Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-09-13
Another Poisoning Story in Virginia.
ARREST or WIFE CHARGED WITH
KILLING HER Observation-Disclosures
TON OF THE BopY-CoRoNERs
INVESTIGATION, DC.

ginla, the scene OF the Tragedy tllis .iin@
being located in the Valley OF Virginia,
near Mount Sidney, ten miles from
Staunton, the supposed victim beng
Charles w. Allen, respectable farrner'
who died on Saturday, the 23d OF Au-
gust, and was buried the following Gay
in the churchyard at the village YIN
Wednesday last, it having come to the
tnowh,drc of Coroner +. NJ. Gushing
,bot Mrs Sa,ah NJ. Allen, the wife OF
the deceased, had bought poison on TWO
occasions previous to her husband
death, and that the physleion VINO at
tended him in his last moments was VI
rho oninion that he had been polsoneo,
,bat officer went to Mount Sidney haa
,bc body exhumed and the Ioli,aci
."v n' ~ Drs Fauntleroy, and McCheS-
nv to test for poison ,,, ,.,s,,osor,
\ large crowd OF persons WaSp'eSehC
-, the cXhumation, aud the oody was
f'unJ to be much decomposed. The
innnest was held by Mr.. CuShing,a at Mt.
SIDNEY. on "Wednesday last, in the pres
,.pce OF the commonwealth attorney,
,james Bumgardner, Jr,, Sheriff Mowry
and others,
EVIDENCE IN TIlS CASE.
DIR. w. NJ. Crawford, family physi-
clan, 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 i'll
ness; the family was composed OF his
sister, Eliza Allen; his aunt, Maria Al
len; his Oldest child, Robert, twelve
wears old, and the two other children;
he was taken sick suddenly at the sup
per table Tuesday, when he had object
ed to the taste of a bowl of . chicken
soup, which his wife had given HIM;
witness did not suspect poison till We'd
nesday, and now thinks it was strych-
nine poison, there was no vomiting OH
Saturday; he was then dying; he was
conscious an hour and half before his
death; 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
administered after the first dose; but L
came to that conclusion because OF the
sudden change for the worse III his con
dition. his wife administered all the
medicine which left with the family,
and fl directions for administering 1t
with his wife: | am clear in the belief
that the antidotcs / gave him relieved
him; cOnversed with his wife Sunday
NIGH; after his funeral, having been sent
for to see her, and found her Ill great
nervous excitement. and asked the doc
tor if he supposed "Charlcy, her hus-
band. had died of poison, and the Wit
ness answered ailrmatycly; she then
inquired if poison could be detected
sb6uld the body be disintcrred, and the
witness said hc thought not, Judging
from the quantity thrown of from his
stomach.
Mr. Eichelbcrgcr, the druggist, near
Mount Sidney, testified that Mrs Allen
came to his store Tuesday before the
death. rot a bottle Of bitters and some
arsenic: she asked for strychnine, but he
had none, and told her how to use the
arsenic TO Kill rats, which she sad was
her uuruosc; the witness says L sold her
IN ounce; that was the day Allen was
taken. she told me her name and where
her husband lived, and said he was sub
icct to spells; she called at my store last
Monday after her husband was bullcd;
she was in a carriage, and was dressed
in deep mourning. she asked something
about if poison could be discovered II
the body was taken up; said she wanted
the body taken up, rs remarks were be
inn made about her in connection with
his DEATH she wanted to know II poison
could be discovered after burial; that
DR. Crawford said it could not, and-she
yas coins. to Staunton TO see DIS.
Fauntleroy and McChesny; she sad she
hadn't used the arsenic but had thrown
if in the FIRE: that she and "Charley
didn't like it in the house and she would
get more when he got better. -,
The inquest was then adjourned TIL
Tuesday morning, IN order to hear from
the post mortem, and analysis OF the
stomach.
TIE HUSBAND AND WIFE.
Mrs. Allen, the wife, is a daughter OF
Major Samuel ID. Slower, a citizen OF
heh standing and i'll good circumstan-
ces. living near Mt Sidney; is hand
some brunette of middle size, about
thirty-oue years old, and always lived
happily with her husband, until as it is
alleged, lately, when her love wandered
to another. She lie lady of good ad-
dress and was popular with her circle of
acouaintances Her husband, Charles
w. Allen, was man of thlrty-seven
wears of age, presenting a rather hand
some personal appearance, was quiet,
Industrious gentleman, n farmer 10y oc-
cmalion, and during the war was
member of Captain Bumgardncrs com
panv f, ffty-second Virginia regiment;
lie had been wounded several tlmes,and
one of his wounds, that III the ankle,
had never been healed.
ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT.
Mrs. Allen was arrested OF Thursday,
the day after the inquest. The officer
found her in bed suffering from nervous
prostration, and after some time III
dressing she came to town with him,
accompanied by her husbands sister,
Miss Eliza Allen, both dressed in deep