The Morning herald., 1876-02-24
WILMINGTON, FEBRUARY "a, 1876
r.ss polsONER AND FoRaER.

Upon q summers eve more than forty
two years ago, there came to the residence
of Substantial resident Of Andalusla,
Bucks county, Pa, q foot.sore wayfarer'al-
most entirely ignorant of the English Ian
guage, bat able to speak French moderate
" we'll. The wayfarer was Manuel Nina,
a native Of Cuba or Central America. be
was about twenty.one or two years OF age,
and although tattered had general air o.
culture and respectability underlying his
raggedness and wretchedness.The resident
wss. Nj. Chapman who in addition to
farming, with the aid Of his wife, who was
a woman Of very considerable culture as
musician and inguist. kept kind Of
school, or at least gave lesson to the
children of the better class Of farmers In
the neighborhood. Mrs. Chapman was
said to bs woman Of fine personal at
traction. and was then about 30 years OF
age, her husband being much older.
Being informed by a servant that a stran-
per was at the door, and unable to make
himself under stood, she went to see him.
and conversation was begun in French
between herself and the stranger. The
result was that with but little persuasion
her husband consented that the stranger
should be given temporary shelter and
relief. ....--. -....
In very short time Nina commenced
to speak Of his grand connections in Span
ish America, and SO far imposed upon some
foreign consuls in Philadelphia tibet Gre
dcnce was givento the story Of his families
wealth, from ,hom he had separated tor
some domes,.c reasons. He ingratiated
himself into Moth the regard ct NJ. Ss's'a4a
teem but into love, which rapidly
assumed the shape Of intimate crlm-
iu.l intimacy between Nina and nef-
self. The husband became suspicious
Jealous, and at length quarrels between
he and his wife were frequent Mr.. ChaP-
man died in short time, and his widow
and Nina, with hot haste, were married
and started upon their wedding tour
which embraced a trip up the Hudson
and visits to Albany, Troy and Saratoga
While absen: upon the wedding trip, the
conviction that Nj. Chapman had been
soully dealt with grew and decpened II
~. minds of his relatives and acqualnt
ances. An investigation was set on foot
during which it was discovered tina
Nina had purchased arsenic tor tn
nurpose, as he said, Of poisonln'
rats at Darants and other places in rhlla
delphia. Shortly after the return OF MN
and wife they were both arrested upon IN
charge Of poisoning Mr.. Chapman. Upo
a chemical analysis Of the contents OF M
Chapman's stomach, the presence
arsenic was clearly proven.
The trial took place in Doylestown,
think, in 1885, and the prisoners were q
Tended by men who subsequently, becar
famous at the bar of Pennsylvania and
the diplomacy Of the Republic. Dav
Paul Brown won his spurs in In
trial rs great forensic oras'
Peter A. Brown, was the lead'
counsel for Mrs. Chapman, and VIM.
Bead, 20 lately passed away, was also Q
Of the lawyers for the defense. The
mlt WA that the most excellent charac
which Mr.. Chapman proved, as
nos,essor of every Christian virtue viii
could adorn q woman, previous
the charge which was then be.
pressed against her, together with
beauty and the fervid eloquence
David Paul Brown, led to her acquit
Nina was convicted and hanged for
r. ofense.
It il singular fact that Winslo",
Boston forger, who is a son Of Mrs. Ch
mans sister, about whose guilt there
be no doubt inherited the faculty OF
masking himself, like his aunt, to win fl
his friends and neighbors character Of
highest order. We find him spoken o
1874, in an address issued to the vote'
Massachusetts district, in behalf OF
candidacy for State senatorship as
lows:
TN all his buzy life Of thirty-hve y
he cannot be justly charged with the
travail Of any trust, or with dishonor
act. Tried in many places and n
i. found wanting, willing to serve ana
Al,xxoaI a