The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-06
MURDER AND SUICIDE.
THE BRIDPoRT POISONING CASE.
The Testimony Of Mrs. Phelps,

The Testimony Of Mrs Phelps.
Not since the year 1924, when Charles
Ball murdered bis father, has there been
such crime committed in our community
as that which was enacted at Tie hotel on
Wednesday morning, March 1st.
MRS. McGiNN's HISTORY.
Mr.. N. b. Phelps the proprietor of the
Bridport house, has had in his employ in
the capacity of general servant woman
named Catherine McGinn Plum, and with
her lived her little con, Patrick William, a
child of eleven years of age. The woman
McGinn was married in 1868 to one George
Albert Plum In 1874 she obtained di-
vorce from her husband. and kept the
child. She has not always been kind to
him, and on several occasions has been
heard to express a wish that be was dead.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME.
The story of the crime, as told by Mrs.
Phelps, wife of the hotel proprietor, at
court of enquiry held on Tuesday, is as fol-
lows
"On Mondg evening, Feb. 2Sth, Kate
informed mt that she had discovered bed
bugs in ber apartment, and inquired If |
had anything with which to destroy them.
! replied that | had. She asked for it q
second time, and | give it to her-a bottle
of corrosive subimate, and the bottle was
marked poison. she eDquired of me If il
was deadly poison, and | replied that ii
sts.1 Il nj To il,
the use of it.
On Wednesday morning before rising
from my bed heard Kate and her son in
conversation, ard soon after heard him
vomt, and she told him Don't make so
much fuss In short time Kate carried
| Willie down stairs, and l soon followed
them; found Willie sitting in a chair by
the stove. On my asking Kate what the
matter was with Willie, she replied moth
ing but worms" When breakfast was
ready told her to attend to Willie, and
| she took him up stairs After the family
had had their breakfast, my husband called
for her TO come down TO hers, and in Q
short time she did SO, but did not see hei
eat anything, and shortly she again return
ed up stairs, but soon came back and said
TO me that she thought Willie was
better, and then turned and went ny
stairs again, and ] followed in Rates
room / found Willie on the bed, and hi
countenance had assumed purpleish hue
] remarked to his mother that thought he
was gcing TO have spasms, and it would bt
best to send for a physician, but she salt
no, ii was nothing but worms, and that j
was from their choking him that he ba(
the purple look. again urged her to hav,
a doctor called, but she again declined, and
~, 1,rt H.,
she came down 10 the room where ! wa
and reported that Willie was better, ant
then went and got tumbler of milk
which she said her boy had called for, ant
carried the same up stairs TO him. Sh,
soon after returned with the Tampa t.
clean, and said that Willie was asleep
After cleaning the lamps she went W
stairs and soon too went up. On realhinl
the head of the stairs heard some one vom
iting and proceeded at once to their room
found Kate Oh the floor vomiting. 70 m,
question whether she was sick she replied
that she was, and that it was probabl,
from being over Willie 50 much. | in
quired how Willie was and she answered
Better" But on going 10 the bed no
ticed change in the boy. turned dow
the clothes to the bed, and his little hand
were clencbed and blue. turned to tn
mother and said skate, your boy i
dead" Her only reply was IL know it.
stad no longer, but Immediately wen
down stairs and apprised Mr.. Phelps o
what had happened, and then again wen
up stairs it was about half past nine.
met Kate in the hall she threw her arm
s5Ohn5t 8veR.' fEoid her she must must tell M
what she had done, keep nothing back, ant
| asked her if she had been takiag poison
and she replied that she had and that sh
had given some to Willie, when Mr
Phelps called her in the morning which
was about 6 or half-past six, and had uset
that which had given her to destroy til,
bed-bugs, which suppose Is corrosive sub
Innate. asked her why she had commit
ted the act, she replied that she was tiret
of life, and had gwen it to Willie becaus'
she did not wish to leave him behind.
OTHER CONFESSIONS.
Mrs. Plum has made a similar contessio,
to others. To DR.. Warner, who was callet
professionally, she admitted that she hat
procured the bed-bug poison of Mrs
Phelps upon the pretense that she wishet
to use the same for the destruction Of yer
min in her room, while really she had neve
seen o bed-bug there, but procured tn,
poison solely for the purpose of murde
and suicide.
THE woMANs CONDITION.
The attending physician, DR.. JOSEPH
Warner, has no hope Of the woman's re
covery. She refuses to to take all nour
ishment, and is continually growing