River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-11-20
ARSENIC by MISTAKE.
Death of the Wife OF Ex-Goy. Letcher
Of Kentucky.
Frankfort. KY, Yeoma


At o'clock P. NJ, Oct 20, Mrs. Char
lotte Letcher, relict of of ex Gov. Letch.
er, died at her residence in this city. AL
though she had reached the iipe age of
81, the circumstances attending her
death are very sad, the immediate
cause of her demise being the admins
tering of arsenic by mistake for burnt
alum. She had been in her usual health,
except slight cold, accompanied by
hoarseness, and in endeavoring to re-
lieve herself from the latter the fatal
mistake was made. the powder from a
paper of arsenic which was in the house
being used instead of the alum.
Mrs. Letcher, who was the Youngest
sister of the Chief Justice George
Robertson, next to him in age, and the
youngest of a family of ten children,
was born in Mercer county, Kentucky,
on the 9th day of May, 1879.
Her father was Alexander Robertson
and her mother Margaret Robinson.
they were both Virginians, from the
Roanoake valley, Montgomery county,
and were both of Scotch-Irish descent
They were among the first settlers in
Kentucky, coming to Gordon's Station,
IN Mercer county, in the "hard winter"
of 1779, and reaching their destination
on the day before Christmas. Judge
Robertson, i'll his autobiography, in
speaking of their trials, says: "During
the hard winter my parents lived in
an open cabin, without chimney, and
which had been built for smoke
house. The cold was so severe as 10
prevent either their thinking the cracks
or adding chimney. l have heard
my mother say that the frozen breath
often made the hair on her head stand
out as so many icicles, and that the
mildest day during that winter was. to
her feelings, the coolest she ever felt
before or since. And have heard her
also say that their only food was green
buffalo meat, without bread or salt
Nevertheless they enjoyed good health,
and were happy with the prospect be-
fore them.
Her father was member OF the first
county court of Lincoln county, of
which Mercer county then formed
part. He was elected delegate to the
Virginia convention of 1778, called to
ratify the federal constitution, and also
member of the Virginia legislature sue
ceeding the convention. He, with
Patrick Henry, and all the Kentucky
delegation except Humphrey Marshall,
voted against the adoption of the con-
stitution.
At an early age she married Robert
p Letcher, who was at that time citi-
zen of GirraId county. He was elected
to congress in 1928, succeeding John
Speed Smith, and continued member
of that body until 1885. In 1840he was
elected governor, appointed minister to
Mexico in 1849 and died in 1861. Upon
his election as governor he removed so
Frankport, which continued to be his
residence until his death.
Mrs. Letcher was a lady who, in
her prime, was conspicuous equally
for her accomplishment of mind and
her grace of person, adjoining every
station to which she was called by the
prominence of her distinguished hus-
band. Her old age was mellowed by
the faith of the Christian, and cheered
by the love of her relations, and the
respect of all who knew her. Her fun
eral which took place yesterday after
noon was largely attended.