American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-05-11
A New Jersey Borgia.

A New York Times special from Ber-
lin, N. j., says the alleged poisoning of
Reckless Bishop and his wife Hannah,
by Mrs. Emma Bethel, the mistress of
their son, for no other reason but to re-
move all obstacles for her illicit rela-
tons with the young man, has turn
ed out a clear case of double murder of
the most deliberate kind. The anal
Uses of the stomachs were concluded
Monday night by Prof. Stevens, of Gil
rard College, Philadelphia, and showed
that both Mr.. and Mrs. Bishop died
from arsenical poisoning, and the legal
evidence completed at the same time
completely fastens the murders on Mrs.
Bethel, and will probably involve the son
as an accomplish. The Bishops were
steady and Industrious people, respect
ed by every body who knew them. They
owned and occupied a rich farm, on
which is a comfortable old-fashioned
homestead. George Bishop, their only
son, was apprenticed to a railroad COM
pany, learned the trade of locomotive
engineer, and is now running an en-
CINE. He married Emma Casa
bon, of Winslow, who died few years
ago. He was then living in Haddon-
field, and, before his wife's death, en-
gagged the services of housekeeper to
look after his children and domestic af-
fairs. The housekeeper died during the
first year of her services. At this time
he became acquainted with the adven-
turess, who wound up her amour with
him by numbering his aged father and
mother. This woman was good look
ing and fast. She had left her husband,
and was known as a bad woman before
Bishop became infatuated with her. He
took her to his parents home, and she
was there as housekeeper for some
weeks before the old people learned the
real condition of affairs. Bishops
mother at once ordered Mrs. Bethel
from the house, and she went, threaten
ing to poison the old lady. The son
finally persuaded his parents to allow
Mrs. Bethel to return, but there was
constant trouble, and finally the mistress
determined to settle things. She went
to Camden, in February, got large
quantity of arsenic, and soon after
ward prepared a dinner, after
the eating of which Mrs. Bishop was
seized with commissions, barely escaping
under the care of her daughter. Mrs.
Bethel succeeded in getting this daugh-
ter to leave for day, and that day
again Mrs. Bethel poisoned Mrs. Bish-
ops dinner, and she had relapse, and
fingered in terrible agony until March
Is, when she died. Mrs. Bishop was
buried on the following Sunday. The
chief mourner at the funeral was Mrs.
Bethel, who wept profusely, and with
many sobs went through the crowd in
the church and kissed the corpse in the
coffin. Hearing no gossip, Mrs. Bethel
now began to work on Mr. Bishop. Mon
day, March 25, she slightly poisoned
his supper, and he complained of feel
ing queer. He became violently i'll, his
symptoms being exactly like those of
his wife, A week later Mr.. Bishop died
in terrible agony, after relapse SINH
lar to that of his wife. The murderess
had persisted in preparing food for him,
though suspicious were aroused, and
it was not known that she had given him
any thing for a week. After Mr.. Bish-
ops funeral the woman disappeared, re-
turning to have quarrel with her par
amour, as result of which she made a
confession leading to the discovery of
the facts