The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-12

StnRuinr story Of Life In Cnlif0rnin-Who
Prepared the Dose Of strychuinc for
Georse Dexter Schick t-Dcxtcr's wife.
Prom the san Francisco thr0ntck
A dark mystery, bafliing all the efforts
that have So far been made nv the police en-
gagged In ferrcting 1t out, eushrouds the poison
who died on tho smh ~ october, at the house
Of Charles j. Frank, gs! Jackson street, The
howl Of vegetable soup set out 10y Mrs FRANK
Tor Schick ON the afternoon Of the 2th OF octo-
Der has been amply proved To have contained n
deadly dose Of strychnine. Tho theory adj
strychnnc there himself Is not regarded as ten
able. for lie was known among MS Trends as
spirit, and one whom slight msfortunes hau no
On the afternoon ~ the tragedy At o'clock
he had left his car on Clay street hill In his usual
Fellow conductor. Charles burgess, when he was
down the hill toward his temporary residence.
Arriving there, he made some iocose remark to
Mrs. Frank concerning the injurious effects OF
coffee drinking. and In response to her sugges-
tion went out to procure pitcher of beer. Re
turning he sat down at the table to pnrtake Of
his dinner, bearing at that time no outward
signs Of melancholy nor saving anything that
could be construed as AN indication that he was
In any mood but his proverbial good humor.
Partaking Of the soup prepared 10y Mrs. Frank,
which. according to her statement. none but
herself had touched, he was Immediately seized
with commissions, and soon after expired in
great agony These circumstances have led many
IL believe that IL was impossible 1nr Schick to
have taken his own life and while the finger II
suspicion has pointed In the direction of Mr. or
Mrs. Frank, her willingness in helping the in
vestigation. and apparent innocence have ma
terially Disconnected the officers engaged In
throwing light upon the mystery.
Mrs. Frank, II has hccn found. was on the
most intimate terms with the deceased, having
been engaged in business transactions with him.
ana being H"ssess,.I o, .nI@rati"n tfgara,mg an
efeo and also several pawn tickets represent
ing articles Of jewelry belonging to her. on
which he had raised money To buy stocks for
their mutual benefit. 4 few moments before his
death Schick informed Dr. Sceiey that he had
tasted something bitter ia hts soup when eating
IL. and also that when empticd from his mouth
he had discovered "A number of little white crNs-
tails in it, These facts all 60 Ia show that Schick
did not take his own life. and was totally gno-
rant Of the deadly contents of the bowl ~ soup
Some time in April last man who gave the
name Of George Dexter. and who. according to
his own rcprcsen atoms, was surveyor 10y uc-
cupatiun. called Mt the lodging house of Mrs.
Coggswell. at 1876 sixth street, and engaged
room lie was very pleasant gentleman quiet
and unoiensive In his demcanor and had II not
been for certain mystery that peryuded all his
actions. hr would hive been cordially liked 10y
every one in the house. A. II was he kept him
self To himself. came aud went as suited his
pleasure. and only occasionally dropped re-
mark that could have led to any explanation u
the occupations In which lie seemed to be en-
gngcd. His evenings were spent in his room. but
on every sunday he went somewhere, aud. upon
being questioned he said he had family In san
homestead in san Jose. but his business being in
this city, he left ii to the care Of his WIFE and
tented himself with visiting her weekly. Things
went on In this manner for several months until
one dav he announced that his unknown wife
was going east. aud he would he absent for day
or two. until abe had been safely started on her
journey. When he again returned. the same mo-
notony WAS resumed and kept up for several
weeks until he announced that his wife was
about to return.
In the afternoon Of day shortly after this.
Mrs. Coggswell. the landlady. and domestic
named Sarah Harris were surprised 10 Dex-
ter walls up the stairs, accompanied by styl-
lshly dressed woman. whom he Immediately in
troduced as Mrs. Dexter They were surprised,
because Dexter had said nothing during the
past few days which would have led them to
surmise thai his wife was 50 near the cit,. and
had made no declaration OF his intention of
bringing her To the house anyway. The newly
found wife Immediately scraped an acquhint-
Hnce with the landlady aud her servant and in
Nted them 10 call at her room whenever con-
,enient. Mrs. Dexter frequently found time To
ust the apartments of Mrs. cuggsweil. and
IN IRE sat for hours sometimes. in conversation
with her hostess. Very little was known con-
corning the affairs Of the couple. and their own
retcence ON personal matters tended to dis
courage inquiry. one evening an unknown man
called upon Dexter and went into the room
where he and his wife were then present. From
what passed. Of course imperfectly heard from
adistance. II was cleaned that stormy inter
view occurred, and A. one Of the inmates Of the
house passed near the door the unknown
man WA, heard IT, exclaim. well we'll nsht It
out ON this line. then. aud shortly aiterNnrd he
emerged from the apartment and Appended.
Nothing VA ever huown further regarding this
scene IN the lodging house. Dexter and hi~ nr,-
sumed wife always took their meals Al rc-iuu-
ant and nothing WAS ever prepared in the house
for them. other than ocrA. lnnalv a Gun Of Ten or
eco Tee Matters went ON iu this MANNER for a
la, ions nf MIR and Mrs D.xt.r the hitter fl,v.i,.
lfufe--ing the utmost affection for her partner
and uu one la IN" house ever suslrctnE thrt the
couple were other than they seemed. en- the
that he and his wife would leave the city for san
J - ON be morrow. where they would take up
bb.ir residence.
Ou the 800 tucy departed. osteu~ihly for that
CITY. Nothing was heard from the DeXtcr- by
Mrs togr-wcll until tho morning ~ the 2ith q
O-toh,r four day, after tie death of ~chcN,
wien his SUPPOSED wife called az the house IN
sixth street She WAC In a nervous state oi ire -
ldation her large eyes almost starting frutn
their sockets. were hluudshOt. and her whole APP
p'srance wa that Of hunted frtghtened "
rian. She hastily hade Mrs. 'oggswell and her
domestic good morning. and immediately there
after startled them with the Information that
her husband was dead. She chung to the glh
sarah. and INDUCED In msny remarkable lamen-
Iations. which led Mr.. Coggswell To inquire how
The woman responded by saying that he had
expired suddenly Of heart disease, "f the Friday
cited. She then begged her hearers not to give
any Information concerning the residence Of
herself and Dexter at the house aud in Hoods If
tears She told them thAi she WAS not Mrs. lleN-
ter huf Nh, Frank Mr.. t1gg-W ell refused to
that such a promise might nvulN e them, yet not
clearly seeing why ne woman WAS 80 fearful ~
trouble. At this Mis- Frank burst into more
hNstcrics. and finally sad that his name was not
Dexter bat Schick. and requested them To speak
t. al nquircrs Only Of George Schick. She OH
tanned no PROMISES. and finally left the house.
The suspicion then arose IN the mind of Mrs.
Corsswell that foul play had been INDUCED in,
an ~ seated had become this Convictions in
Consequence II the queer behavior II Mrs
Frank. that when an olcer anne to inquire con-
corning the i-hidruce Of Schich AT the house. she
hsNed him ~ once II the deceased had not been
poisoned Iiia call At ~" ludgns house Was
made after MI. fraiN anew that stTychnihe had
been lnuhd pa III" coup ana al-p In Schick ;
stomach and Vet lac said bee had died Of heart
~ a. IT, { 1T' , nom w ihNt Dexter and
retired to the huusr on JucA-un street. What
Mr.. f-ank, $ motives were IN ,hus endcayorng