The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-04-09

SUDDEN DEATH OF a ALADy-AnREsr OF
HER HUSBAND ON THE CHARGE OF HAy-
ING POISONED HER.-One of those
strange and mysterious cases Of domestic
tragedy which startle and convulse with
painful excitement quiet and virtuous
and law-loving community, occurred
near the town of Mount Crawford, in
Rockingham County, Va, on Thursday
OF last week, the 2Sth of March. On that
day, about noon, Mrs. Delilah Cameron,
wife OF John Cameron, IN active, we'll.
to.do, enterprising man, died suddenly,
after having taken what she supposed
was dose of salts, but which, from the
sudden and deadly effects produced, is
believed to have been impregnated with
dose OF strychnine. Immediately after
taking the dose, which was about tea
spoonful, and which was taken for the
sick headache Of which she complained,
she was thrown into violent commissions,
which continued with but brief intermis-
slons Tor the space of about IN hour and
half, when death terminated her NOR.
tnl agony. Her husband was absent in
one Of his fields, not far from his resi-
dence, when the dose was taken. One
OF Mrs. Cameron's children, o young
lady eighteen years of age, ran to some
of the neighbors and announced the
sudden and violent illness of her mother.
Collecting quickly. her neighbors found
hor in the terrible bodily agony spoken
of. Her husband being called from the
field, suggested that cream should be
given her, rs that was good ip such
cases. Mrs. Cameron continued rapidly
to grow worse, the convulsions becoming
more and more violent, and her body
moro rigid, until death ensued. In the
intervals which elapsed between the
paroxysms, she charged her husband
with having prepared the poison which
she bad taken, and which she felt as
sured would soou terminate in her death.
She said to him, John, you have poi
soned me; you said you would do it, and
you have done it." She said he had
prepared it the Sunday before. when she
was at church.
On Saturday morning, the coroner
proceeded to hold an inquest over the
body OF the deceased. The evidence
adduced before the jury elected the
facts already stated, with tho additional
ones that deceased and her husband had
for some time lived very unhappily to-
gcthcr, frequently disputing angrily.
uud upon one or two occasions coming
to blows. The cause Of these family
difficulties was said to be the visits Of
Cameron to the house OF disreputable
woman, or women, not far from his re-
sidence.
After hearing the evidence in the case,
some OK the witnesses summoned being
n number of tho most skillful and cxpc-
riencea physicians in the County, the
unanimous Judgment OF the Jury Of in
qnest WAS that the deceased had baen
poisoned. and that The agent WAS strych-
nine.
The deceased was buried on Sunday,
aud her husband was arrested and con-
fined at his residence until Monday,
when lie underwent examination. After
patient hearing of the case, the ac-
cused was sent to Jail at Harrisonburg.
Cameron is about forty-two years OF
age, and his wife was in the forty. y.ninth
year OF her age. They have two chill
dren-a daughter about eighteen aud a
son about fifteen years of age An in
terview between the father and the son
at the Jail. on Tuesday, is represented to
have been deeply affecting.
Rockingham, Register.