Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-16
The Leesburg Poisoning Case.
MRS. LLOYD FULLY CoMMITrED.
THE PARTICULARS AND INCIDENTS.
GSneciul Disuatch to the GuZrt,c.


community is this morning convuISel as by
terrible moral earthquake, the vibrations OF
which, as they echo back from the lips OF the
witnesses examined before the corouer S inquest,
send thrill of horror aud tel! tale Of circum-
stantal guilt, the en- ,rmity of which is almost
unparalleled in the annals Of human deprlvl-
~. The subject has now reached that point
Of definiteness, in which it will be sized by Il
legal prosecution.
In December, 1865, Mr.. Clare: +. LII I'D,
the keeper OF drinking saloon III this town,
man of high temper, and SAID to have been un
kind to his family, but by no means Il bad cltI-
zen otherwise was taken sick aud for ten days
suffered from severe attack OF typhoid pncu
munia He had become conyalescent: how,
ever, and his physician pronounced HIM out OF
danger. The Doctor visited him on the morn
ing of his death, and found him sitting up,
aud so much better that he stated he would
be at his business next day In IA short time,
perhaps less than au hour, he was again sum
moned to his assistance, bnt the vital spark
had fled before he reached him. Lloyd had Ill
the meantime partaken OF some Slight refresh
ment. The death was so sudden and uneX-
pected, that his lri.nds were startled, but his
physician attributed it to disease Of the heart,
with which he was afflicted, and next day his
remaus we're uttered in Union Cemetery,
where in few mouths, they were frlI"wed 10y
an aunt of Mrs Lloyd. lu April, 1870, Mrs.
Hammerly of Washington, au aunt Of Mrs
Lloyd, and by whom she had been raised =
paid her visit, and in two Or three week. ter
her arrival. another grave was dug, and anoth-
or form laid beneath the cuds-but as the aunt
was old and quite iufrm, and had beeu known
to express desire to return aud be buried al
the home of her early lie, her death occasnn-
ed little else than sympathy fnr the again be-
rcaved widow.
The father died, leaving hi wifi: in m"lcr
atcIy comfortable circumstances. With four
children, TWO boys aud two girls: tome oi the
urls Maud. was born lew weeks alter the
father death. J all of them fuc, healthy, ro-
bust children, who became. apparently, the al
most doliz ID objects Of the widowed mother )
affections. In July $50, the two boys George,
aped years, and Henry, aged years, in COLI
pany with one or two other children, aud ne
gro girl So.u" l. OF II years o! age, living III
Mrs L!oyd's family, were permitted I" q"
backb.rrying They returned in the evening,
accomplishing but that night both boys were
taken seriously i'll, aud the family physician,
DR.. A. II Mott, called in. He found them
suffering trom the effects of poison, but as their
mouths, 10th inside aud out. We're covered with
rluptioris: he attributed it to their ha'lng. III
their ignorance. eaten poi,en oak leaves with
the berries. Their condition grew worse, and
DR.. Cross was called in. but the children both
died. Henry on the 24th of August. and George
on the 25th,-the mother nIanlfesilng al! the
evid auces of sorrow natural TO the Material
heart lacerated by the sudden taking Oh ol
two of her irSt-b born These sad events We're
the subjac OF much comment at the tune: and
an examination of the StomachS was talked ut.
but no one was bold enough to charge foul
play on the part of the mother, because no one
was willing TO believe from her previous cl!ar'
actcr, that SO revolving crime cout! have
originated in her breast. Two little graves
were dug beside that Of the fathcr-tw" little
Collins were conS ened to their narrow embrace,
and day after day the mother turn might
have been seen bending over the fresh mounds.
seemingly with all the loving tenderness "t il
mothers heart, aud each time as she turned
her back upon those little graves there might
have been seen resting upon their cold to<"m>
Il bunch of fl ,wers those sweet Sentcd mcncn
toes of woman cnnStancy and attrctlnn-thu>
dsarmng the credulous OF their sn'plcloil>.
AMI strengthening the iucrcdu"u> III their con-
vctiuns of the mothers entire Innocence.
Shortly after the death of the two boys. Mrs.
Lloyd left her old home, the scene OF 50 many
painful memories, and took up her re>ldepce
in a neat little story-and a-hat stone house,
situated on the western end Of Loudoun street.
fronting immediately on the street. Here 1t
was hoped. that her and her surviving little
ones, would be spared the whitening touch OF
~ lr,I Al
like an evil genius over her household. But
not so.
On the llth of February, 1872, the Doctor
was summoned to administer to little Annie,
the eldest of the two girls-whom he found
suffering from what he thought to be the effects
of an attack of cholera morbus, superlnduccd
by the eating of oysters The usual treatment
was restored to, but without avail, and on the
10th of the same month the little thing died,
as the Doctor supposed, from congestion OF the
stomach. The next day she was assigned her
place by the side of those who had so.Ie before,
to the silent city Of the dead. Oacc more >us
picion was aroused Expressions otdoubts and
msgivings were no longer uttered In secret:
still. the moral sense Of the community WAS so
shocked, and so unwilling to recognize as the
source of all this woe that one toward whom all
the circumstances seemed to point, that again
no inquiry was instituted.
But scarcely had the echo of the dull thud
of the cold clods that ratified on the COLIN OF
Mary been borne away by the passing breeze,
ere Annie the last lovely flower left blooming
on the family stem, began to droop. and in
three short days, wthered and died. She was
taken sick on Saturday, March 23d, 1872, and
died on Monday the 18th.
Another circumstance that fed the flame OF
suspicion, was the fact, that just prior to the
death of each of the children, it was ascertain
ed that the mother had purchased arsenic.
What disposition was made of it is stated IN
her testimony before the coroner.
The announcement Of Maud death fe?lupon
the public ear with stunning effect; \ nigh
ty wrong or terrible fatality had fallen upon
a household and swept away the last OF its
treasures, as ruthlessly as chatf before whrl-
wind, and there came an appeal from almost
every christian heart seconded, as it were. by
a mighty voice from an unseen world, pleading
in behalf of a score of new made graves, for in
vestigation. Accordingly, on Tuesday, the