Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-07-22
sTRIcHMlNE.
a Ysusg Lady Psisensd---And Dies n
Fifteen Minstes.

Il
l
A distressing case Of death BY
| poisoning occurred In Union town
ship, seven miles northwest Of Knox
vile. last Sunday night. The victim
yss Miss Emma Harms, . young lady
about % years old, daughter Of . Wild
ow living in the neighborhood. Miss
Harms had been living for several
months in the family OF Mr.. Henry
Bunting, at whose house che died.
| A young man named Columbus b.
Jackson. about u years old. had been
for some time paying addresses to
Miss Harms, and accompanied her
from Sunday school to Mr. Bunting's
last Sunday afternoon. He remained
with her until midnight, or perhaps
1915. At 1890 Mr.. and Mrs. Bunting
were awakened by hearings struggle
| at Miss ks bed. They went TO her
and found her in spasm. In .
moment che said she was dying. he
ran TO the house of her uncle. Alex.
Keaton, 40 rods away, and thence 10
Mr.. Shirey's, and before he returned
she was dead. Meantime she had six
or seven spasms; at intervals spoke .
few words: told Mrs. b. she believed
she was poisoned, and asked for some
coffee to drink. Mr.. Keaton soon ar
rived. and she told him she believed
she was poisoned. He asked her bow
il happened, but received no reply.
She died at l2:45.
Esquire Jasper Nye summoned .
jury on Monday, consisting OF Geo.
w. Franks, Henry Wager and VIM.
f. Hyer. An inquest was held, open
ing at 0 .. m, aud closing at ii p. m.
Drs. Williams and Duncan, Of Pleas
antyilIe made post norton examine
ton, took out the stomach and con-
tents and bottled them to be sent
away for chemical analysis.
The testimony of the physicians and
also OF Mr.. and Mrs. Bunting, Mrs.
Harms, Alex. Keaton. Jacob Wagner
and G. b. Jackson. was taken by the
Jury, and recorded. We shall give the
testimony In full hereafter. Nothing
was developed to reflect upon the good
name OF the deceased. Physicians
found the organs in normal and
healthy state, and no apparent cause
of death. They could not say that she
was poisoned, though her symptoms
indicated 1t.
Nothing appearing in evidence
would warrant arrest of Jackson,
though of course he was suspected.
He testified that he told deceased that
he did not want TO marry her. and
thought his attentions might as well
cease that she babe him farewell at
parting, and said il that was his deter
mination he would see her dead when
he saw her again.
jackson makes his home ut the
house 81 Mr.. Lucas, son of III. ID.
Lucas, the County Supervisor. He at
first manifested desire for full in
vestigation; went to Bunting's in the
morning went away again, and said
he would return after dinner; did not
appear, and the constable had Difficult
ty in finding him. He Is not now in
custody. though he ought to be.
Mr.. Nye, acting coroner, from
whom we obtained the facts here
stated, brought the stomach and con-
tents here In box, securely sealed,
Tuesday evening, and delivered them
to DIR. Scoles to be packed for sending
to Keokuk Medical College for analy-
sis. They had burst the jar In which
the physicians had first sealed them.
The body was buried at IL m.
Tuesd Intense excitement pre-
vailed In the community. The gener-
al belief is that Miss X. voluntarily
swallowed strichnine. On Saturday
previous she was cleaning the cup
board, and asked Mrs. Bunting II any
Of the bottles there contained poison.
Mrs. b. said Henry had bottle OF
strichnine la the house for gophers,
but she did not know where 1t was.
After the death the bottle was found
and examined, but whether or not il
had been opened could not be ascer-
tained.
| The jury will probably not render q
verdict until the report of the analysis
has been received. Meanwhile vari.
Gus opinions and all sorts Of rumors
and suspicious will be rife. Testimo.
ny is all circnmstantial and indefinite.
/ FARMERS Son writes US an excel