The Portland daily press., 1879-11-03
THE SANFORD SUSPICIOUS DEATH.
Few Evidences of Poison-Death Prob
ably Due to Old Age and Agitation.

The case of suspected poisoning in Sanford,
reported in these columns Saturday morning,
will probably turn out o case of death from
natural causes. Investigation shows that the
prevailing opinion among the people of San
ford is against the poisoning theory. There
are some suspicious circumstances but it is
probable that they can all be explained by the
fact that Mrs. Parzer's household felt no grief
at demise and were guilty of very unbecoming
conduct.
Mrs Elizabeth G. Parker, the deceased, was
the wife Of B. G. Parker, who is a sort of
itinerant preacher. Her first husbands name
was Brooks and at the time of his death of
left considerable money, some $4,000 it is said,
beside the farm on which he lived. 1t is said
he bequeathed to his widow $4,000 of this
money and life interest in his real estate.
Mrs Brooks married Parker in 1875 Parker
was impecunious and Mrs. Parker held the
purse strings. The result was frequent I'M
pleasantness about money matters. Sometime
last June Parker's grandson, Albert Parker,
borrowed of Mrs. Parker 800 to go into bust
ness with in North Berwick. He lost the
money and the night before Mrs. Parker's
death, which occurred on the 18th ultimo, he
came to her for more. Mrs. Parker was OPP
posed to lending him any more, but her hus-
band and his grandson were very urgent and so
pestered her for the money that she was
wrought up to high pitch of excitement The
grandson went away however without getting
the money The next morning Mrs Parker
while sitting at the breakfast table looked out
of the window and seeing Albert coming up
the road became very much agitated. She
complained of being dizzy and in few
moments sank down on to the floor and died.
Her husband sent messenger for doctor to
North Berwick some three miles off and the
nearest place one could be obtained, but the
grandson stopped him, telling him it was no
use or words to that effect. Some CT the
neighbors were called in and saw Mrs. Parker's
body on the floor. The funeral did not take
place the following day, as was stated in
the Portsmouth dispatch, but on Sunday fol-
lowing death having occurred Thursday. No
pains were taken to notify Mrs. Parker's rela-
tons of her death and some OF them living at
Sanford Corner, about four miles Off heard OF
it barely in time to attend the funeral. 1t is
alleged also that the breath had hardly left
Mrs Parker's body before her husband and
the grandson began examining her effects and
rumaging bureau drawers.
All there unseemly acts of course led to
good deal or unfavorable comment in the neigh
borhood and among Mrs Parker's relatives,
and it began to be suspected that those who
manifested so lite concern at her taking off
might have had hand in bringing it about.
This suspicion was very much strengthened by
the declaration of an Indian doctor that the
circumstances of her death indicated the pre-
sence of poison. Finally one of Mrs. Parker's
relations, a Mrs. Littlefeld, applied to the
selectmen of the town to have the body ex-
humed and examined. The matter was turn
ed over to Coroner NOVEL; who ordered an in
vestigation. The body was exhumed and on
last Thursday jury Of inquest was empaneled
Drs. Day and Merrill of Alfred made the post
mortem. When delivered into their hands
the body was very much swollen and the face
was black, indicating that corruption had pro-
crossed to considerable extent All the
vital organs were carefully examined, but no
affection sufficient to cause death was found in
any of them. The stomach which was nearly
empty and portion of the liver were sealed
up to be sent to State Assayer Bartlett OF this
CITY for analysis. Professor Bartlett had not
received them yesterday. No witnesses were
examined but the inquest was adjourned for
two weeks to await the result Of the analysis.
DR.. Day privately expressed the opinion that
no poison would be found The more familiar
poisons, such as arsenic and strychnine would,
have produced different symptoms from those
which accompanied her death, and If arsenic
had been employed it would probably have
preserved the body and corruption have been
more slow OF course there are posons which
might have produced death as instantaneously
as Mrs. Parkers but they are not generally
known and would be difficult to procure. The
doctor was of the opinion that death was the
result of complete nervous prostration, the
effect of agitation. Mrs. Parker was seventy
eight years of age and sudden shock at that
age might prove fatal.
twill require week or ten days for Prof.
Bartlett to complete an analysis as there are
some twenty-five different poisons that must
be looked for in order to make the inyestiga-
ton thorough. 1t is possible that some poison
may be found, but it is more probable that the
case will turn out to be one of cruel and heart
less conduct rather than of murder.