The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-09
WAS SHE POISONED ?



READING Pa, juno S.-Twclve years ago
Charles II. Enge young iron merchant OF the
Schuylkill valley. married Lea Rhoads u young
and very beautiful woman Of Douglnsvilc. II
station on the Philadelphia and Reading Rail-
road. in lIcrks county. The match was con
sidered very good one. Engnl was m indus
trious. careful. keen. and successful young
business man. and his prospects in lfo wcrc
nattcring. because he had the backing of n num-
bcr Of the best iron operators in the valley. To-
day. ho is IN inmate of the Lunatic Asylum mt
Danvilc. this State. and his wife is buried in
Laurel Hill Cemetery Philadelphia.
Mrs. Engcl enjoyed the best Of health. but sud-
denly and unexpectedly. on the might Of July
4. 1877. the Intelligence spread through the viii
lagc that she was lying in her bcdchambcr n
corpse. Tho nows was not believed by tho viii
lngo folks. who were finishing up the sports OF
tho national holidav. because they had seen
Mrs. Engc on the lawn in front Of their resi-
dcncc that evening assisting her little daughter
and n number ol other children in letting off
small fireworks. seemingly in the best of health
and spirits. The news Of her death WIS con-
flrmoh when one ~ tho yilag" phy@iciana who
had boon hnstily summoned returned from the
Engcl mansion and reported that the Young
wife had died heiore he arrived AT hcr bedside
People talked about II in private. and had som o
fnint suspicious. hut when It WIS announce |
that she had died ~ hrart disease gos , cnine 10
an end. No inquest WIS htid. and ulOn whose
authority the announcement that she died nf
hrurt disease was given uut Is no' exactly
known The body wns not buried i'm thn conn
try chur-hyHrd. whore the wifc'~ dead relative
rtup-Dd. or where the husbands X people rp-tol.
hut WIS taken to Philadelphia. a distance ~
about foriy-fyc miles. where "A grave had been
ordered osht feet deep and there Inferred.
This strange proceeding wiis also talked about
Mrs. Engrl, ~ near ~ can be as,ertained. died
Months rolled around and the death Of the
wic WIS nurly forgotten. IN" husband, how
ever. lost his ambition. and became nervous
siclsv. ana i"cN" About three months ago he
began nshing strange questions of near prr-
sona friends. or his pasi0r, at one tlmc, he
asked whether II WIS ppSslhl for a mHu who
hni Killed ms VII" 10 r'rHiNf phrd'u from his
Maker Other similnr questions wrrr asked of
various persons. and the great trouble on his
mind seemed To- be whether a wife murderer
could eyer expect divine clcmun'y. At length
his condition h"came aiarmin; and his brother
took him 10 the DnnviHc Hospital Tor the In
Dciectiye ". y Lyon Of Roading was in
formed ot the confessions ot the young iron
ncr G0udhart began AN Investigation. The Cor
oner summoned Daniel Engel AN uncle of
Charlotte Lugcl. who testified that his nephew
hnd confessed To- him that hud ~ not b'eu for
him (EngcO his wifc would he still living.
Laura Ammon, who lived IN the Ingel family
rs a domestic after the wiie's death. testified
that Mr.. Enge one day was very moody and
melancholy. and that he handed her widn-
mouthcd phial containing a vrliowish-whito
take Il; am not going 90 commit suicide. II |
have to go 70 the poorhousc" The Coroner
says that he has heard several Other witnesses
To- whom Engc confessed having committed a
terrible crime. nssoriatiug the name of his wife
with all his confessions. These facts are caus-
ine much excitement and the Coroner has re-
solved To eNhumn the body OF the woman. the
Coroner % lhilnlrphiH having expressed his
willingness TO lend all possible aid. Tine stom-
nch Of "a" woman viii he submitted 10 Drs.
stanley Smith and VI. Albert Rhoads for exam
innton. the Suppcsltion being that Mrs Engel
WIS poisoned.
The lending question. therefore. ia. what
could have been the husbands motive Eusol
was wild and reckless man. noted for his es-
cupad"s and criminal adventures with women.
Several years after marrying Lea Khodns. ut
timore, with whom he lived "A short time. his
tist w.ic being under the impression that he
WIS auscnf On hrTiness 20 tho ilc.n' coast.
An'rhl- Baltimore adventure hr cam" to Road
ius, where lac induced young woman. an at
t'udant ia AN i"" cream ruipuu. 10 marry him.
She was under IN" impression that he WIS u
Single man. ana II was not until after several
months that his crooked WAYS we're discovered.
The father of the Baltimore wife put detectives
on the trnck and Engnl was arrested and lodged
in Jail. HIS third VII" olfniued "a divorce
through her attorney. MAJOR Evans Offending.
AMI hls first wife went down - Baltimore,
~" lawful wife of Charles II. Engel he wns lis
charged from custody. After his release he re-
turned 10 his home. and himself and wife and
daughter lived as usual at their Douslusville
homestead. During the Centennial year. Ingel
became infatuated with n beautiful young wo-
man OF THE city. whom he wanted to murry hut
who would have, nothing TO DO with him he-
cause he had wife. Whether his mad infntua-
tion for the young girl induced him 10 poison
his wife is an unsOlved problem.
Enge reiterated is illusions 10 the killing of
physician in charge says that il is a common
thing for patients to make strange confess IONS
ot that character, Coroner Goodhnri went to
Philadelphia to-day To oNhume the body and
stomach