The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-08
A SAVAGE FAMILY.
TER AIlLiAoED POISONING OF MRS. JOSEPHINE
W. PIKE AT RAILWAY, N J.

W. PIKE AT RAILWAY, N. J.
eyes, SIR this ID the man who poisoned his
wife," said A. q. Allen, laaghingly, yesterday
afternoon at his residence In FiftJ-eighth street.
10 a HERALD reporter, pointing TO his relative,
Noah Webster Pike. OF PlAinneld, n. j., who stood
by his sice
Yes have the misfortune 10 be that indi-
vldual," replied Mr.. Pike in a serio-comic way.
Before giving The respective statements Of these
gentlemen 1t Is necessary to give brief outline
OF the case OF alleged poisoning in question,
which Is now causing such intense interest in the
towns OF Painted and Railway, n. J.
A PATHER.N-LAw THIS TIME.
On Sunday week last Mrs. Josephine W. Pike
OF Plan1eid, and the wife OF n. W. Pike an III.
surancs agent, doing business IN Broadway, New
York, died at the residence Of her father. Joseph
w. Savage, IN Railway, y. j., ana IL was soon
after alleged that she had been poisoned by her
husband. Three days afterwards the body was
inferred IN lakewood Cemetery. 1t appears that
on March II last the said lady ate some Ash, and
the next day commenced voml ting, which con-
tinued for a heightened period. DR.. Probasco the
family DOCTOR, was summoned and pronounced
the case one OF fatigue and exhaustion. Dr..
Hough, her lather's physician, and DR.. Burlinz-
ham attended upon her and she soon became
cOnvalescent.
NURSES STORY.
MIS-. Thompson, the nurse, Is said to have made
statement that later, on the 24tn OF March, Mrs.
Pike became again alarmlngly i'll after partaking
OF some beeI tea. The nurse states that at this
time she noticed some white powder lying scat
tered on the top OF the bureau DR.. Hough was
again called and did all that he could to the
unfortunate woman, but Mrs. Pike died and the
doctor seems to be of the opinion that she had
been poisoned. IL is alleged that she made a
state ment TO her attendants TO the effect that she
was conscious she had been poisoned, but to
avoid all disgrace to the family begged. while on
her dying bed, that no postmortem should be
held on her body.
A COUNCIL Il HELD.
County Physician rerrlll. OF Elizabeth, aided by
DR.. Daily, the Coroner; Mr.. Savage, the dead
ady's father; Judge George W. Savage and District
Attorney Mccormick then took counsel In The
matter, as TO what steps they should take bring
the poisoner If polsoner there was) TO justice.
Be making any lurther investigation a certlfi-
cate OF death basis OF action was obtained,
couched in the following ambiguous language
'TF SO BE SHE 1871 ETC.
RAILWAY. n. J., June o. 1873
On the Ath ofMarch las was called to Plainheld to
Preesco iou1i Mrs Pike IN very critical situa ion,
ing from the effects of arsenic some other poison and
our treatment was such as we considered proper under
continued III 9th Of May when; the bene1t Of
the ana she WouQ get, she brought
her fathers home in Railway
- symptoms % affection q the heart manifested
functonaD, which continued until her death there
which with the continued prostraon was the cause Of
death which occurred sunday he 2Ith day o. june 1873
norton examination would at this ate date estab
lis the TACT Besides t was her REQUEST thar nothing
" d. ". q. nOUGH, NJ D.
Subsequently DR.. Terrill yielded to the request
OF the family that no further examination should
ha nd returned N Elizabeth n
with the District Attorney again. The District
Attorney ADVISED him that no further action was
necessary, ana the case was dropped. The lune-
raj services or the unfortunate lady were con.
Quoted by Rev. J. A. Liggett, OF Rahway; Rev. Mr..
Keaung, OF Pl2in1eld, and Rev. Mr. st. John, OF
Brooklyn.
THE HUSBAND ARRESTED.
While the mineral was going on the husband OF
the dead woman was arrested for debt OF about
$500 by deputy sheriff and was unable 10 attend
the funeral. The money had been loaned to the
widower by q man named Marshall. Mr.. Pike oor-
rowed the money, discharged the debt and was
released from custody. After that he went to Mr.
Savage's house and claimed has children, whom
Mr. savage refused TO surrender. MIR. Pike
acco apanied BIZ AIS attorney ana relative, AaIon
g. Allen. Tue end OF the matter was a tracas, Ill
when Mr.. Alien used heavy cane Win great
effect, aIter which both gentle men were arrested
and taken before Police Justice Irussier for COM
mlti1ng breach OF the peace, and Allen was
fined Sz3 so, which he paid and both men were
allowed 10 20 at liberty.
the foregoing Is q brief synopsis or he case
THE HUSBANDS STATEMENT.
"The story Of the poIsontng,n SAID the husband
OF he late mrs. Pike TO tie HERALD reporter, lis
simply a dlabolical Invention, prepared Tor the
purpose o. preventing me from becoming tue
guardian OF my wIfe's property. My eldest
daughter, Charlo tie, al the lDsugaton OF Others
Is about maklnR demand tDat her mothers
body shi DC exhumed, for the purpose OF having
the contents OF the stomach analysed by some
eminent Chemist. In justice to myself aud chill
dIen DO not Intend To Tema n under the foul
aspersi0n so directly launcned at me. The expla-
naIon of the whole story is that this Is a family
quarrel between myself and my Rther-ln-law.
hr savage, in ADDITION 20 being an eX-member
OF Assembly, was formerly connected Win tue
KnicKerbocEer Bank as T. esident and with the
New Jersey state Insurance Company; but for
several weh oenned reasons relired rom them.
lie Is now aoout seventh years OF age. Ny vile
was nduceo 10 deed away property 10 her iather
TO the value OF ABOUT $4,000, and made me
party thereto by msrepresentatiJ rs in the mat
ter. Inc document Was prepared Oy Nj. Waite,
by DER. udIng the family estate to tnat amount
Ny wle's property came TO her rom the late
Francis Culll. BY the AID OF my lrleDd and adj
wiser, A. q. Allen, tAe matter vii soon come be-
THE POISONING STORY
shall be sifted 10 the bottom. II Is my particular
desire that should be arrested Tor the crime,
that he question Can be brought before the courts
intend ~ oring an action against my accuser
for defamation Of character and the present
Illegal detention OF my three children. ! am a
memOer VI the PresbJ terlan cnure1. at Painneld,
N ]. am told that Ia ner dying moments, my
wife was compelled 10 sign legal documents.
what their purpers Is do not know; doubtless,
they are iavoraOie TO ner 1aLher ana unfavorable
TO ana tue children. | married my vile IN
1861, after Mr.. Savage had accused Us OF being
married, and our unlOn has oeen a airly happy
one, excepting always the trOuoie caused by the
interference OF ner father and her relatives.
on Que occasion, waile stopping at the
ashland House, IN this cay, my whole
iamlly was Kidnapped and taken TO
Morristown and New Brunswick In the
state OF New Jersey, and 1 did not recover
them for some time. Ny two elder chill
dren Dosh girls, who take my part IN tots family
fgnI, have Oeen surrendered TO me, and are now
IvIng al Mr.. Aliens house, No 34l West Fifty
eightn street. Owing to my wiie's extravaganza
was always In pecan1ary dificultles. used TO
keep We servants Tor ner SAKE. This Will give
you an idea OF my family life.
THE Mysterious POWDER
I believe that the powders alluded TO by the
nurse were part OF twenty-iour powders prepared
by the doctor Tor the baby and put up Ia paper on
tue top OF the bureau, where the nurse found
them. ! partoOk Of the same Dish of FISH (had-
dJck) from winch my wne became III on the nth
OF Aarcn, aud was Ill also. IL may have been
diseased. spent that day at Mr.. Aliens house
here. Nv business has been greatly injured Dy
the macniuaLO49 of Wlfei9 relatives.