The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-08-18

that the grave WINS 30 constructed as to
be hermetically sealed, and could not be
broken into without leaving marks easily
discernible. The body was well pre-
served; evidences Of petrifying pro-
cess going on were discernible..
| One Of the proofs brought against the
vile to make her commit the deed was to
get possession of his fortune as the
their natural guardian. Against this is
but that which tue law gave her, md she
never made nm attempt to set the chill
dren's property into her hands. With
her full consent. it is said. Washington
Witherew. not at oil relnted, was ap-
pointed guardian TO the children By the
Probate Court, and he is gentleman Of
wealth and high position. Not one acre
Of the property has been gold-not u
cent, 80 far as cnn be found, of Mrs.
Buitenburg's property from her first
husbands estate has ever been used by
Colburn in his New York banking ope-
rations. The loose personal property
was sold, the estate was settled two years
since, and the whole affair closed.
But why this last attempt to fasten
murder on an innocent woman, if inno-
cent she boz Aye, here's the rub. and
thereby hangs u tale, which adds to the
mystery, if ono. half the accounts your
correspondent gets while ransncking
Madison County for q Clue to the great
poisoning case, be true.
Peter Buffenburg had sister who
married mnn named Peterson. Her
daughter married man named AInlny
Thompson, who procured the body to be
raised, sent the stomach To Prof Worm
" to be analyzed, and paid him $500 for
the job.
Thompson also gave tho Information
that requisition had been sent to New
York for the arrest Of the parties, and
that Mrs. Colburu had been arrested
No requisition had been sent-no arrest
has been made. If Mrs. Colburn il
hung for the murder, and her children
proven to be not heirs OF Buffenburg,
then the family that Thompson is at
tached to will get the property. This is
assigned as one reason for his conduct.
Another is to black-mail the parties in
New York.
AS man, all citizens give this party
by the name of Thompson abad charac-
ter. He was arrested by Col. Wood and
his detective force for counterfeiting,
and full evidence was found upon his
premises to convict him. That night he
escaped from his captors. Subsequently
he was indicted for oounterfeiting in the
United States Court at Cleveland and in
Cincinnati.
Pending the indictments, lie was, by
some Aocus -pocus. enrolled in the United
States Detective Corps of the same Col.
Wood, md the pending indictment
against him were either nollied or snf-
fnred to romain dead letters in the court
house. While in the detective business,
he was arrested for feloniously breaking
open the safe Of the treasury of Vinton
County, but broke jail and escaped. I
talked with many citizens of Madison
County, but no man gave Thompson
anything but bad character.
Thus I have, after patient search,
given such facts as could collect from
trustworthy sources. Butfenburg had
poison in his stomach after being five
years buried. When was it put there
and who did the deed? Suspicious cir
cnnlstances point to the wife; but other
circumstances the vindictive character
OF the prosecutor, and the bad character
Of tue chiof manager of it-g0 far to
show that if guilty of other crimes, she
may be- innocent Of the greatest of all
crimes.
As announced in a telegram from Lon
don, Ohio, August 10, the coroner's jury
in the Buffenburg case concluded its
labors Thursday. Further accounts give
the following particulars:
DR.. Collins, who attended Buffenburg,
testified that ho attended him almost
daily from August 3. till September 26,
1867, when he died. He treated him
for consumption. and saw no traces of
arsenic poisoning. He did not prescribe
arsenic, at least three or for yenrs pre-
vious to his death.
After an absence of an hour aud three
quarters. the jury returned with tho fol-
lowing verdict:
"After hoaring the evidence in the
case, we. the jury, do find md say that
arsenic had been administered to said
deceased, Potter Buffsnbnrg. by some
unknown person or persons"
The jury was composed of the best
citizens in the County, but their verdict
ia not regarded as very intelligent in the
light of the evidence. The coroner re-.
fused the newspaper reporters nccess to
l tH<H al e..