The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-11-02
THE WHITMAN POISONING,
Discchrge of Mabel whitman and DR..
Spears.

The examination of Mabel Whitman on a
charge of poisoning her mother, Laura j. Whit
man, and of Dr.. G. W. Spears, for being &C.
cessory to the crime, ended yesterday in the
discharge of both. The case has been in many
respects very peculiar one That Mrs. Whit
man died of arsenical poisoning there is no
doubt, as the doctors at the autopsy of her
body fund suffi 3ent ar senc in her stomach to
cause death. Mabel, the daughter. who was
suspected of administering the fatal dose, is
only 16 years of age, of excellent character
aud so far as appears from any testimany in
the case, deeply attached to her mother. The
motive for the crime was supposed to bs to
get possession of some $780, 900 which her moth
er possessed,t to enable her to marry DR.. Spears,
young homa )pathic physician of good repu-
tation, for whom it was bruited about Mabel
had conceived violent attachment. Against
DR.. Spears there doesn't appear to have been
any reasonable ground for suspicion what
ever.
The examination has lasted several days and
has been very thorough. There was some tes-
timouy tending to show that Mabel had pur-
chased arsenic some time proceeding her moth
OIL uOdeus A uhuSStoVs WbV9o appear uuOo duu
manner on the stand was not calculated to in.
spire confidence, testified that she called on
him and asked for arsenic, which she said she
wanted to kill cat He sold it without hest.
tatiou, and told her to put it in a piece of ment.
Mabel asked him il it wouldn't do in tea as
we'll, but he replied that the cat wouldn't drink
the tea. A day or two afterwards she called
a gain and said the arsenic wasn't good for any,
thing and he gave her nux vomica. Again she
called aud got some morphine for her mother,
who she said was accustomed to take it. 1t
was also in evidence that Mabel had asked
some one sometime or other how much arsenic
with DR. Spears, it WAS testified that the latter
used to call at the house occasionally and some
times spent the evening with her. Once on
hearing that Dr.. Spears was going South to at
tend fever patients Mabel wept violently
Their intimacy doesn't seem to have excited
any comment or been thought of in the neigh
bnrhond until after Mrs. Whitman's death,
however.
Dr.. Spears, in his testimony, said that he had
been Mrs. Whitman's physician for about a
year. When he was called to attend Mrs
Whitman in her last illness he thought she had
been poisoned, aud inquired what she had eat
en. Mabel told him they had mackeral for
dinner and he concluded her sickness was in
some way connected with this. He did not
think her seriously i'll. The next morning he
found her worse and called DR.. Thayer in con-
sultation They could MOI ascertain what her
trouble,wss, but Dr.. Thayer prescribed arsen-
icum The woman grew worse and during the
day died. After Mrs Whitman was dead
Mabel spoke to him about Paris green which
her mother had been using, aud then the mys-
terry of her sickness was explained. He had new
er had any idea of marrying Mabel, and don't
think Mabel even thought of such thing. AT
the conclusion of his testimony the Districs
Attorney movsd his discharge saving that he
believed DR. SD6ars had acted from the best
of motives He had nsver ordered his arrest,
but it had been made by the police at the sug-
g stion Of Mrs. Whitman's brother.
Mabel was also discharged, the court finding
no ev dence to raise well founded suspicion
against her. The court believed Mrs. Whit
mans death was the result of accidental pois-
oning. Arsenic in large quantities was found
about the water pipes in Mrs. Whitman's
house., and some particles in kettle and
Mabel's story that her mother had been using
arsenic to kill ougs and had BY carelessness got
some into her mouth is doubtless the correct