The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-07-26
From the Baltimore Americana
BALTIMORE'S MURDERESS.
Some OF the Facts that the Authorities
have Gathered.

Aetcnum, ana lot attempting u poiso
her confidential business agent Nj
Eugene Van Ness. Gen Ketchum al
rived at her house from Washington o
Saturday evening, June "a He an
Major Wharton had served together j
the Sixth United States Infantry, an
their respective families had Away
maintained the most friendly relation
toward each other. Gen Ketchum ha
lent $500 to Mrs. Wharton, for whicl
sum he held her note, and before leaving
Washington, he mentioned to severa
persons that the object of his visit wa
to collect the money. The note cal
nowhere be found among his papers
and his fieuds therefore conclude tha
he took it with him. Shortly after hi
arrival at Mrs. Wharton's he was taker
i'll, and was attended by Dr. p. C. vii
liams, who suspected poison from thu
peculiar symptoms of the case. lie dice
on the following Wednesday. At the
suggestion of DIR. Williams the body was
removed from Mrs. Whartop's house
and post-mortem examination was
made. The stomach was apalyzed b
Prot. VIM. E. Aiken, and twenty grains
Of tartar emetic discovered.
THE POISONING OF MR.. VAN NESS.
Mr.. Eugene Van Ness, Mrs. Wher-
tons confidential business agent, was
taken i'll at her house few hours before
General Ketchum's arrival. He drank
a glass of beer, and was presently taken
sick, Mrs. Wharton showed much alarm,
and went for DR.. S. e. Chew herself
Mr. Van Ness remained at Mrs. Whar-
tons house under the medical care Of
DR.. Chew till the following Friday, (si1
days when be was removed to the resi-
dence of his sister in law, Mrs. Frick
His wife vas with him all the time.
An hour or so before Gen. Ketchum's 9
deatl milk punch prescribed by DR..
Chew was brought into Mr.. Van Ness's
room. His wife poured some of it inso
a wine glass, and before handing it to
her husband, out of some little freak Of
curiosity, tasted it. There was bitter.
ness about it thai alarmed her. She
poured it all out Of the glass, and in the
bottom there was white sediment. Mrs.
Col Loney (Alrs Van. Ness's sister,
quietly put the glass in her pocket and
brought i: away. Prof. Aiken aualyzed
the sediment in the bottom of the glass,
and found fifteen grains Of tartar emet-
ic.
The milk punch was prepared by Mrs
Van Ness herself on the morning Of the
2Sth. Her husband drank a glass of it
and was much refreshed. The remain
der was set in refrigerator in the
dining room, and it was when the
second glass was about to be given to
Mr.. Van Ness that the poison was dis
covered as above related.
TUE FIRST SUSPICION.
Suspicion did not first attach to Mrs
Wharton herself, but to an humble
domestic in her family. 1t was Mrs.
Wharton's subsequent conduct which
turned the current of suspicion against
herself. Two days after Gen. Ketchum's
burial Mrs. Wharton went to Washing
ton, and, calling upon Charles A. Keich
um (Gen. Ketchum's son,) informed
him that she bad given his father
$4,000 in Government bonds to keep
for her, and that she was about to 50 on
a visit to Europe, and wanted the bonds
or the money.
Young Mr. Kctchum told her he
knew nothing about his fathers having
$1,000 in Government bonds belonging
TO her, aud referred her to his uncle,
Col. Bricc. She made the same demand
Of Col. Brice, who informed her that it
she was depending on any claim against
Gen. Ke;chum's estate for money to
lake her to Europe, she had better
abandon the trip at once. He then
ralled her attention to the fact that Gen.
ketehun's books showed that she owed
him $1,000. She said that she had
paid that debt on the 18th Of January
last. On being asked :or the note, She
'aid when she paid it Gen. Ketchum
handed it to hs and she tore it up.
An entry in Gen. keichman's day
book shows that Mrs. Wharton paid
ialf years interest on the note Jan -
lie is said to have been most careful
nan in all his business transactions
md Kept his accoua's with systematic
Jane ID he charges her
With another hall years interest on the
vote. Gen Ke,chman's clothes remained
n Mrs. Whar,on's house for three days
.!ier his decease
PURCHASING POISON.
This Singular coadact on the part of
4rs. Wharton oeca>ioned i sharp turn
Il the course of the investigation, and
IarshaI Gray and Deputy Marshal Frey.
Tho had been intrustcd with the |
of The case, Immediately
cean to look TOR more distinguished |
,crson On whom TO Easten the charge
han the poor woDian who Lad at frs,
een suggested as the possible poiscaer
t was a>certaincd that ou the 10Th Of
[une Mrs. Wharton had purchased
ky grains Of tartar emetic OF the drug
tore Of Gosrnan 4 Co., l9l Madison
venue. This was two days after Gen. |
ietchum had taken i'll at her house.
he poison that was administered oD the |
.4th seems not to have been purchased
t Gcsman & Co.'S. or if procured there, |
t must have been some months since