The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-18
AN INSANE W0MAN'S WHIMS
SUE TAKES THE LIFE OF a MIL
WAUKEE PHYSICIAN.
sHe Killed my Husband, BROTHER, Cousin,
and Uncle. and have Killed him Queer
ImRRininRs OF " Peculiar Medical OdOrs.'


Josephine A. Wilmer for che murder Of Dr. John
Il. Garner, on March 9. The facts. briefly stated.
nre that on the date mentioned Mrs wilmer en-
gagged a room ut the Newhall House. Milwaukee,
and In the evening hired hack and drove to Dr.
Gamers house. what passed between them IS
not known, but their conversation. II there was
any, must have been exceedingly brief for
friend who had just wished the Doctor good
night had only walked few yards down inc
street when he heard the report OF the piston
with which tho homicide was committed lhere
seems to hive been no cause whatever Tor inc
shooting, and there IL a very general impression
here that Yrs wilmer IL mentally irresponsible
Its supposed that she was laboring under an
extraordinary halucinaton, which led her to
believe tn 4 DR. q irner h d killed several Of her
relations, including her husband, who died some
four wears ago. she was Impressed with the ide1
that the Doctor was in some way connected with
medic institution in Milwaukee where dead,
ly "medical udors" were manufactured and
sent out to destroy III who minated them.
Tue merits " the homicide mad been 80 thor
oughly canvAsscd here that when the case was
called before Judge Mallory st ruesdlv, 1t was
found almost imt ussi Ule To obtain 1urv The
and, for the most prt, rejecting men VINO
seemed. IN almost every inst nee, 70 have thor
Oughly nj de ~ their minds US 10 the guilt or
During the night Mis-. wilmer was unwel
that II was not without some difficulty that she
Mdiheu INTO lIlt NounlD NphIN IhpUl hndlhtu w
wednesday morning. she Is fory-twO ie ~ OF
age, well educated, and rather y cas- nt-l10king,
f TT be- Sent oc ' the court aajourned,
with the jury sttll Incomplete aud u was not
until nearly noon ON lhutsd " that the tweNe
seats were niled. and IN he presence OF u thrOng
OF spectators VINO crowded tie room aud blocked
the doors and psssase"dys the trial eohheh'e1'
THE TRIAL"
DIstrict Attorney {. II. Martin and the Hon.
A. X. X. Butltr conducted the prosecution, and
the Hon. ". n. Epoetts, with Mr.. j. II. burrows
appeared FOR he defence. Tho Jurors were es-
corted ny Ulcers to the scene OF the tragedy,
and returned In half IN hour to hear the test
mony OF Matthias Sternlveis the diver, VINO
took the prisoner to Dr. Gamers house, and
afterward to the Newhall House, where she d
engaged her room. She wicked up the steps.
shot the Doctor. As:sne came down aud re-
sumed ner place 10 the vehicle tue witness
heard her say, He has Killed my husband,
brother, cousin, and uncle. and nov have
KILLED MIN" she WIS very PALE aud told him
that she had beeu travelling all over the coun-
try. She seemed. however, to be perfectly cool.
and the driver, fearing tnat she might shoot him
u he ANNOYED her, nsked her no questions but
drove straight back to the Newhall House.
MIR. q. Hil, rother- IN law OF DIR: Garners
had been spending the evening with MS relative.
home he met MIS-. WI er. lie had gone only a
snort dist when ne heard "a pistol shot be-
hind MIN. and, ram NJ back, he met Mrs. WI
ner coming down the steps OF his broth rim
Laws re-idence, ana saw the Doctor lie ning
awoman, and seeing that Mr.. Wilmer was about
To be driven away IN the hack, Mr.. Hill called TO
the diver to stop. tut the man gathered ub ms
reins ana s'id lie MAS gong 10 tde NcWnal
House. Inc witness heart nrs. Winner say, Is
snc desc -nded tue steps, lie allied my
brother" DR. Ga ner knew her. and when She
was brought back he recognized her. but could
not identity her ss the woman WHO had snot
him. He died about noon the next Gay.
Maggic Burns. tho diuingIDom Iiri, aud Geo
Haviiond inc clerk 81 the Ns"hall House, irsti-
ned tnnt Mrs. " liner engaged room there Tn
the evening Of March .. she took very litle
sn,ppe, ana asked be shown to her apartment
Peter sui H. a police officer, said he went to
Mrs. Winners room soon after the shooting, and
cras ping her 10y inc arm he ~. Il ter II sb" was
tue lady WHO mad shot Dr. Garner. Sue was
very angry. hut sne AK OWED ed having me
b., adding that ne ma Killed ner hrDther cou-in,
ahd uncle. she rrlus u to surrender her re
voiver. but the officer found II la u box Ia her
room nd to X u away
DR.. Scion llarNs attended DR.. Garner after the
shooting, ana we're present when Ars. Milner
WIS BROUGHT back ~ tue Vl cers. at about II
ssf oeience, ami That Sc had travelled over
this country uud E.rnbo 70 get away from thosu
VINO we're follo"inR her. he wi ness heard Dr.
q rner saw be- nad never injured her.
Mr.. Matthew Keenen nend Mrs. Wilmer say,
dld It IN self defence" and DR.. Gamer re-
Nv" TO wLicn Ars Wiineri Joined. " Wncre are
my husband and my orotnerr Ine Doctor
DIR. Mkuislt heard Mrs. Wilmer say, "That
am brougnt here forf have no husband OF
brother" In a wild aud excited manner.
TESTIMONY FOR THE DEFESCE.
MIR. E1betts, for he defence. claimed that the
prosecu ion had it-e.f ct lulisneu the Insauit,
Of the accused. lie called MI A. Gerald, "A l. ~,
ther u-iiw Of Mrs. Wilmer, Woo had known ei
ON hsr chiluhprd. Her Mfi en- name " Il.
Church. am her father had b. en- ~ eccentric
In his Latter years 40 went abo.t canya sing toi
subscrip ions Tor newsp ,lcrs in when he h ID
no Interest. Witness did not observe any symp.
toms Il insanity IN Mrs. liner u.tii about Ioui
Yeas ftCr her nueDaul'- drI'h. Sue then
livin- In rs house 1T Saybrook. ono. ana nt
began to talk necessarily about medical insl
OdOrs" were mauufa 'tuIeu to be sent every
where. Inc witness wife tried TO reason win
her On the extr vaga GO Of such a nnti IN, but
sue EreW alsll' anu accused Is Gerild oi tie
Ing " one OF ape fraternity She olten spoke 81
DIR. earn rtncOn ettlHn with the " instilutiOu,'
lnu Was ir,plenty gtfatI disturbed ana ex
cited, saying that ths odors were kiIling her
she changed her room frequently. she consult
ed several phFsiciins, NJ threw all her cloi he.
ana bedroom furniture out Of tho window
When the witness ASKED her what was the mat
Ter, sue feIlleu' sex. lne,e medical olor
aud cigar asnes, i can't live with them" she
constantly 1ru-ncd about her room u remove
Imaginary ciIdr snes.
MIR. Gerald, sister OF the accused, testified
that A''s. Mli2er litquentiy ID she tnou.n
she was pat Of somebody else"
Mr. w. d. Spence said lie hal known Mira.
Niluer Tor iwent 1.-TWO years. lie was rultor OF
the Geneva Time. and on one occasion ne found
this notice, .ccomp I'll ii with dull +, non hi,
desk; "Nrs j. \. Wilmer Of Geneva di-d At
o'ciock tins mpnine New YORK, oleyel ind
was not IA isheu.
1o-day Mr. wilmer was very nervous, an
seemed greatly excited wnen She entered tn,
crowded court loom. Size askeI 10 uavo
sherD seated beside her, ana when Gln-- o
W"tti W - HaAu'u ~ htI hnf ghLcu hIhiTdcteQll
Into 1t ior several minutes without putun1 II Il
her lips.
Mr.. Geo. W. Morse testified to the eccentri,i
ties Of Mrs. Winners taiu,r, ana sad the .c
cusrd, when hNlng IN beneNt, was con-idere,
putihlly INSANE, she " con stantly hpraklul
Of the "meuicai OdOrs. tnl once 81 twice urDyi
about in the RAJ without bonnet or shawl. II,
once saw her from IN, window gOiuy Out az /
O'Clock at night IN her night clothes, she al
revolver. ana used To IRE II out Of her from
door once he and his family were aw .kene,
atE 'cluch In the morning 10y he mag Mrs. vii
ners groans. she was saying u did not HI
Abrdh M" which WIS h husbands name. On
IA she asked tie witness II he knew Dr. Gar
ner OF A.IIRatkee, and ON his replying ID IA,
negative she had, " Yes, you d.. lie Killed m
husband, my irptner, ana ne Is hlllug me-"
1ho examination continued all aaN, inter
ruited only ny tilt between counsel, IN m
course II wni II Mr.. EObetts LED some 10 IA arb
Of T. Buffers "a SOFT Of Four. Of July ora
hon' aud was called 10 order Oy the Cunt.