The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-18
FASHION and GRIND.
TEE BALTIMORE WHARTON-BORGIA.
The Accused Committed for
Murder.
SCENES IN C0URT-THE TESTIMONY.
Mrs. Wharton's Early Life in
Philadelphia.
ECCENTRICITY vs.. INSANITY.
ECCENTRICITY vs.. INSANITY.
Observation-Disclosures
From tho Baltimore American, July IT,,

atIemrthg TO poison Nil. Eugene Van Ness, was in.
OF Baltimore CITY on Saturday last Long before
the hour Tor tue meeting OF the Coart Ga ,nuulsive
corridors tnas lead TO the once OF the Clerk
Of the Criminal Court, in the hope OF catching a
glimpse Oh tno witnesses as they passed IN to DO
sworn SO grave charge against o woman VINO
moved Ia the drst scirc!es OF society mas aroused
pabiic curiosity 10 the highest pitch and has given
culiar interest. 1ne people who tnronged about the
Criminal Court on saturday morning scarcely could
well knew Inc solemn Injunction Ia tue Oath taken
by each Grand Juror. ~ our own and your ie lows
prospect Of looSing UPON the men and omen upon
whose testimony the iaie OF the accused depends,
ing mighty secret locked up IN their bosoms, was
sufficient lnucemeut to keep TWO or three nun rrcd
persons standing Ia the passage ways during the
whole forenoon
The witnesses came slnsiy and In groups and
were Instantly recognized rs the crowd by an indie
scribabe air OF Seriousness In tue lace OF each of
them, and certain rosolute outrage thai belongs
u persons who have made up their minds TO dis
Charge tae.r duty. Deputy Marshal Frey caino rst
and with him MI. A. klienschmijt, ine drugg,st
whose testimony Is supposed 10 have most inpor.
tan bearing in The case. They walked straight up to
The desk above wnlcn hangs the placard, "Witlesses
t, tie Gsand Lury here and were dul, quail
ie1 to tel what they Knew 10 the Grand Inquest
sitting On the other side or the hall. Next came
gent,enaa' WIN nus wi.e leaning upon his arm a
dehtly 4 stranger in a court house and WHO from
the bot'n OF her heart regretted the necessity that
apparently mcss reluctant witness, who would
have given a great deal on that particular morning
\ lie could have been talking TO Ills class about ms
favore science OF Materia Me.lica. Professor AHea
came IN calmly ana deliDe aely as nan OF science
Should took The oath without the ieast emotion aud
then walked eisurey over to the an Dom, prepared
TO discuss toXicOiOgy any Othor subject before the
Grand jury There Is nothing about q court room
tat disturbs tho serenity OF his Iulnu and 10 nm
poisoning case Is nothing more than pure question
oi science. number OF ladies were then sworn VINO
very PROBABLY never took al Cat before in nil their
lives, ana seemed 10 DO deeply impressel with tho
sulo,nn.ty OF tnc whole Proceeding. Alter The Wit
nesse3 were sworn they were conducted TO the IT.
ness ROOM aad probably lis oas sctees never before
presented such an array OF SOCIAL and professional
. eu1inence waiting for examination.
TIE TESTIMONY.
or course Ia Impossible TO give rho testimony OF
each particular witness, for the lips Of the grand
jurors sealed by their Official oath. Gud most OF
the witnesses are as reticent since tho examination
Grand jury may be thus briehy capltulaed as lar as
: they relate TO the Charge OF poisoning General
ketchuln:
! RECAPITULAT'oN.
General w. Scott Ketclium. laje IN o1lcer OF the
United states Amy, but on the reured list al the
time OF his death, left his home III Washington and
came to tis city Oh Saturday evening, June "a ut,
ST so rao S, 81 PEas; sirss t 10 MIS- + g.
States Af5 Gsnefif AT .Rfa!feG e.. IN tie unned
ton had served together in the SIKH United
states Infantry aud tnrlr respective families
| latons toward each other. which were Lot inter-
ruptel by The death VI General Ketchums wife and
, Of Major Wharton. General Ketchum mad loaned
| $4,000 10 Mrs. Wharton, for which sum nc held her
! note, and Defore leaving Washington he mentioned
10 SCI cra persons the object OF his vis was to
collect the money. The note can nowhere be found
! anon. his papers. and his friends therefore con-
arrival al Mrs Whartons ne was taken in and was
attended by Or. 4. Z. Williams, VINO suspected
died On tie following wednesday, no memoer o. his
family being present. His son had hccn telcsraphed
Tor, but did not arrive I'LL after his fathers ucccasc.
80 the suggestion or Dr. WLuan's and with the ~.
prevail Of Paymaster General Brce General
ketcnum's brother.in lawl the body was removed
r. anM r4 hnr hHt A nAS mo tam
ANIMATION made The stomach was anaIylei by
Professor William z. Aiken and twenty grains OF
mains were taken TO Washington aud there inferred.
THE FIRST SUSPICION.
IL would seem that suspicion did not az first at
tach TO Mrs. barton herself. but TO an humble do.
peslo IN her atnlly; nor tina; there was fhe least
colored woman, bnt because there is an unwilling.
ness 10 mpute crime 10 person IN high positicI
while there Is any one IN tile lower walks OF iie VINO
Mrs. whartou's subsequent conduct which turned
the curreh. OF SUSPICION asainsi nersclt
PAYS VISIT TO WASHINGTON.
Two days alter General Kctchu!n's burial Mrs.
Wharton went TO Washington. and calling upon
io.mel him that she had givel his father $4,000 IN
government bonds TO keep Tor her. ard tnat she
bonds or the money. Young AR. Ketcnum told ner he
knew nothing about his fathers laving 81, 900 IN
government bonds belonging TO her, and referred
her to his uncle Colonel Bruce. she made tho Same
| demand OF Colonel brce who informed her that II
she was depending on any claim against General
she had better abaudon the trip 1T once He then
um's books showed thar she owed him 81, 900. She
sd tina: sDe rad paid that debt on the l7th OF Janu-
Any last ON being asked for the note she said that
when she paid II General Ketchun handed TO her,
day book shows that Mrs. wharton paid hall years
been most careful man In oil his business transac.
Tons, and kept his accounts with systematic exact
ness juno ID he charges hor with another half
years. interest on the note. General Kcichurns
! clothes remained IN Mrs. WARRIORS house for three
PURCHASING POISON.
This singular conduct on the part OF Mrs.. Wharton
0ccasonen sharp turn In the course ol tue invests
cation, and Marshal Gray and Deputy Marshal Frey,
who had been entrusted with lie management Of the
case, hume iaely began to look for more cstin.
guish person on whom TO fasien Inc charge tnan
The poor woman who had II first been sugse sted
the possible po.sone II vas ascertain cd thar the
goth OF June Mrs. Wharton had purchased sixty
grams OF arter emetic at the drug store OF Gosnia
X Co, No. 191 Madison avenue. This was TWO DAYS
after General KecnuIn had taken Ill at her mouse
The poison that was Administered on the 2itn seems
not 10 have been purchased at Gosman Co.'S, Gr II
IL was procured there ii must have been some
| THE ATTEMPT TO poIscv Mr.. VAN NESS.
Thus lar no mention has been made oil the poison
Ing Of Mr.. Eugene Van Ness, Mrs. Whar,on's coni-
| Dental business agent, who was taken III ut her
| house on saturday afternoon. June "a u lew hours
! OF beef. and was presently taken sick. Mrs. Whar.
ton showed inuch alarm and went for Dr.. 5. {.
! WnartOn's house under the medical care Of DR..
Chew I'LL the following Friday lsix daysl when be
was 10 inc lesluSncc OF MS SiStcr ln.laW
Mrs. frck. Ills vile was win him all the time,
and lie was frequently ylsi ed by his sisters and si-
| ters-luaw. " hen General KetcnuIn died on Wcdnes
day afternoon me tact was carefully concealed from
Mr.. Van Ness, lest the shock might be too much Tor
him IN his Frustrated condition An hour 30 before
General ketchun.'s death mix punch, prescribed
by Dr. Chew, was brought into Mr.. Van Ness' room.
HIS wife poured some OF IT into q Wine glass, and
before handing it 10 her husband, out OF some little
freak oi curiosity tasted It. There was bitterness
about IL that CHARMED her. She poured II al. OF
the glass and IN the bottom there was white sed.
ment. Mla. Colonel LouCy mrs. Van Ness' sister,
quietly put the Riass in ner pocket aud brought it
away Professor Aiken anaiyzei the sediment IN
the bottom OF the glass ana found fifteen grams Of
tartar emetic.
The miik punch was Prepared By Mrs. Van Ness
herself Oh the morning OF the 2Sth. Her husband
drank glass OF II and was much refreshed. 1he
remainder was set IN refrigerator IN The dining
room. ana IL was when the second glass was abolt
10 be given 10 Mr.. Van Ness that the poison was dis
covered az above reated.