The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-11-13
A Sensa tional Poisoning Case.
A NICE YOUNG GIRL TO HAVE IN THE
HOUSE.

ed by horrible crime, reported to
lay from the Charlestown district,
where q girl, l6 years old, named
Mabel Whitman, is suspected ofhav-
ng poisoned her mother, widow OF
10, who died week ago. The case
Is as follows: Mabel is progresses
ng young lady, and has been courted
BY the family physician, DR.. G. W.
Spear. Their intimacy, though not
II q criminal nature, had been so
marked as to excite the remarks of
who noticed the dissimi.
|arity of their ages. The daughter
attends school here, and after school
On Monday night of last week came
home with the girls as usual. Seve-
raj of them, among whom was Mabel,
stopped on the way at a friends
house and INDUCED in dancing. Ma
bel was heard to remark, after a short
stay, that she had got to 60 home,
and build a fire for supper, or words
to that effect. One or two of her
friends watched her after she had de-
parted, and noticed that she entered
a drug store opposite, and afterward
went toward home. A day or two
after Mrs. Whitman died, and DR..
Thsyer, who was called in at the last,
pronounced it e..ofpoison. Ma
bel advanced the theory that the
poison was Paris Green, which had
been purchased to kill cockroaches,
and SO plausible was the story that
no inquest was held, and DR.. Spear
and Mabel took the body to Maine,
where it was buried; but a private
autopsy was made of the body BY
two physicians, whose services were
called into requisltion by suspicious
neighbors, and no Paris Green was
found in the stomach, but on the
contrary large quantity of arsenic
This discovery was reported to the
medical examiner, who Immediately
began an examination for himself
and is now holding secret inquest
The citizens whose suspicions hat
led them to procure.an autopsy have
also been ut work ON the case, ans
have elected, by skillful questioning
OF the druggist above referred to
the fact that, on the night when Ma
bel was seen by her companion to en-
ter his store, she bought a quantit..
of arsenic, morphine, and anothe
Ipoison. Mrs. Whitney was yer
lhealthy aud only about 40 years q
| age. She realized before she die
that she had been poisoned, but b
l&hom or how she knew not. TIL
tdaughter and DR.. Spear attended tl
| funeral in Maine. and the former ha
not yet returned to Boston, but
daily expected, as she has been gu
city sent for so that suspicion ma
not be aroused as to what she
wanted for. Since the fact OF tt
poisoning has been developed, D
Spear has been Swallowed by a dete
!, tive In order that he should not lea
: town and communicate with the 81
], and at midnight last night he "
arrested, and is now in custody. I
protests his innocence, and dent
any connection with the poisouin
He says he cannot see how the g
, could have done it. He was arre'
ed as accessory to the poisoning Co
!, misted by the girl, and the theory
that the two arranged the matter
order to secure the property of NJ
Whitman and then marry. The d.
tor says that if he had been going
poison the woman he could hs
killed her with q substance viii
n, would have left no indication Of
cause. He would not have used
> senic, Which could so easily be
Itected. He feels very badly alb
the case, and, while denying any G
). nection with the poisoning, says
:, causot see how the girl could b
!. done it. The Whitman family
ia always been highly respected in
90 district and moved in good soci'
"A and the sad afair has created {
10 sternation in the neighborht
!" -[Chicago Times.
= TIE Congressional delegation
n. Indiana stands: Democrats, six;
he publicans, six; Nationals, one: