The New York herald., 1879-12-12
Horrible Suspicious Awakened from
Their Long Slumber
INDICTED AFTER TWELVE YEARS.
A Wealthy Widow Charged with the
Murder of Husband and Son..
DOCTOR MEPHlSTOPHELES.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HrRALD.l

startled before The alleged victims arc George G.
Hotchkiss. the father and Holly c. Hotchkss. the
son. and their all eyed murderer is the wife and
mother. who, with DR.. Hugh MacGregor Wilson. was
on Saturday secretly indicted by the Grand Jury.
Mrs. Hotchkiss for murder in the first degree and
Dr. Wilson accessory before the fact. All of the
parties are widely known throughout the county.
and the mystery surrounding the death Of father
and son and the unusual and strange department of
the mother since both events have been
the occasion of constant speculation, rising
sometimes to indignation. during the past
twelve years. The prisoners. Adelne @. Hotchkiss
and DIR. Wilson. were known to be living in Detroit.
Upon the finding of the indictment the District At
torney placed warrant in the Sherif's hands. and
he immediately telegraphed to Detroit. where the
couple arrested while walking in the street in
each others company. They are expected to arrive
in Lockport on Monday. as Sheriff Lewis took the
prisoners In charge this morning. and only awaits
the receipt of the formal requisition papers.
BEFORE TRAGEDY.
This case is one of the most mysterious that has
occurred in the annals of crime considered
from the motive charged, the elaboration with
which the double murder is believed to have been
planned and executed the subsequent behavior Of
the principals under arrest. and promises create
excitement in this part Of the State such has
not often been witnessed here. The first alleged VIC
and widely respected family Of Youngstown. on the
Niagara River. Their property extends to Lewiston.
six miles up the river and is directly opposite
Queenstown Heights the historic spot where Gen.
eral Brock fell and where monument erected by
England commemorates his heroic death. The
Hotchkisses were the oldest settlers Of this
ancient village OF Lewiston. scarcely less
sleepy or werdly musty than Sag Harbor
or Hempsteadville on Long Island Here. soino
|
e. Holly, a handsome. petite brunette, belonging
likewise of the finest families in the county.
It does appear, this couple lived together for
years. that there any marital troubles Her
husband u slow and logy body. and becoming ih-
volved financial disaster. was forced to keep
binary country store conveying what little property
he had to his wfe's At the time Of his death
he was about fifty years Of age. with dark eyes.
heavily built, common sense, conservative man.
| weighing some hundred and seventy pounds.
| Hotchkiss and his wife, with their Holly G.
Hotckiss. lived retired and rather secluded life in
a neat dwelling in Youngstown, and there Mrs.
| Hotchkiss first met DR.. Hugh MacGregor Wilson
| THE FIRST DEATH
| Twelve year4ago this month while Mrs. Hotchkss
| was away her husband was taken suddenly i'll and q
male cousin despatched to Lewiston for DIR. Ed
ward Smith. who drove over to see the patient As
Hotchkiss had always been q perfectly well man
DR.. Smith administered what he thought would
his professional attentions to the deceased until
the return OF Mrs. Hotchkss. some two days there
| aft
thencerorth DR.. Wilson would attend the patient.
begins the strongest testimony OF the prosccu
ton. which the HERALD correspondents has been
worse, and DIR. Wilson was in constant at
tendance at the house. Mr.. John Hotohkiss.
brother called. but the wife, it is alleged refused
to permit the deceased to be averring that he
was too i'll. Some days atterward the son. Holly
| Hotchkss, went to q neighbor. william Steele and
told him that he thought his father was dying.
Steele was the village blacksmith, thoroughly re-
liable but not, as it thought, thoroughly OBJ
1
attentions to the patient until his DEATH
nesses ~ for the prosecution. It appears from his
statement that while DR.. Wilson remained almost
but h 'nt that Mrs. HotchIiss gave her husband ali
the medicine that he partook Of. and expressly
commanded that none other than that which
| istered. After a painful illness Of three weeks
he died in great agony aud Dr. Wilson declared that
the malady gastritis. 1t is maintained by
the prosecution that such is the action of arsenic
The human stomach that cases OF arsenica poisoning
those Of chronic alcoholism. MIR. Hotchkss was
well known to be man of steady habits and ono
who never indulged in excesses.
| THE SON BECOMES HEIR.
| After his burial there began to be mysterious
death. and these were multiplied from the supposed
relations between Dr. Wilson and the widow. 1t
horse tied in front Of her house strange omis-
| sion. Some time before Calvin G. Hotchkiss
uncle of the boy Holly. had died and had consti-
$4,000 in cash and considerable property.
| Soon afterward Mrs. Hotchkss moved to Buffalo.
where her son. then nineteen years of age. attended
the commercial college Of Bryant Il Stra,ton. Pro.
viously he had been somewhat wild and reckless.
fond of adventure and having TOR associates daring
fellows Of his own age who took advantage Of all the
Mysterious alurements Of the Niagara frontier to
become leaders in devltry. When he and his
mother moved to Buffalo DR.. Wilson became con-
slant visitor to the widow, She had some property
of her own, which suficed for her support.
HIS EARLY REMOVAL FROM THE SCENE.
On the 18th of January, 1869. the son was taken
suddenly aud violently i'll. DIR. Lewis OF Buffalo,
will hae rOD ya alIal
aud treated Holey for mild form of typhoid fover.
At his bedside also there was young Steele. son
he was taken with violent spssms and while
suffering awful torments asked Il he was going to
want to make my will" This he did in favor of his
mother. and expired. His body taken to Lewis
spasms. The mother. it is said, betrayed no unusual
maternal emotion when her brcathed his last Dr.
Wilson now came forward in role. that OF
manager of her estate she had become possessed
of $4,000. Tho doctor is described to me being
graduated at the Medical University at Montreal and
likewise at Bellevue. He had a handsome face and
fine figure, but not prepossessing expression.
SUSPICION
soon after tho sons death the widow returned to
Youngstown to live, but she was Stunned by her
Wilson lost her social standing. She boarded with
family named Cowan. Dr. Wilson soon after
sign as o specialist. advertised himself pro-
fusoly, and seemed anxious to mako broad
swathe. Hltner came also Mrs. Hotchkiss. and
scandal speedily followed In her train DR.. Wilson,
soino tour years ago, disappeared. did the widow
and they were not again heard from until about six
months ago. when whisperings of an inquisition
got abroad. They then visited DIR. Lewis in Buffalo,
who had attended the deceased son, and demanded
| of him q certificate Of his DEATH
THE REMAINS DUO
Tho relatives and intimate friends Of the deceased
G. G. Hotchkiss are nearly all influential and
wealthy people. and the more they thought Of tho
manner OF his sudden taking of the more persuaded
they were that tho matter should bo Investigated,
and yet none felt like taking the nitiatory steps.
Several talks were had with Coroner Lafayette
Balconi, and 1t was finally decided to quietly
disinter the body, and ir traces OF poison were
| found to let no ono be the WISER Accordingly on
the 2Oth of June. of the present year, DIR. Simeon
Tucker Clark aud DIR. A. Walter Tryon, president OF
the Jcwott Scientific Society, two OF the most prom
| inent physicians and chemists in Western New York,
| at the order of the Coroner disintorred
tho remains, which had quietly slept for
over eleven years. and brought the dust
to this city for Analysis IL can well DO magined