The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-21
GRITLNEND.s MYSTERY.
The Burial OF Mrs. Hubbard and the Arrest
of Mis-. Elizabeth I.usk.

The mysterious poisoning Of Mrs. Maria
L. Hubbard Of Gravesend. who. on Wednesday
last. died after drinking some lager beer that
contained strychnine, Continued to excite the
residents Of Gravescnd yesterday. The accusa-
ton by the dying woman that Jacobus Stryker
her husbands nephew. had poisoned her. was
nowhere credited. and few suspected Mr.. Sam
uel Hubbard. her husband. II was known that
his relatives were strongly opposed to his mar
riage to Mrs. Hubbard. because Of property
reasons more than anything else. and that this
had led to an arrangement between Hubbard's
family and that Of his brother-in-law Nicholas
Johnston but these facts were not thought 10
be enough to justify the suspicion that Hub
bard WAS guilty of poisoning his wife. No one
suspe ted the niece, Miss Lizzie Lusk and in
every view Of the case 1t remained mystery.
The funeral services Of Mrs. Hubbard were
held in the house AZ o'clock Yesterday after
noon. The little parlor was filled with rela-
tvs of the family. among them Jacobus Siry-
ker. stout, good-naiured looking man. + ia
beth Lusk a neat looking young woman, about
l. years Of age sat close to the comm. weeping
Mr. Samuel Hubbard and Mrs. Johnston were
also in the room. The Rev. Mr.. Stockwell pas
tor Of the Dutch Reformed Church, which Mrs
Hubbard attended conducted the services
After the services, the body was borne around
the corner to a little cemetery. II which 4 was
buried. A Mr.. Allen. who is Mrs, Hubbard's
brother, desired 10 have the body buried IN his
plot in Greenwood Cemetery, but Mr.. Hubbard
would not consent 10 IT, saying that he had
made preparations to have her buried in the
cemetery near his house. and that he couldn't
be induced to change his mind.
Then there Will he two funerals, said Allen.
"hut she will be buried here first"
This conversat on, which Is reported 10 have
occurred Yesterday morning, led 10 a Disagree
ment between, he two persons engaged in i.
sisters body should remain there.
Detective Riggs had watched the house on
Wednesday and Wednesday night. to see that
Yesterday afternoon
Coroner Smms visited Grnvesend 20 instruct
the detectives 10 arrest samuel liub93ard and
Jacobus Stryker, and TO take Miss Elizabeth
Officers 1iT waited Sn}il the Tihrons1 Ieit the
they went in with, Coroner, smms TO
make the arrests. striker WINS found IN the
kitchen ny Detective kiggs; ne c2nsrmtsI TO
ing at NIL about the case Mr.. Hubbard was IN
th' parlor with his sister and some friends
Coroner Simms called him out and told him
that II was necessary to take him into custody
! Mr. Hubbard said that ii was bad
to brooklyn. He said he was inn1ccnt 81
any connection with the crime. Miss Elizabeth
two detectives then searched the house for the
! first time. Every drawer and receptacle was
| Hubbard might have left, but none We're found.
! -Four bottles Of lager beer were found in the
! cellar. and those were taken charge OF Tor eN-
animation. The prisoners were then taken 10
! ToCoronor Simms and Police Superintendent
| Campbell Mr., Hubbard said that he know that
! there were stories around that he and his wife
/ did not live happily together but he thought
they lived about rs happily as other couplcs
usually did His wife, he knew. was accus-
toned to drink lager every day. half hottie 1T
u time. He admitted having gone into the eel
lar on the day she WIS poisoned, but he SAID
| that he did not touch the half bottle Of beer
there. Hetook his boots which needed mending,
and came back M stairs and went away from
| the house, As 10 the assertion that he recently
purchased poison from DIR. NanCleek, he said
| that about three months ago he bought twenty
| five cents worth of arsenic from the doctor TO
| kill rats, but he never took Il into the house,
| Having mixed the poison with some Indian
meal in the barn, he laid il around for the rats.
| This was the only poison he had bought.
Elizabeth Lusk said that she brought the fresh
| bottle of lager 10 her aunt on Monday, and saw
her drink one-half Of i; Then she took it back
| to the cellar, and on Tuesday she brought It
back to hor. She did not shake il at oil, but on
the way up she struck the bottle against her
| knee and this caused the beer TO foam.
Coronerl Smms concluded that no could not
| hold any Of the prisoners ON the evidence IN
| his possession, and he accordingly rtleah oil
| them al 80 !. VI.