Wilmington journal., 1872-01-05

before the Criminal Court of Annapolis,
Maryland. When we take i'll consideration
the high standing of the accused, AMI the
character of the crime with which she IS
charged, we are justified i'll saying that this
trial will rank high among the 'cdtses
celebres." Mrs. Wharton, the widow of an
army officer, occupying a high social posi-
ton. surrounded " it'll the comforts and
even the luxuries of life, is charged with
procuring the death of General KetclllIm,
of the United States army, by administering
to him poison in her own house, with her
own hands, while he was her guest. The
motive alleged is the desire to efface all
evidence of a debt due him by the accused.
1t is asserted by his relatives, that General
Ketchum went to Baltimore to obtain pay
meTt of a note of $1,000, taking the note
with him. That after his death the note
could never be found again, and that Mrs
Wharton, the accused, asserted that she had
paid it months before.
But this is not the only crime laid to her
charge. if she should be fortunate enough
to be cleared of the crime for which She is
now being tried, another indictment is
pending against her for an attempt to poi
son Mr.. VanNess, also a guest in her
house and by means of the same poison
alleged to have been administered to Gen.
Ketchum-tartar emetic iE large doses.
Moreover, there are dark suspicious attend
! ING the death of her husband and her son,
and even of other persons who died in her
| house at various times more or less remote.
The highest chemical talent of the cOun-
| try has been called upon to testify i'll this
| case, and while the distinguished Profess
! sOrs are completely at variance in their
! opinions, the discussion of their evidence
will throw much light upon an interesting
and important branch of medical jurisprtu-
| dence Two eminent Professors, DR.. Aiken
and Prof. TOnry, testify positively to the
finding Gin their OpiniOn) OF metallic anti
mOny in their examination Of portion of
the contents of Gen. Ketch,lm's stomach.
Two other gentlemen, quite as eminent,
| Prof. M'Culloch and Prof Fred. A. Genth,
testify just as positively that the tests en-
plOyed by the first nam I'd gentlemen are
worth nothing and prove nothing, inasnuch
as they did not discover sufficient metallic
antimOny to manipulate the quantity OBJ
tanned being much less than one thOusandth
of grain. Murder by poison is such q
heinOuS crime, and one so easily accom-
plished, that every advance of chemical and
medical science which will ensure its dis
coyely is safeguard and benefit to So
fciety- This case is destined TO be a prece-
dent IN such matters and to stimulate the
exertiOns of scientific men in finding un-
failing tests for the detection of poison.
The trial, as might be. expected, has Gre
ated intense excitement in Baltimore and
Washington, in the circles III which the ac-
cused and The deceased moved. Mrs.
Wharton endures her terrible position with
remarkable f0rtitude. A few friends stand
by her with unfinching attachment, and
her daughter, who has for months shared
her cell, exhibits the most admirable devO-
ton.
Three hypothesis present themselves in
this remarkable case. Either Mrs. WhaT-
ton is a most unfortunate woman to be SO
unjustly accused, or she is a hardened and
diabolcal murdeless, or else she is 4
lunatic-and there have been traces of i'll
sanity in her former history.
The case presents some analogy with
that of Prof. Webster, who killed DIR.
Parkman, i'll Boston, TO escape the
payment of debt; but still more,
with that of Madame Lafarge, in
France, who poisoned her husband with
arsenic. The most eminent talent of France
was summoned to the bar There was also
some difference of opinion, but the accused
WAS condemned chiefly upon the testimony
of the celebrated OrfiIa. BY his sklfu tests
and experiments, lre pro+e:I the presence
of arsenic in large quantities in the remains
of the deceased, and the case has ever since
been considered a leading cne in poisOnings
by arsenic.
In calling the attention of our readers to
the Wharton trial as one of the interesting
topics of the day, we express no opinion
only hoping that the truth may prevail, and
that God will help the right.