The sun., 1873-09-13
POISONING ~ TIRGINIf.
Woman Of High STANDING Accused Of Pot
souinr Her Husband The Corouer'- Jury
Returning n Verdict OF Murder.


Returning n Verdict OF Murder.
Corrcst obdencc Of The sun
SrAUNToN, Va, Sept. 0.-On Saturday,
Aug. %, Charles w. Allen, a respectable farmer,
living in the Valley of Virginia. near Mount sid
ncy, ten miles from Stauuton, died, and was
buried the following day. On Wednesday, Sept.
3, II having come to the knowledge of Coroner
+. NJ. Cushing that Mrs. Allen had bought poison
on two occasions previous to her husbands
death, and that the physician who attended him
In his last moments was Of the opinion that he
had been poisoned, that officer had the body
humed and the stomach given TO Drs. Fauntle-
roy and McChesnev for analysis.
At the inquest DIR. W. NJ. Crawford. the family
physician testified that In his opinion Mr.. Allen
died Of poison. lie was taken sick suddenly at
supper on the Tuesday preceding his death,
ShcR.h TacR he had Objected to taste q bowl Of
The doctor did not suspect that
HE nAD BEEN POISONED
until the next day, and then gave him the proper
anttd9ies, which Improved hi. condition. ON
saturday, however. he was much worse. and the
doctor came to the conclusion that additional
poison had been adnsistercd. Dr. Crawford
talked with the wife ON Sunday night after the
funeral. having been sent for to see her. lie
foInd her under great nervous excitement She
asked whether the doctor supposed Charley, her
husband had died of poison, and the witness
answered atrmatiyeN She then inquired II
poison could he detected should the body lie
disintcTed aud the witness said he Thought
not, Judging from the quantity thrown OF from
Mr. Echelhcrcer, the druggist near Mount
sidney, testified that Mrs. Alien purchased a
80 w 'it''i' anu s'''iH' 80 'u' az hl7 rt'le
on tuesday, the day her husband was taken
sick. She
ASKED ron srnYcnNrNE,
hut hc had none. lie told her how TO use the
arsenic I" ki,l rats, which she said was her pur-
pose. last Mon idN, alter her husbands burial
-he again called ~ the drug store and asked
whether poison could be discovered IL the body
was tnkcn up. that Dr. Crawford said it could
got. aud she wa goin- to Staunton TO see brs
Fauntieroy and McChcsncy. She said she huunt
used The arsenic. but had thrown It In the IRE;
mat she and Cnarlie didn't like It in the
house. She said she wanted the body taken up
as remarks were being made about her In CON
hectiun with his death.
AiHLsr AND IMPRISONMENT.
The inquest was then adjourned until this
morning tu await the post mortcm and ANALYSIS
The orcer found her IN bed suffering
from ,nrr'9,qs pro-trati"n. Her si-tcr-in-law,
this city. In the hall Of the Jail Mrs Allen sank
into CHAIR, holding the hand Of her sister-in-
law, aud both women wept bitterly. Upon
heinf led up stairs into her cell she looked the
picture " despair. pacing across the noor with
and Miss lien sitting 10y weeping. The prisoner
was - Wnsrnted that physician had t. be
sent Tor. Ia ihe afternoon she was caIiner.
WHAT MRS. ALLEN SAYS.
To reporter who questioned her she said
=" can I say ANYTHING. | have done nothing"
She won't on with some minuteness to describe
added, Ny husband had had u.ree attacks be-
fore. made no cOncealment when i gave him
the medicine, but gave 1t openly before ul In
the room who were waiting ON him. Me and
Charlie always lived nappily together, and he
was good Kind husband to me. There WA no
reason should do him harm, and never did
hun any. ! came To stanton the morning !
passed iIr Elchelberger To- lind DR. Fauntleroy
or Mc'heshey 10 nave my husband taken up,
and had gotten as far as the house they told
me DR. =. lived IN when my husbands half
brother met me and told me had better wait
and see father. told him that would not do,
a. every day DELAY made 1t wurso, and want
ed To- have his body taken W at once. lie per-
sgaded NE TO wait, and | went back home. |
ed clearly and rapidly. and seemed rather TO de-
sire questioning than To avoid II.
A VERDICT OF MURDER.
This morning the invest cation was continued,
eK-Secrrtary OF the Interior A III. II. stuart ap-
pc1rins for Mrs. Allen. The testimony for the
defence was chicfy given 10y Miss Eliza Allen,
who testified that he directed his wife 70 buy
the arsenic To- Kill rats that she the witness
made the chicken 4oup In whicu 1t WAS !, ,hey,d
the poison a, admiui-tered and that shc disn-
ed ii out for her brother, and that the wife had
nothing to do with IL.
Another witness testihed that the physician
who attended Allen in hi, last moments told
him twitncssi that he ought to get u double -har-
r,Icd gun and shoot Napier, man with whom
Mrs. Allen had been disreputahly named, and
also that the man Napier was at Allen'- house
tu see Mr, Allen the day after her husband
funeral. The medical men testiaed to the fact
that the ANALYSIS, though only partially cumulet-
/ cd. showed the probable presence oi arsenic, the
stomach having YIELDED precipitate that
nothing bat arsenic iclds.
lhe jury notwithstanding the testimony 81
the dead mans sister, which evidently was not
/ credited ty them, brought In a verdict after five
minutes tclihcration. Of murder against Mrs
sarah NJ. Allen and her preliminary eXamina-
tion takes place In Staunton on THURSDAY.
M. AND Mrs. AII.LN.
Mrs. Allen is daughter of Major Samuel H.
StoNer, citizen II hlgh standing and IN good
circumstances, living near Mt. Sidney. She lie a
handsome brunette, Of middle size, about -
years Of age, with raven black hair, and a fine
figure. She has been married about fourteen
he II a
a boy twelve yeaTs old. and always lived happily
with her husband until lately, as IS alleged.
when her love wandered to smother She IL a
woman Of good address, and was popular with
her circle u acquaintances. Her husband,
Charles W. Allen, WAS - years Of age, and had a
Father handsome personal appearance. lie was
quiet, Industrious gentleman, farmer by oc-
cupatiun, and during the war was "a member OF
Capt Bumgardner's Co. Y, Hfty-secoud Nir-
ginIa Regiment. He had been wounded several
tunes. ana one of his wounds, that IN the ankle,
had never been healed.