The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-10-21
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
A Remarkable Story from the
Lips of United States Senator
Dan Voorhees,.


Dan Voorhees,.
remember once defending, at
Charlottesville, Ind, a man indict-
ed for the murder of his wife by
poison. 1t was twenty odd years
ago. Owen was respectable farm
er in good circumstances, and a con-
sistent church member. He had
been twice married. He had sew
eral children by lis first wife;
his second was childless, circum-
stance which peculiarly affected her
mind and temper. She would not
permit his children to reside with
her, and compelled him to find a
home for them elsewhere. She had
fancy, too, that he was criminally
intimate with the wife of one OF his
tenants. She had frequently threat
ened suicide in consequence of
these troubles.
One night Owen was awakened
from sleep to find her dying. He
called in assistance and sent for a
physician, but she was dead before
any one arrived. Her sudden de-
mise excited suspicion, and three
days after her burial this was com
municated to him by a friend, who
further Informed him that arrange
ments had been made to disinter
the body and investigate it.
Owen was greatly agitated at this
Intelligence, and, after a short
pause, replied: 'If this is done,
and poison is found in Kezia's
stomach (his deceased wife's Chris
tian name), l will be accused OF her
murder, convicted, and hanged.
But am as innocent of it as that
tree" pointing to one near by.
That night he transferred all his
property to son, disguised him
self, and fed the country. The
body Of his wife was exhumed and
an autopsy had. Enough strych-
nine was found in her stomach to
kill mule. There was a univer-
sal expression of horror at the dis
covery, and a large reward was Of
fered for the arrest of the fugitive.
After some months he was found in
Canada, where he was found living
under an assumed name. He was
brought to Charlottesville in irons,
and it was with difficulty that his
execution by a mob could be pre-
vented. Joe Mcdonald, (now my
colleage in the Senate), Jim Will
son, once a representative in Con-
gress and subsequently minister to
Venezuela, and myself defended
him. There was a formidable pros
ecution, Lew Wallace, Judge Greg
DRY, and others appearing against
him.
1t was proven that a short time
before Mrs. Owens death her hus-
band had purchased strychnine at a
drug store in the neighborhood,
telling the druggist that he wanted
it for poisoning rats. But be
asked that it should be charged to
him, a fact upon which we laid
great stress IN argument, insisting
that had he entertained q criminal
design in buying the drug he would
not heve put the damnable evidence
of the fact upon record. A daugh
ter who was visiting her fathers
house when the poison was brought
home, testified that he handed it tC
her stepmother in her presence, eau.
tioning her to be careful with it. A
brother of his wife, who was greatly
embittered against him, and was g
witness for the State, admitted upon
cross examination that Owens
treatment of his sister was invaria
bly, considerate and kind. There
was an entire failure to establish
the fact of his having improper re
lations with other women.
This was all we had to base a de
Tense on. The odds were fearful
There was the remark of The
marked agitation of Owen wheI
first informed of the suspicious ex
listing against him, his admission
that if a post movtem examination
showed that poison was the cause
Of his wife's death he would be &C
cused of administering it anC
hanged; his purchase of the poison
his transfer OF his property anC
flight, all combined, nearly irresist
IDLY led to the conviction of hi
guilt. "Mr. Voorhees," he said t.
me, "however darkly things may ap
pear against me, am not guilty;
and l believed him. We fought tn
case like tigers upon the reasonabl
doubt which we deemed the evi
dence had not excluded, and won il
After Owens acquittal, it was dis
covered that his wife had carrlet
ont her oft repeated threat of com
hitting suicide, by poisoning her
self, and that he had incurred a
the risk of being hanged for it ra
Their than expose the fact to tn
world.