Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-25
AC0UITTAL OF MRS. WHARTON.

ACQUITTAL OF MRS. WHARTON.
The telegraph reports the acquittal Of
Mrs. Wharton, who has been on trial at
Annapolis, Maryland, for several weeks on
a charge of poisoning Gen. Ketchum. The
trial has been long and exciting one, and
the result as announced this morning was
not unlocked for by those who have read
the reports of the trial. 1t appears, how
ever, that Mrs. Wharton was not so uni
versally regarded by the people Of Baltimore
as innocent. A letteF. from Baltimore to a
New York journal, signed sold Lawyer"
says that in the former city there is no diff
ference Of OpiniOn--or as good as nOne-re-
garding the question Of her guilt or inno-
cence, and that out Of one thousand Of the
best and most intelligent citizens of Balti-
more not two could be found who be-
Heve her innocent. The writer pays high
compliment to the skillful manner m which
the lawyers Of the accused have conducted
her case, and says they have completely be-
ogged the jury with technical scientifcs of
experts, engaged for the defence at an enor-
nous cost. Regarding the results, he con-
cludes by saying that the popular verdict in
Baltimore, where the accused lived, was
known, liked, and admired, is "guilty.''
Whether the jury was befogged or not, they
have declared Mrs. Wharton not guilty, and
she now goes back to her home in Balti-
more, where "Old Lawyer" says she is re-
garded as guilty. The manner Of her recep-
ton and treatment by the citizens of Balti-
more will determine this point.
MI. George Alfred Townsend, the Wash
lngton correspondent ("Gath'') Of the
Chicago Tribune, took the trouble to analyse
the testimony after It was all in, and in
letter to the Tribune expressed the follow
ing opinion in regard to the case of Mrs.
Wharton:
"Now, you ask what l think of this trial.
In brief: Mrs. Wharton never poisoned
anybody. The entire case against her is
eircumstantial, helped on by gossip grown
malignant, abetted by mortified pride Of
science, and hurried on by unthinking pub
lie opinion.
"a great deal is made in modern cores
pondence Of what is called high social life.
This woman is the victim of the assump-
ton that she belonged to some superior
stage of existence. The fact is, that her
father was an old Pennsylvania manufac-
turer, who lived in some extravaganza, and
brought his family up under a better self
esteem than their neighbOrs. Mrs. Whar-
ton, like many American women, eXagger-
ated the value of social consideration, and
she was successful in maTyinga very re-
spectacle officer Of the army, to whom she
was good wife, and to whom she brought
several thousand dollars, perhaps not above
thirty in all. HermaTiage put her in relation
with the stationary class of army officers
Her son was a worthless young chap, and
after his fathers death, he became involved
in his accounts, and would have been cash
lered and sent to prison, but Mrs. Wharton
deferential to social life as always, took
the means she had to pay his debts, and
borrowed money from some of her most
intimate friends to meet his obligations.
This youngster, Harry Wharton, feeling
obliged to his mother, and aware that lie
had expended the pa'rimony of his sister,
rushed of and insured his life for $4,000.
Soon afterwards he got on a spree, WAS
seized with a fever-the result of long ca
reer of dissipation - and died at
home. The mother has refused TO
permit her lawyers TO show up his
case, and she, therefore, stands maligned
by the apparently ugly pecuniary straights
which resulted in saving her son from ig-
nominy. The monstrous charge is brought
against her that she poisoned this son to
obtain the life Insurance and the lifa in
surance companies, wishing to force her in
TO a compromise, have permitted this NIGH
ty tide of calumny to rush on, and, perhaps,
have abetted it. Harry Wbarton's corpse
was disinterred, and even old Aiken failed
TO find anything akin TO poison in 1t. SO
expires the slandeT. .
81 assume that there is scarcely a doubt
of this woman's acquittal. and then the