Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-09-05
DEATH BY POISON.


DEATH BY POISON.
A WIFE ARRESTED FOR POISONING HER HUSBAND
-HIsToRY OF HIS DEATH-PURcHAsE OF Pol
soN-THE ExHuMATIoN OF THE EsDY-ScENEs
IN THE VILLAGE.
&C., &C., &c.
The neighborhood of Mt Sidney about 10 miles
from Staunton, has been greatly excited for sew
eral DAYS by the death under suspicious circum-
stances of Charles W. Allen,a respectable farmer
who died on Saturday, the 23d of August, and
was buried the following day in the church yard
at the village. On Wednesday last, it having come
to the knowledge of Coroner E. M. Cushing, that
the wife of the deceased had bought poison on
two occasions previous to her husbands death,
and that the physician who attended him in bis
last moments was of the opinion that he had
been poisoned, that officer went to Mt Sidney
and had the body exhumed, and the stomach
given to Drs Fauntleroy and McChesney to test
cor poison The following is the
STORY TOLD BY THE VILLAGERS
Mrs. Sarah NJ Allen, the wife who is charged
D. Slower, citizen of high standing and in good
circumstances, living near Mt. Sidney; is hand
some brunette of middle size about 81 years of
age. with raven black hair and fine figure
She has been married aboul IA years, been the
mother of three children, the Oldest boy IL years
old, and always lived happily with her husband
until. as is alleged lately, when her love wan
10 lodu ofor A.
and was popular with her circle of acquaintance
Her husband, Charles W. Allen, was q man of
81 years of age, presenting a rather hand
some personal appearance, was quiet, indus
troas gentleman, a farmer by occupation, and
during the war was member ofCapt Bumgard-
mers company F. SID Va. regiment He had
been wounded several times, and one Of his
wounds, that in the ankle had never been heal
ed Mrs. Allen, the 23d of July, came to
Stanton and went to the store of Wayt & Bro.
and asked for strychine. Dr. Wayt, who was in
the store told her that the cost of the vial would
DO rs cents, but if she wanted it for the purpose
she said, 'sto kill Dig rat" he could give her
ten cents worth of arsenic which would do as
we'll. She asked, "would that kill person.
asked the question as precaution. She took
the arsenic and he then required her, as the law
direct-, to give her and residence which she
promptly did, as "Sarah NJ. Alen,' and added
where she lived During her conversation she
seemed anxious TO get the strychine. On the
Tuesday before her husbands death, she went
to the store of DR.. Echelberger, near Mt.
81
On the day after her husbands death, she went
to DR.. Els. store, dressed in deep mourning, in
carriage, and deeply affected land told him that
there were some reports about her in connec ton
with her husbands death, and wan ted his opin-
ion as to whether poison could be found after a
body had been in the ground SO long, and added
that she wanted her husbands body taken up
and examined. When DR.. Crawford arrived at
the fatal illness of her husband she told him
that she had made bowl of chicken soup for
her husbands supper, but he complained of q
bad taste about it and got up very sick and lean
ed against the door. These are the facts partly
contained in the evidence and partly given by
the parties named. Maj Slower, the lady's faith
err, gave the Coroner the names of several par
would sxhonerate his daughter from the suspi-
.cions cast on her.
THE INQUEST.
About O clock coroner Cushing, accompanied
by Commonwealth Attorney Jas Bumga rider,
Jr., Sheriff W L. Mowry, DR.. W S. McChesney
DR.. A M. Fauntleroy and Mr.. Newton F. Nc.
Chesney, as assistant. arrived at Mt Sidney,
deputy Sheriff, Courtney Roller having gone down
in advance and had the body exhumed. 1t was
but few minutes before the news had spread
and hundreds of people assembled, large num-
Der gathering inside the church yard to view the
body, which, upon opening the coffin, proved te
be very much dis6gursd by decomposition. The
following gentlemen were empanneled on jury
of inquest Daniel W. Link, VIM. P. johnson,
Larkin J. Smith, Hamlet Moore, Henry Edison.
g. L. Houff, Jno. A. Critzer, J. W. Shoemake,
S. NJ Crawford, Jno. W Watson, Abner Shoe.
make The following is
TBR EVIDENCE OF THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN
Dr.. W M. Crawford-I am physician. knew
Charles W. Allen in his lifetime He died las
Saturday week, august 23) about IL o clock =
I attended him the whole time of his Illness
saw him on the Tuesday night before his death
about or o'clock. In my opinion, given as
professional man, he died from the effects @
poison. was of the opinion that it was stry oh
nine, or at least the symptoms corresponded witt
those produced by tina poison. / came to tina
opinion on the Wednesday morning followin
my first visit. His wife almost exclusively ha
the care of him, nurse, during his illness =
The family was composed of bis sister-Ez
Allen his aunt, Maria Allen his oldest chile
Robert, IL years old, and two other children :
The symptoms Of the case we're as follows :
When first found him he was lying on the foo
be peculiar contraciion of the pupil of the ey
attracting my attention. = There were ,etan
spasms, contractions of the spine, excited an
feeble pulse nausea, violent vomiting, extren
thirst, complaints of pressure across the che
and unpleasant feeling about the head, burnir
about the stomach the least touch would revi,
the spasms if he were lying perfectly still.
was much prostrated and his extremities we
cold. Altogether, he appeared in the conditie
of a man who had received severe shock of b
nervous system. The tetanic paroxysms Taste
from late in the evening until midnight, Wi
more or less violence, and then stopped. II
excited pulse continued until Thursday night