Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-10-20
Circumsiantial Evidence,
A REMARKABLE STORY FROM THE LIPS
OF UNITED STATES SENATOR, DAN
VOORHEES,

Onlteu OlaleS senator voorhees,
tells the following interesting story
of a remarkable trial: / remember
once defending, at Charlottesville,
Ind, a man named Owen, indict-
ed for the murder of his wife by
poison. 1t was twenty-odd years
ago. Owen was a respectable far
mer in good circumstances, and a
consistent church member. He had
been twice married. He had sever
al children by his first wife his
second was childless, a circumstance
which peculiarly affected her mind
and temper. She would Enot per-
NIT his children to reside with her,
and compelled him to find home
for them elsewhere. She had tre-
quently threatened suicide in con-
sequence of these troubles.
One night Owen was awakened
from his sleep to find her dying.
lie called in assistance and sent for
a physician, but she was dead be-
fore any one arrived. Her sudden
demise excited suspicion and three
days after her burial this was COM
municated to him by a friend, who
further infomred him that arrange
ments had been made to disinter
the body and investigate it.
Owen was greatly agitated at
this intelligence, and, after short
pause, replied eff this is done,
and poison is found in Kezia's stom-
ach (his deceased wite's Christian
name), | will be accused of her
murder, convicted and hanged. But
l am as innocent of it as that tree, "
pointing to one near by.
That night he tranferred all his
property to son, disguised himself,
and fled the country. The body Of
his wife was exhumed snd an au-
topsy had. Enough strychnine was
found in her stomach to kill mule.
There was universal expression
of horror at the discovery, and d
large reward was offered for the ar
rest Of the fugitive. After some
months he was found in Canada,
where he was living under an as
sumed name. He was brought to
Charlottesville in irons, and it was
with difficulty that his execution
by a mob could be prevented.
Joe Mcdonald (now my colleage
in the Senate, jim Wilson, once
representative in Congress and sub
sequently minister to Venezuela,
and myself defended him. There
was formidable prosecution, Lew
Wallace, Judge Gregory, and others
appearing against him.
1t was proven that a short time
before Mrs. Owens death her hus-
band had purchased strychnlne at a
drug store in the neighborhood, tell
ing the druggist that he wanted it
for poisoning rats. But he asked
that it should be charged to him,
a fact upon which we laid
great stress in the argument, insist
ing that had he entertained a GRIM
inal design in buying the drug he
would not have put the evidence Of
the fact upon record. A daughter
who was visiting hsr fathers house
when the poison was brought home
testified that he handed it to her
stepmother in her presence, caution
ing her to be careful with it. A
brother of his wife, who was great
ly embittered against him, and was
a witness for the State, admitted
upon cross-examination that Owen s
treatment OF his sister was invarla-
bly, considerate and kind.
This was all we had to base de.
tense on. The odds were fearful
There was the remakr Of the marked
agitation Of Owen when first in
formed of the suspicious existing
against him, his admission that il
the post-mortem examination show
ed that poison was the cause Of his
wife's death he would be accused
Of administering it and hanged his
purchase of the poison; his transfer
of his property and his flight, all
combined, nearly irresistibly led tc
the conviction of his guilt. "AIr,
Voorhees," he said to me, "howev.
er darkly things may appear against
me, 1 am not guilty )" and | he
lieved him. We fought the cast
like tigers upon the reasonable
lLt .-L;ol, mo deap,ad fba av;