Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-11-03
WATERFOWL, WIS, WEDNESDAY, NOV. g. 1876
The Frank Poisoning Case.

IIecently Tue family OF Mr.. Frank, IN the
town of Concord, Jefferson county, were
taken violently sick after partaking of tn cir
MONDAY meal on Friday, July 10th. The
family consisted of Mr.. Frank. his wife and
their widowed daughter, and two children,
Germad girl named Doese, and boy who
was working on the place. All of the
family, with the exception of Mr.. Frank,
were taken ill. The tea used was taken
from canister in which the family had
been in the habit of keeping tea, and was
placed on shelf in the cupboard. On tie
evening of the same day some OF tie parties
were agsin affected in similar manner after
drinking their tea. On Saturday. after
using the tea again, the same symptoms
made their appearance. On looking into
the cupboard where the canister was placed,
traces OF a greenish substance were found
lying on the shelf around the canister. and
paper was also found on the floor, evil
dently colored with the same substauce.
On Sunday, a neighbor who WAS in there
had his attention called to the tea in the
canister by the daughter, and upon Mr..
Franks coming in, ga examina ton of the
tea was had, and the conclusion arrived at,
that Paris Green had been mixed with the
tea in the canister Suspicion rested upon
the girl, named Doese, and she was arrested
nd fat bsfo Toot of bo
Fort Atki nson, and an examination had
Subsequen tly Mr.. Frank was arrested, and
Ernestina Doese were bound over to appear
at the circuit court.
A change of venue was taken to DODGE
county on account of the prejudice existing
in the county of Jefferson and the trial has
just been concluded here. On the trial it
appeared that Mr.. Frauk was on terms OF
undue intimacy with the wife of man,
named Doty, who WAS working on Franks
farm, and that there had bean trouble be-
tween Frank and his wife in consequence
of the intimacy existing between her hus-
band and Mrs. Doty. 1t was also proven
that when Ernestina Doese was taken sick,
that she went up to Mr.. Doty's house,
and that Mrs. Doty attempted to cause her
to vomit, and sent MIR. Frank down to his
own house for some vinegar for that purpose.
1t was proven that Mrs. Doty at the same
time told the girl that there must have
been something in the pancakes she had
eaten that caused the sickness Remarks
and admissions OF Mr.. Frank were also
testified to- and on the trial the case was
put on the stand as witness for the state
and testified that on Friday Mr. Frank had
| brought home package OF tea and had put
! it on tie shelf by the canister, where be
was in ths habit of placing it after purchas-
ing it; and that when the tea was needed
| she had filled up the canister from that
package, not knowing that it contained any
thing other than pure tea The girl also
| testified thai the package had the appear
duce OF udVlUS Oecu Opeueu Since IL CAME
| from the store, and that the string and the
! paper showed that it had been opened
| The paper found on the floor OF the cup
board was taken by Mr.. Frank, and not
| produced on the trial.
The tea in the canister was examined by
Chemist Bode. of Milwaukee, who testified
as to the amount Of poison contained in a
certain quantity. Physicians testified as
to the symptoms of poisoning by arsenic, as
being the same as described by the parties
! who were effected. The defendant, Frank,
denied putting the tea there at all, and
| proved his good treatment of his daughter
and her two children, supporting them
since 1862. Isaac Frank, the defendant, is
a man of 81 years of age, and farmer in
circumstances far above the average pecu-
niarily. After being out all night the jury
failed to agree, and were discharged The
case will not be called for trial again until
the February term of the Court.