, 1879-12-29
TO be committed. when. to the astonish.

"It is no wonder that shot at him,
your honor, for he murdered his wife
my aunt-by poison"
This turned the tables completely.
Stephens was arrested. and placed in
the tombs, while young Bell was re-
leased on bail.
The body of the deceased woman was
exhumed, and the stomach and intes-
tines were removed and given to Pro-
fessor r. Ogden Doremus, the cele-
brated chemist, for analyzation. The
professor, assisted by DR.. Buck, a
former pupil, took the whole body and
boiled it. and by various tests, found
sufficient Arsenic in the body to pro-
duce death. In his testimony the pro-
essor stated that the whole process was
most disgusting and indeed sickening.
The boards of the coffin, the glass jars
in which the stomach, &C., were put,
the earth from the grave &C., were all
tested. but no arsenic was found in any
thing but the body.
An inquest was held before the eel
ebrated Coroner Connery, and verdict
of willful murder was rendered against
Stephens, the principal witnesses
against him being young Bell and his
sisters. When the coroner made out
his committal, Stephens said to him
" You have not given me fair play,
and I will maintain that even in the
shadow of the gallows."
The Grand Jury shortly after met
aud a true bill was found against James
Stephens. A day or two after the in
quest the writer was coming from the
Espress office III Park Row, and as he
neared the City Hall he was hailed. On
looking TO see from whom the voice
came he perceived young Bell, who be-
gan to talk to him about the case, but
as the young man appeared to have
been drinking he did not encourage
him much. Bell clung to him. how
ever, and as they passed q place in
Chatham street the young man said:
There's where 1 bought the pistol,
powder. and balls"
''Then you meant to shoot him 2"
queried the writer.
" Unquestionably did, he replied,
" for he poisoned my aunt"
At his earnest entreaties, and more to
get rid of him than for any other pur-
pose, the writer went with him to his
sisters apartments. They were two
very good looking ana well educated,
modest young women. The elder,
Sophia, was about twenty-five years
old; the younger, Fanny, only seven
teen, and decidedly handsome.
The trial of Stephens took place be
fore the late JCdge Roosevelt in the
Court of Oyer and Terminer. Nelson
J. Waterbury, then District Attorney,
and Chauncey Shaffer were the prose
cutting counsel, while the prisoner was
defended by Stephen B. Cushing, ex-
State Attorney General, and John W.
Ashmead, a lawyer from Philadelphia,
then practicing in New York. The
principal witnesses against Stephens
were The two Misses Bell, and, ofcourse,
DR.. Doremus. Sophia's testimony was
very bitter indeed. She swore that
during the illness of Mrs. Stephe MS,
her husband would allow no one but
himself to attend on her that he had
arranged code of signals, which were
to be displayed whenever he was wanted
to give her her medicine and that he
sprinkled some white stuff on or
anges, which were sliced and placed on
a saucer for the sick woman, who often
complained that she thought her life
was in danger, as, after getting her
medicine, she always felt burning
pain in her stomach also, that once
her sister Fanny ate some of the oranges,
and was soon after seized with fit of
rop,it;pr apj ooptipDo1 oioL for so,,,o
days. She also swOre that on one Sun
day he came home from church before
the services had concluded, bringing
with him bottle of liquor, of which
he wished her TO partake. She refused
to drink, and he then attempted i'm
proper liberties. When his wife died, ,
he asked her to marry him, remarking
that there was '' no obstacle now" 1t
was noticed, however, that when swear
ing to this second time, she used the
word " impediment," and not " obsta-
cle." My own impression at the time
was that this looked odd ; because, in
such case, the word would have so
impressed itself on persons mind as
not to call for the use of q synonym.
She, If course, refused to marry him !;
and, believing that it looked bad for
her to be under the same roof with
him, she and her sister left him, and
then wrote home to their brother; tell
ing him the whole story. and asking
him to come out. Her story in its es-
sential Except with regard to the i'm
proper liberties he attempted), was
corroborated by Fanny.
At this time Sophia was engaged to
be married to widower, named Sam
uel Cauldwell, to whom she was after
ward married. He then kept 6 small
dry goods store, and still keeps one on
Third avenue. He is likewise real
estate agent. He was very attentive to
the sisters ut the time, and always ac-
companied them 10 and from the court
room.
When 1 last saw them, about ten