The New York herald., 1873-05-19
The Act Con- .mitted in the Family Of an
Old and Respected Citizen.
Seen Servants Given Arsenic in the House
Of Judge BlatchtOrd'S Father.
The Poisoner Still Unnown-The Story Of the
Butler-He 10 Victim and Not the Gull
prit-Two Lives Departed oEWhy
Was the Crime Kept Secret!-
Interviews with some of the
Parties Concerned.

The real circumstances OF the mysterious whole
sale poisoning case, account OF which was given
exclusively in the HERALD yesterday, were more
fully developed yesterday. 1t now appears that
the facts fully as bad as, and even worse, than
at first reported. 1t is certain that SIX persons
were poisoned, as Mrs. Moflt, Of Twenty-elghth
street. confessed on saturday evening to the
HERALD reporter, while the pubic owes debt OF
gratitude to Mr.. jameson, OF Twenty y-ninth street,
In exposing the affair." about which SO much secrecy
has been maintained. 1t also appears most proba-
BILE that two OF the six persons i'll die OF the pol
soning.
The HERALD reporter searched the upper part Of
the city yesterday Tor a long time for inorma-
ton about the occurrence, but with very poor re-
suits. At the police station in Thiriieth street,
near Sixth avenue, the sergeant at the desk said
that the police had heard nothing OF the
case except what was published In the
HERALD of the morning. He said the police
could not take c0gniZancc OF the poisoning unless
somebody made q complaint against the perpe-
traitor OF the deed, whoever he or she may be, and
that as long as o mother, such as Mrs. Mont, would
not make complaint against the poisoner OF her
own child not much was to be looked for in any
Dther direction.
CLEw AT LAST.
The reporter at length learned from doctor in
the upper part OF the city that he had seen the
story in the HERALD about the poisoning, and that
he when reading it had been struck with the slm-
larty which existed between 1t and a poisoning
case he had heard of as having happened IL the
family OF Judge BlatchfOrd OF the United States
District Court in this city. He had been struck
with the fact when he was reading the HERALD ac-
count On this clew the reporter went to the house
of Judge Blatchford, u West Twenty street.
The door bell was answered by an oldish man, who
said the Judge was not in. When the reporter
mentioned the word poison the old man said, very
quickly
.Oh, it's not here; it's In old Mr.. Blatchford's
<amily at No. 6 East Fourteenth street.''
.'Then a poisoning case has happened there ?''
queried the reporter almost astonshed at the light
which was at last breaking on 50 much darkness.
eyes, yes, believe something OF the kind has
happened there" answered the old man, who
seemed too frightened to say much; ''but you had
better see the Judge"
After some dexterous questioning the old man
gradually Modified and had pretty succnct story.
He said he had been down at the house OF Judge
Blatchfords father in the morning and had learned
come additional particulars about the poisoning.
Only the servants were poisoned, and he did not
know how many, but there were several Of them.
The cook was SO badly poisoned that she was pro-
nounced past recovery and would no doubt die.
It was also thought the little boy would die.
but it was not SO sure. He was q delicate boy.
The cook was q rather old woman He said that
the cook had left the house and was somewhere
In Twelfth street with her own people, The poison,
as he understood the case, was given in meat and
sy HOW H
that this curious distinction existed he did not
but s tSe1 eona a s
man added, IL am saying too much and you had
better see the people in Fourteenth street."
HnI nuyyN n rYp
The reporter thereupon went to Fourteenth
street. and rang the door bell. A young lady, with
Mr.. Blatchford was in said :
mo- he's not. What do you want to see him
.sMy mission is to learn some Of the facts OF the
pOisOning-Of the servants in this house." said the
reporter to the young lady, who, 1t appears was
:swhat do want to know for' What business Is it
Il came from the HERALD, and it seems to be
logical that the poisoning OF six persons should be
matter Of some Importance TO the public, said
Il don't see how it concerns you in the least"
said Miss Batchford; III you come some other
"Could moi ascertain II the facts, as published
in the HERALD, were mainly correcti"
y don't want to say anything about IT," answered
An UNExpEcrEp REINFORCEMENT
The reporter left discounted and walked down
the broad stone steps cogltating on the mystery
which continued to surround this strange case. At
shawls OF the two old women who had come out Of
the basement Of No. East Fourteenth street.
They were beckonlng to him to come to them, and
.You want to know about the poisoning" said
u confess that's what want" said the reporter.
"Well, said one Of them, you see we don't be-
d Of e s we had d
the poisoning. It's terrible case Who did you
pee when you went IN ?"
Il saw young lady with light hair"
'Well, that's Miss BlatchOrd, but she won't say
anything" said the old woman who first spoke.
way ort was this. fne girls were were eating dinner
last Tuesday, and began TO feel III on Wednesday,
When the doctor came in he said they were poi
soned. Then there was great time about it, and
the cook she left and is dying away from the place.
There is no doubt OF it, they ali got the arsenic in
the meat: The doctor has got what meat there is
Lett ns, and he's going to examine amir it tome tomorrow and
girls in the house now who are in bed and they
may not live. You see they have been in bed now
1Or nve days and they're better. Nr. Harris at
tends them and gives them hope. but he don't be-
u've what he says, ys dsn tniss;p s1sprcrr,
HAS suspicion been directed to any particular
p'.a0Is 20 Lord, don't know; / wouldn't say that
anybody did 1t, but they don't seem to think it's
the butler, because he goes on working just the
ipected him OF course they wouldn't allow him to
do that It's an awful thing, and the house seems
/, The old lady seemed to have told all she knew.
The reporter lett her and went Ia search Of DIR.
tarrlS or Thirty Ourth street. lie was not In, and
1T appears, was also looking for the repOrtef.
Later in the evening he again went to the house
in Fourteenth street, and young rather good
looking Frcnchman came to the door, He said Mr.
Elatcbford was at dinner party with his vile and
daughter. He said the HERALD had done him
great injustice in the morning; that he was the
butler reicrred to- and that had not been an old
and tried servant OF the amily 1t might have gone
hard with him; that ne had no more idea OF
poisoning anybody than OF dying. The reporter
explained to MIN that what was said in the article
on sunday came from Mrs. Moflit.
The butler said he had always been friendly to
MRS. MOFFIT'S LITTLE BOY.
He then proceeded to tell the history OF this mys-
FERROUS poisoning more fully than 1t has thus far