Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-07-24

came to her death by arsenical poison
Tonight the entire city is in thu
greatest excitement over the verdic
Of the coroner's jury, which was that
Mr.. Cobb came to his death by pOis
on administered by Katie M. Cobb
his wife, aided and abetted by Wes.
ley w. Bishop. The story of the pois.
oning may be briefly related. Mr.
Cobb, who was city and town cOllec.
tor of taxes, was universally beloved
by his tOwnsmen, for his pure and mp.
right dealing. for his humanity, and
for his many commendable social
qualities. He resided in beautiful
house on breezy bank that over.
looks the waters of Yantic cove, in
one of the most desirable quarters OF
the city. There was apparently moth
ing to interfere with his perfect en-.
ioyment. He was a member of the
"Sedgwick Post" G.. A. r., and Of al.
most every social organization in the
city. About year ago tho wife OF
Mr.. Wesley w. Bishop died sudden
ly in intense agony. She was sich
less than twelve hours. At her fu.
neral Mrs. Cobb, who had been only
on speaking terms with her appeared
to be terribly affected. When the
corpse was borne through the gates
of the cemetery she tainted In heI
carriage.
Hardly had two months passed ere
Mr.. Cobb was stricken with singu.
lar illness. His symptoms were sim.
liar to those that ended in the death
of Mrs. Bishop. Many physicians
we're called, but none of them could
give any reason for his sickness OF
afford him any relief. For days his
malsdy would confine him to the
house, and then for many succeeding
days he would be apparently in his
usual health. The last ply sician that
attended him was DIR. Perkins, who
frequently asked him whether there
was any probability Of lead poisoning
by his water pipes, either in his
house or Office.
Mr.. Cobb said no; that every pipe
In his house and Office was untainted
by lead. 1t was said Mrs. Cobb aud
Mr.. Bishop were frequently riding
together; that he came to visit her
half . dozen times in the forenoon
that they went to walk late at night,
and that afterwards he was seen in
Mr.. Cobb's house at precisely the
time that Mr.. Cobb's illness allowed
him to 60 down to his office. Mr..
Bishop was q grocer, and on this ac-
count he had an excuse for frequent
ly stopping at Mr.. Cobb's house. On
one occasion Mr.. Cobb forbid him to
enter his house, but on account of the
wifes' friendliness for MIN he contin-
ued to visit. Once the neighboIs re-
monstrated with Mrs. Cobb for her
intimacy, and she answered pctulant.
ly, "Well, people may talk as much
as they please, but Mr.. Bishop has
done nothing that we are ashamed of,
and folks had better attend to their
own business"
On the day that Mr.. Cobb died, he
was apparently In his usual health.
He sat down to the dinner table and
joked and talked with his wife in the
most jovial humor. She handed him
cup of tea. 1t was q close, hot day,
and he held it for q moment before
he lifted it to his lips. Then he
drank it. At once he said, 81 feel
strangely. What is the matter? lam
hot all over. Take me to the lounge. y
Tho wife led him to the sofa, and he
sank down exhausted, saying, "Don',
feel afraid, Katie, it's nothing. I'll
be over it in moment" He died in
q few moments. An autopsy was
held, and six or eight physicians said
the remains ought to be sent to a
chemist. The vitals were sent down
to Prof. Doremus, who reported in a
few weeks that he found large quan.
titles of arsenic in the stomach and
vital parts. Then, at the request OF
Mr.. Bishop, the body of his wife was
dug up and examined by Prof. Dore.
mus, who reported large quantities
of arsenic and copper in the stomach
the liver, the contents of the stomach
and the intestines. Prof. Doremui
said in his report that there was pois
on enough in the woman's stomach tC
kill two or three persons. The YER
dict of the jury was given after long
and careful consideration. Each mar
on the jury was a Freemason. and al
the doctors who made the post-mOr,
tenn examination were Masons
Bishop is Mason, and so was Mr.
Cobb.