The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-26
POISONING ~ smI1zERLANp.
Eliza Buhier's Crime ENpo-ea by the Him of
MIN jug.

Eliza Buhiers Crime Exposed by the Him of
"a Miik jug.
From u, Minel,f-r Es,mhp-r.
GENEVA, Jan. 2-In the hamlet Of Rucdcs-
we'll. in the canton Of l.u'ernc. not far from the
ground made classic 10y the tabled exploits Of
William Tell, and near the green meadow.
fenced in Ly frowning crags and lofty noun
tans. where the pilgrim iathers OF Swiizerlpnd
arU said to have first cast their tents III HeNe-
Here ng 991 eRuc chdr Two Nj o reos
ants in the modern English sense Of tue word,
but folks fairly well TO do with a lit of land OF
thcir own. mountain pnsiurcs, ana shars in
the communal forests. The Butcher family CON
sisted Oi the father aud his son. Two daughters,
and Frau Butcher, his wife by II second mar
riage. and not. therefore. the mother OF MS
| children. -
| that month"; Elizabeth and Cntharino Bucher
were engaged in preparing hrcqkiast which
was TO consist OF coffee. hot milk. bread, butter
| and fried potatoes. AZ they were thus occupied
| they received visit from Eliza Buhler the wfu
| OF n nclghhor aud distant kinsman. She WAS
| some 70 years old. tall md good looking with
blue eyes. n fresh complex ion. and ilaxen hair,
| and dressed with n certain ucatnrss, almost
| rirhncss flint b.tokcncd either cnsv circum-
| stances or expensive habits. She wanted some
| milk. she said; could tho girls let her have
| somc2 No, they could not; they were short
| themselves. We'll. could they Jet her have q
| bunch ~ sageY Certainly; Elznhfh would
| fetch " from the storcruom. While Elizabeth
BUTLER that She was in need Of a boot lace lhc
| Buchers appear to have Kept small shop be-
| sides tnelr inrml, Wnlrn OilnNilne btfhlknlWhD
| fetched from the adjoining apartment
Would Eliza stay AMI have breakfast asked
one of the girls. she had brenklas already
She said or she would have boon very glad and
| rs She had much work o. do, she must really MOI
| ungcr any longer. AMI 50 saying she lett the
cottage. Directly after she had gone the father
and his son cume in and all the family. with
| III" exception of the stcpmpher (Who WIS stlli
| IN hcdl sat down ~ breakfast Herr Butcher
wns tho first served and nude n hearty incnl;
| hut the young man who didn't seem TO hc mum
cry. nio sparingly Md took Only one. Guy OF
Buchcr rose from his chair. hut the very same
moment he turned deadly pale, staggered. and
help and led him To- the sottl" whore he lay
down. almost cOnvuls'l with lnln. IL" others
were naturally much alarmed AT this incident.
and their alarm became a!l the greater when
.hry A,so began To i1rl trr,hy unW-,l., Isl ,'lliS
affected. though he. too. was very sick.
Inc Nila2c "Octor Was ecut .or ga all haste.
hut though he came back with the messenger.
poor Butcher died ia gront agony a lew minutes
before hr arrived. When the doctor saw the
three patients and heard what had happened
be- was not long In coming h conclusion.
You have all been poisoned, he said' what
hay" you eaten ?" They told him. Where Hr'
HE breakfast thingsf he asked; have they
wished up: they were still ON tho kitchen table.
Tho doctor inpouuded them forthwith. and the
same day the dead mans stomach was sent Tor
analysis 70 luc"rne. Ihnugh arsenic Wa-
found in il 20 have killed almost dozen per
sons. Meanwhile. thanks 10 powerful antdotes
| and generally vigorous treatment, the sisters
were saved and the brother was So little Affected
that he WIS going about AZ usual the next day.
The only individual who had been in lae cot
tare on tho morning of the 27,h was Biz,
BUTLER and from this circumstance, and from
others which had come to the knowledge Of the
authorities. suspicion fcll on her. ana she was
A minute examination 81 the milk Jug showed
| how u wns that Herr Butcher had died 50 soon.
and why the others had escaped. Round the
top OF u aud near the spout ran a ledge or rim
| This rim had received md retained the greater
part Of the arsenic. ana ~ the fathers cup WIS
the first filed. nearly tho whole OF the poison
went INTO his cGfe ~ lat Had II been equally
mixed. say the doctors. the fate Of the father
| would have hciallen the entire family. tn
lurihrr circumstances tilht ~ 10 we ptosv,
~ Eliza Buhier was this; she had been IN the
habit Of going occasionally TO the village inn
the Lion, 10 drink u glass OF beer ana GOSSIP
with the maids and the mistress. On ono oi
| thrse visits she had observed a packet Of whit,
powder lying on the shelf, described ~ being
| about brcHst high. lnQuiring casually ~ e.
the contents 81 this packet. she was told that II
seemed grsntly 10 interest her and she asked
more than once how and whore she could gel
tro,LI.d win rms and mice On June So tw,
DAYS before her visit to tho Butchers she had
been again a. the Lion, and shortly alter Sh'
left the landlHdy n'lrcdu ii"ranle dimlhu
lion in her stock of V,rmin killer, which was
really arsenic. Whrreupun she cam" 70 tho con
ciu-ion that I.il, BUTLER WAS the thiei. .
When people in this country. ~ IN France
ar" lui ON ih"lr lrlhi ON 'rlmlhhl ,chhrg' lh'l
undergo a -tiuuing ~ -iri.t and sever" ~ q
, | iuey were VIM IS =. ana u'li ,uhta'l,Is az
; IN" history oi thtir liN- nr' suhmlltrl 70 IN.
y keene-i scrutiny. A judicial inv, stigation col
the character and ant"cr'i'nts of Eila Bnhel
| WAS COINS ider"d % reveal 'i" m 1--WE ana oh'.
E | y the terrible crime of which sine was accused
Y Hereford wis generally good, hut she was vnin
| proud Of her good looks, fond of fine clothes
70 | and had the reputation lu ia" NlIius" ot belul
| un eNfruyuEunt AMI Hrht us woman. She ma,
. | brought her husband q marriage portion OF CPS
| and debts Of almost equal auount-n TACT. how
- | ever that she had carefully cuncrHled from him
l. | After her marriage she ran sliil more into drlt
o. | she took her husbands money unknown L
D him. she borrowed money m his Nance au'
- | forged receipts 10 household bills IN order I
A | A. t,.t Of hsf IA
u | short. the family was nearly ruined, ana, un
Z less something were speedily done, c'.posur
u Was imminent; or rather exposure WAS IN
70 rvitRbe and she could only hoIe TO nppcas
" her husbands wrath hy finding. by hook %
e crook. the wherew,thal 60 pay her debts. Now
y the Butchers and the Builders were akin
: nearly akin that II all the former were to III
2 Eiza's husband would be- heir 10 their propcr
= and the Butchers were well To do.
o She therefore determined TO murder the On
= trio family, and 10 that end went to Her
Il Bncher's cottage on the morning IN question
i when, having 10y various eApgdlents sem "a
y | arsenic she had stolen from the Lion into IN
- milk Jug; and hut for the rim that intcrceptr
= 10 much of the poison. she would certainly nav
Il succeeded IN Cflecting hor purpose. But fo
| this rim. moreover. she might though sus
n noe, ed have remained undetected: for II Eliza
u beth and Catherine Buchers lips had bre
~ closed 10y death, there would have been no pro,
!, oi her visit TO the cottage. and the mere ptt
.! sumption that she had stolen hrsonic from IA
u inn would not have been sufficient to convi'
Il her The theory 81 the brn,reutl9,n was aecSp
u her protestaiions II innocence, Eliza Bull,
= WIS found guiity OF murder ana sentenced
- imprisonment for life. the heaviest srnten'
- thnt can be inflicted IN swlzerlahl Tor an
81 Apart from the curious technical points il
y, VOWED IN this trial Is the unprec9drntrd IA
p that tho lives Of three persons and the d'tecto
n II capital offence depended OnthO presence
~, rim in milk Jug.
4 Country Negro Versus Town Negro.