Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-06-05

TRIAL OF MRS. ALLEN.

OE NlhD. n
APPEARANCE OF MRS. ALLEN IN COURT
THE JURx EMPANNELLED- SKETCH
OF THE EvIDENCE-SKETcH OF THE
PRISONER.
Yesterday evening Mrs. SarahM. Allen
was arraigned in the Circuit Coult for the
murder of her husband, Charles W! Allen,
by poison, in August last. She APPEARED
dressed in black and accompanied Ky her
father, Miss Eliza Allen, her late AUS
bands sister, and Mrs. Cline, her own SIS
ter. The clerk of the court then read the in
dictment, during which Mrs. Allen stood
looking straight at him, and at the close
of the reading, to the question, equity OF
not guilty." replied in a voice little above
whisper, mot guilty" The following
jury was then empannelled:
D. Henkle, Jno. Wallace, j. A. Brooks,
J. H. Brubeck, H. C. Pilson, M. F. Gilke-
son, J. B. Smith, J. l., Haleman, A. A.
Gilkeson, John Marshall, J. A. Lilley,
John Mcclure.
One of the panel did not answer to his
name when called, being relative of the
accused.
The Commonwealth was represented by
Captain James Bumgardner, Jr., and the
prisoner by Hon. A. Fl. H. Stuart, MI.
William Skeen, of Allegheny, Mr.. Charles
Grattan, and Mr.. A. S. Mauzy.
The following is a sketch of the evil
dence.
DIR. WILLIAM CRAWFORD
testified that he was called on the 10Th of
August last to attend Charles W. Allen,
residing about seven miles below Staunton
and found him lying on the floor, his head
supported by a chair and pillows, his face
having an anxious appearance, and the
pupils of his eyes being much contracted
Every time he was touched, he was seized
with tetanic spasm, the part touched
first responding with spasm, and then
the whole body responding. Administered
bromide of potassium. He was very ill :;
gave him spirits of lavender, whitewater
local applications Of ice. On Thursday
believed that he had been given strychnine,
and gave him two grains of opium, and
continued giving him doses of it. Friday
he was much better. Saturday morning
at 8 O'Clock was sent for in great haste,
and found him in dying condition, and
he died in a few hours. This had been the
first case of poisoning in his practice, and
he could not make the symptoms out
promptly. The remedies first given would
only have had sedative effect in case of
arsenical poisoning. During his illness
gave him bromide potassium. sL.b-nitrate
OF bismuth, opium, compound spirits of
lavender, calomel, rhubarb, and carbolic
acid. Mrs. Allen was in charge OF giving
the medicine, and 1 may have given some
81 the doses myself. He talked very little
only saying ooh, 1 am so SICK" First
told Mrs. Allen that thought he was poi
soned, on the Sunday after his DEATH
Was called to see her in a nervous attack,
and after it was over she asked the persons
present to leave the room, and then asked
me "what Charlie Allen died Of" [ told
her Inflammation of the stomach, and she
asked "what caused it, l told her cor
rosive poison. She expressed no surprise,
and evinced no emotion savea sigh OF long
breath, and spoke of his having had an at
tack before, and his belief that if he had
another he would die, and his having left
directions with her about the disposition
Of his property in case of his DEATH
Witness first had his suspicious of poison
ing aroused by the fact that a man named
Napier having gone with Mrs. ALEU-, and
Others to a camp-meeting, against her hus-
bands wishes, and her having laughed
about it afterwards. The man Napier,
Mrs. Allen said, was at the house on Mon
day drunk, and while Allen was sick, Ell
Their on Thursday OF Friday, witness
heard voice in the house, and asking
whose it was, Mrs. Allen replied that it
was taken sick just afterIeating some soup
she had given him, and that she had tast-
ed it and said 'twhy Charlie it is very
nice," but he got up from the table and
leaning against the door commenced vom-
iting. In conversation after Aliens
death, Mrs. Allen denied ever having
bought poisona at DR.. Wayt's drug store
She and her husband always lived affec
tionately together, as long as have known
them-fifteen years. She is in bad health
from disease of the lungs. Mrs. Allen
said she wanted her husbands body taken
up and examined, and asked me if [
thought it could be found by examining it
whether there was poison Oh not. [ told
her probably it could not. Allen had an
old wound Oh his ankle, received in battle
and uncured. 1t might have produced
spasms, but not such as Allen suffered
If arsenic were applied on plaster to the
wound it might be absorbed into the body
and would be found in any part of it.
DR.. EtCHELBERGER
testified that Mrs. Allen came to his store
near Verona and asked for strychnine, but
seeing him, said she was glad to meet him to
consult about her husband, who was sick.
He suggested bottle Of bitters for him,
and put some quinine in it for her, she
saying she did not mind the price if it
would cure her husband. She was going
ont forgetting the strychnine, when he re-
minded her Of it, and said he had arsenic
which would answer the same purpose.
1t was the Tuesday before her husbands
sickness. She said she wanted it for kill
ing rats. She took the arsenic. After her
husbands death she came to his store and
said she was anxious to have the body ia
ken up and examined in consequence of
reports that had gotten out about her, and
thought of getting DR.. Fauntleroy and