Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-09-16
The Allen Poisoning Case.

IL
The Stanton, Virgins, Kinaicator, in an
extra dated September 10, gives fen ac-
count of the evidence before the jury Of. in
quest in relation to the alleged poisoning of
Mr.. g.. w. Allen by his wife. We extract
the following brief statement of the case:
Yesterday morning, at Mt Sidney the
jury of inquest on the death of @. w. Allen
re-assembled, and Mr.. e. L. Edmopdson was
substituted for an absent member The iury
met in the Augusta Hotel, in the parlor Of
which were Miss Eliza Allen, the sister of the
dead man.. who has all along expressed her
firm conviction of the Innocence of her sister
in-law; Miss Martha Allen, his aunt. who Is
of the same opinion. In the jury room was
Msj. s. ID. Slower, the father of Mrs. A. an
old gentleman -of digpifed but unassumipe
appearance, whose careworn face shows the
painful interest he has felt in the case ever
since the disnterment of the body. at which
he was present as the. counsel of Mrs. Allen.
The examination was begun by hearing
fuller statement by DIR. Crawford, who at
tended Mr.. Allen in his last moments, of the
course of medical treatment pursued Another
witness was the sister of the deceased. an in
teliigent looking lady, very self, possessed, who
with rapidity and direotncss, coatradicted
nearly all the grave suspicious against her
sister-ln>iaw, saying, among other things, that
the arsenic was bought by Mrs Allen with the
knowledge. and by the direction of Mr.. Allen.
That the suspected chicken broth was made
by herself and not by Mrs. A., and that nearly
all the familypartook of it, and that Mrs. A.
lost the arsenic purchased of Way & Bro.
and burnt that purchased of DR.. Echelberger.
The jury, however, from their verdict. do not
seem to have accorded weight to her evidence.
Drs. Fauntleroy and McChesney testified 20
the incompetenesso of the analysis so far. but
said that it was probable from it that arsenic
has caused Mr.. AS death, the precipitate
yielded by the tests being such as would not
be "thrown down." to use chemical term.
save by the presence of arsenic. Mr.. John
II. Parkins, in his evidence, stated that DIR.
Crawford had said to him that a man. Manner
(called by other witnesses Napier) ought TO
be shot, and that Allen had been poisoned
with strychnine. 1t was also in his evidence
that Napier, Who had boarded at Aliens. and
in connection with whom Mrs AS name had
been mentioned in a neighborhood scandal,
was seen going to her house the day after her
husbands funeral. The jury, after hearing
the evidence, and consulting few moments.
brought in verdict that Mr.. Allen died of
poison administered by his wife with intent
to murder him. Mrs. Aliens preliminary
examination takes place in Staunton on Thurs,
day next. Mrs. Allen has made Statement. to
her counsel, in prison. closely tallyine with
that made by Miss Eliza Allen, and with re-,
gard to the loss OF the arsenic purchased Of
Messrs. Way & Bro. says that she can sub
stantiate that by the wife of Judge Ferguson.
of Cabell county, West Virginia, who was
with her at the time Mrs. A. is verv cheer
full in hope of her acquittal. and it is said on
Monday sent down to the jailor to borrow a
musical instrument to while away the time.
The indicator, in its regular issue of Fri
day, says:
In tho Husting Court, yesterday. afternoon.
Judge Smith heard an application made by
Hon. A. Fl. II. Stuart, to bail Mrs. Allen on
the ground that her life is endangered by i'm
prisonment. Tho prisoner came in court
dressed and yelled in black. leaning on tho
jailors arm and walking fcobly, and taking
seat by Nlr. Stuart, leaned her head over on
another chair. DIR. w S. AcChcseev. who
attended her in Jail, testified that she had had
two hcmorIhages since her committal and he
believed her life was endangered by coufue-
meut.
A dispatch from Stauuton under date of
Friday, says "the further examination of Mrs.
Alleu's application for bail was resumed this
morning, Judge j. ". Green Smith en- the
bench. The Commonwealth attorney and
Judge Smith concluded tn admit her 10 bail
in the sum of two Thousand dollars. Her
bond will be rrcsented'aai filed, and she will
be at liberty to morrow to appear ct tie o.
tober term of court for t-jnl "