years of
age. Soon after the marriage he and
Mrs. Buf1inbarger made the acquaintance
OF Mr. Richard IT, Colburn journalist,
in Cincinnati, and this gentleman seems
to have been made welcome visitor at
the home in Madison county. The nc
quaintance continued until the death of
Mr.. Buflinbarger, which occurred in Oct,
1867, when he was nearly, if not quite,
- years old. He died intestate, and the
large estate was divided among the wife
and her two daughters, according to law.
In {; little over a year after the death Of
her first husband, Mrs. Buffinbareer mar
ried Mr.. Colburn, Concerning the scan
dal to which The various relations above
indicated have given rise, little need be
said, because it is impossible to distinguish
between mere idle gossip, the possible
malice Of interested persons, and truth.
1t is claimed by friendly neighbors that
old Buflinbarger took great pleasure in
hearing the Young journalist describe the
many interesting scenes which he passed
through, especially during the war, and
that he was welcomed by the husband as
a guest and an honorable friend to the
last. Nothing has yet been published
which justifies the public in concluding
that any but friendly relations existed be-
tween them. Some time last fall Mr..
Nandevender, nephew Of Peter Buffin-
barger, about 40 years of age, went to
London, from Illinois, and made an in
vestigation of the affairs of the family and
the estate of his uncle He returned in
February last, with his brother, doctor
of medicine, and they called for cor
oners inquest on the remains Of the de-
ceased, which We're disinterred for that
purpose. The stomach and yisccra were
submitted for chemical analysis to Prof.
Worlnley of Columbus, o., who is said to
have furnished the coroner with state
mcnt 70 the effect that he had found
arsenic in all the organs, and gave it rs
his opinion that the poison had not been
taken in a dose, but in several doses,
which in that way had time to pervade the
intestinal organs and produce slow but
certain death. There has as yet, however,
been no official publication of the chem-
cal analysis, and the family physician has
testified in the inquest now in progress
that he discovered no evidence of poison
having been administered to Mr.. Butlin-
barger, when he attended him in his last
illness, and says that he died of consump-
ton. 1t is claimed by the friends of Mrs.
Colbum that the proceedings against her
are part OF 4 deep-laid plot to blast her
reputation, defame her husband, and OBJ
tain possession of the immense property
comprising the estate of Peter Butfinbarg
er. One correspondent says:
''Untortunately for the prosecution, it
is instigated and conducted by u man of
infamous character and reputation. Peter
Bullinbarger was buried on his place,
which was visited last fall, by one of his
relatives and again in February last by
the same relatives, accompanied by his
brother, who is represented as 4 medical
doctor. Both these men are active in full
minating stories dcrogatory to Mrs. Col
burns character before and after the death
Of her first husband, and they instituted
the coroner's inquest. Had Peter Builln
barger not married, his immense property
would have passed into the hands Of these
'''o- a"l ohio" relativc, connected bv
marriage. Now, in proof of the clam OF
conspiracy, here is the fact that no ques
ton was raised from September, 1867,
when Peter Butlinbarger died, till Febru
airy, 1874, II space considerably over three
years, and then the sudden suspicion Of
poison is announced, and Il post-mortem
examination is entered upon"
How TO GET RICH. Josh Billings ought
to have this secret. But he's a little late
and so we fix it up for him, as Il contribu
ton for his next ''allminaX.' A couple
of uncducated but apparently well-to-do