New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-17
LILLE MH1RTnN CASE.

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TIE WHARTOY CASE.
TIE excitement of the Sherman poisoning
case in Connecticut is likely to be driven from
the public mind by a still more extraordinary
story of crime which has just come to light in
Baltimore Ono of the most accomplished and
attractive ladies' in tie fashionable society OF
that pleasant city is the widow of the late
Col. Harry w. Wharton, for many years Pay
master of the United States forces in the De-
partment of Maryland. IIospitable, wcll-bred,
and agreeable, Mrs Wharton has been general
favCrite, and her fortune has been large enough
TO support her in comfort if not in luxury.
Her husband, a man of genial manners and
wide popularity, died suddenly in 1861 His
cousin, Col. Edward Wharton, visiting the
house in Baltimore about that time, also died
suddenly. Edward Wharton's daughter,
young lady of IS, followed her father to the
grave few days later. A year ago Mrs.
Wharton's son, Major II. w. Wharton, jrp, died
in the same manner, while visiting his mother,
just after he had insured his life for large
sum of money. The companies paid the poll
cies TO Mrs. Wharton without question. No
suspicion seems to have been excited by these
sudden deaths until within few weeks, when
other incidents occurred about which there
could be no mistake.
On Saturday, the 2ith Of June, two friends
Of Mrs Wharton's came to her house, one to
spend a few days, the other to make short
call. The former was Gen. w. ). ketchum, a
well-known retired officer, and comrade OF
Mrs. Wharton's late husband. The other was
Mr.. Van Ness, a banking-hOuse clerk, who
acted as Mrs. Wharton's financial agent. Gen.
Ketchum was taken i'll the same evening. and
died On Wednesday, the 28th, under circum-
stances which have not been made public. 1t
is known, however, that his medical attendant
suspected poison, and communicated his SIS
piciOns to the patients brOtheT-in-law, Pay
master-General Brice, and a pOst-mOrtem ex
animation was accordingly held in Washing
ton, whittier the body had been removed for
burial. The result was the discovery in the
stomach of about 20 grains of tartar-emetic.
In the mean time Mr.. Van Ness had been near
death Mrs. Wharton had given him some
beer, favored with few drops of tincture of
gentian, and soon after drinking it he was
taken violently i'll. He was put to bed, ply
stefan was called in, and his wife came to the
house to nurse him. The doctor prescribed,
among other things, milk punch which seems
to have been prepared under the direction, if
not by the hands, of Mrs. Wharton. The sick
man drank one glass without feeling any bad
effects. When the second was brought Mrs.
Van Ness CHANGED to taste it, and at once dis
covered that something was wrong. A quantity
of white sediment was found at the bottom of
the vessel. 1t was analysed, and proved to be
tor Mr. Non Naaa was afterwards
removed to his own home where he still lies
in critical condition. The facts were laid
before the police Mrs. Wharton was to have
sailed for Europe on the 18th inst, but she
has been held to await the action of the
Grand Jury, and meanwhile is a prisoner in
her own house.
This is the story as it appears in the Balti-
more journals. 1t must be remembered, how
ever, that such stories are almost always ex-
aggerated, and most of the statements rest
upon little more than common report. 1t might
be easy for Mrs. Wharton to account for one
sudden death in her house from tartar-emetic,
but not to account for five. Only one seems
to have been proved, and it is not unlikely
that a little investigation will dispel the mys-
terry now supposed to surround the other four,
and show that all the members OF the Whar-
ton family came to their end by natural and
well-understood means. The family, the ply
sicians, and the police refuse to make any
communication to the public of such facts as
may be in their possession, and the case is
consequently turned over to the mercy of IL
responsible reporters, who gather up the Cos
sip of the streets possibly to the irreparable
injury of an innocent woman. Until better
authority is given for the earlier chapters of
the story it is the part of common humanity
to suspend our Judgment. Meanwhile we may
bear in mind the fact that no motives have
been even suggested for more than two of the
murders, and that no one imaginable motive
will account for all of them The statement
that Mrs. Wharton had borrowed money of
Gen. Ketchum and given her note for 1t tells
in her favor. If she could not pay the
note it was for her interest that the General
should live; to kill him would only hasten
the collection of the debt.
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