Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-09-08
Another ALLEGED Poisoning Case.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE ATTENDING
PHYSICIAN SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
SURROUNDING THE CAsR.
The Staunton (Va.) Vindicator of the 9Th inst.
contains the story Of another alleged poisoning
case in Virginia, the scene Of the tragedy being
located in the Valley Of Virginia, near Mount
Sidney, ten miles from Staunton, and the sup
posed victim being Charles W. Allen, q respect
able farmer, who died on Saturday, the sd OF
August, and was buried the following day. On
Wednesday last, ii having coroe to the knowl-
edge OF Coroner Z. M. Gushing that Mrs. Sarah
NJ. Allen, the wife of the deceased, had bought
poison on two occasions previous to her hus-
bands death, and that the physician who at
tended him in his last moments was of the
opinion that he had been poisoned, that officer
had the body exhumed and the stomach given
to Drs. Fauntleroy and McChesney to test for
poison.
THE INQUEST,
A large crowd of persons was present at the
examination, and the body was found to be
much decomposed. The inquest was held by
Coroner Gushing, at Mount Sidney, on wednes-
day last, in the presence of the commonwealth
and others.
DR.. W. NJ. Crawford, family physician, gave
as his evidence before the coroners inquest,
the opinion that Mr.. Allen had died of poison,
and detailed the symptoms; that his wife was
almost exclusively the nurse during his last ILL
ness; the family was composed OF his sister,
Eliza Allen; his aunt, Maria Allen; his Oldest
child, Robert, twelve years old, and two other
children;
he WAS TAKEN SICK SUDDENLY
at the supper table on Tuesday, when he had
objected to the taste of a bowl Of chicken soup,
which his wife had given him; witness did not
suspect poison till Wednesday, and now thinks
it was strychnine poisoning; there was no vom-
iting on Saturday; he was then dying; he was
conscious an hour and a half before his death;
1 gave him antidotes to poison on Thursday
night, when / suspected that was the cause; he
improved Friday, and on Saturday was much
worse; have no reason, from the symptoms, to
believe that additional poison had been admin
istered after the first dose, but came to that
conclusion because OF the sudden
CHANGE FOR THE WORSE
IN ms condition.; his wife administered all the
medicine which left with the family, and left
directions for administering it with his wife; |
am clear in the belief that the antidotes L gave
him relieved him; conversed with the wife Sun
day night after the funeral, having been sent
for to see her, and found her in the greatest
nervous excitement, and asked the doctor If he
supposed "Charley," her husband, had died OF
she then inquired if poison could be detected
should the body be disinterred and the witness
said he thought not, judging from the quantity
thrown of from his stomach.
WHERE SHE BOUGHT POISON.
Mr. Eichelberger, the druggist, near Mount
Sidney, testified that Mrs. Allen came to his
store Tuesday before the death, got a bottle o.
bltters and some arsenic; she asked for strych-
nine, but he had none, and told her how to use
the arsenic to kill rats, which she said was her
purpose; the witness says L sold her an ounce;
that was the day Allen was taken; she told me
her name and where her husband lived, and
said be was subject to SPELLS she called at nv
store last Monday after her husband was buried;
she was III carriage, and was dressed in deep
mourning; she asked something about If poison
could be discovered if the body was taken up;
said she wanted the body taken up, rema rks
were being made about in her connection with
his death; she wanted to know if poison could
be discovered after burial that DIR. Crawford
said it could not, and she was going to Staunton
to see Drs Fauntleroy and McChesney; she said
she hadn't used the arsenic, but had thrown it
in the fire; that she and Charlie" didn't like
1T in the house, and she would get more when
he got better.
Theinquest was then adjourned till Tuesday
morning in order to hear from the post norton
and analysis of the stomach.
THE HUSBAND AND WIFE.
Mrs. Allen, the wife, is a daughter of Major
Samuel ID. Slower, citizen of high standing
and IN good circumstances, living near Mt. Sid
ney; is a handsome brunette OF middle size,
about tnirty-one years of age, with raven black
hair and a fine figure. She has been married
about fourteen years, been the mother OF three
children, the Oldest boy twelve years old, and
Is alleged, lately, when her love wandered to
another. She is a lady of good address and was
popular with her circle of acquaintances. Her
husband, Charles W. Allen, was a man of thir-
ty-seyen years of age, presenting rather band
some personal appearance, was a quiet, indus
trious gentleman, farmer by occupation, and
during the war was q member of Captain Bum
gardeners company F, tifty-second Virginia
regiment. Hehad been wounded several times,
and one of his wounds, that in the ankle, had
never been healed.
ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT.
Mrs. Allen was arrested on Thursday, the day
after the irquest. The officer found her in bed,
suffering from nervous prostration, and after
some time spent in dressing she came to town
with him, accompanied by her husbands sister,
Miss Eliza Allen, both dressed in deep mourn
ing. At 1.-THE hall of the jail Mrs. Allen sank
law, and both women wept bitterly. Upon
being led up stairs into her cell she looked the
picture OF despair pacing across the floor with
unsteady steps, her hands locked tightly
together, and Miss Allen sitting by weeping
The prisoner was so Frustrated that physician
had to be sent for. In the afternoon she was
calmer.
WHAT SHE SAYS ABouTIr.
To reporter who questioned her, she said,
81 can't say anything. 1 have done nothing"
She went on with some minuteness to describe
the physicians treatment OF her husband, and
added :-"My husband had had three attacks
before. / made no ooncealment when 1 gave
HIM the medicine, but gave it openly, before all
in the room who were waiting on him. Me and
Charlie always lived happily together, and he
was a good, kind husband to ne. There was
no reason I should do him harm, and never
did him any. l came to Staunton the morning
passed DR.. Eichelberger's to find DR.. Fauntle-
roy or McChesney to have my husband taken
up, and | had gotten as far as the house they
told me DIR. F. lived in, when my husband.
half-brother met me and told me L had better
wait and see father. told him that would not
do, as every days delay made it worse, and
wanted to have his body taken up at once. He
persuaded me to wait, and l went back home.
l wanted the body taken up Mrs. Allen an
swered clearly and rapidly, and seemed rather
to desire questioning than to avoid it.
THE LONG ISLAND MYsTERY-Funeral at
HuRtingtOn.-The funeral over the supposed re-
mains of Charles G. Kelsey, the victim of the
Huntington, l.. l., tar and feather tragedy, took
place there at the Second Presbyterian church
on Friday, the Rev. Mr.. Knox, pastor of the
church, and two other ministers officiating. An
imme nse crowd was present. Mr.. Knox as
founded the congregation by intimating in the
course of his sermon his doubt of the identity of
the remains and his disbelief that so hideOus a
crime had been committed. The "anti-tar"
party are indignant, and ask why he should
otciate at all If he was in doubt as to the iden-
tty OF the body. A public meeting has been
called to take astion for the prompt prosecution
of the parties involved in the outrage. A curious
point in the case against Robert Sammis and DIR.
Banks, the alleged chief perpetrators of the
crime, is in the fact that Mr.. Downing, the dis
trict attorney Of Queens county, is one of the
counsel defending them under the Indictment
for riot brought against them in Suffolk before
the alleged murder was discovered. He now
appears in his capacity Of prosecuting attorney
before the coroner's jury.
"LHT ME OUT Oh DIRw-Some days since
j. e. White, prominent citizen Of Memphis,
was arrested on Q charge Of horse stealing, and
within . few days subsequent no less than
dozen specific charges for similar offences were
made public. He was committed for trial with
out ball. On Saturday his wife called to see
hin, ana affar onauHfnU ahouf an ho,r ,-ixh