Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-09-08
The Husband Poisonere.


STANDARD gives some further particulars re-
specting the extraordinary trial in Hunga-
ry He states that Thekla Popov, the peas
ant woman who is being tried on Il charge
OF aiding and abetting upward ola hundred
women in poisoning their husbands. is q
very remarkable character-destined to oc-
| cupy position at once unique and pictur-
esque in the annals of crime. She is gvp-
sy and is now some sew lty years of age.
She lived in a little village named Melencze
and it may almost be said that murder was
her trade. People say she had her agents
ana emlssaries, whose business it was to
keep up her connection and it must have
Deen horrld and gruesome spectacle tosee
the grizzly hag seated in her arm chair ev-
cry day receiving her customers during bus
mess hours and giving them the diabolical
advice and aid Il ey sough. They were near
ly all married wo nen from the neighboring
country side, eager, for some reason or anoth-
er. to get rid ofhusbands who obstinatelv re-
fused to die in the ordinary course of nature.
but who, by Thekla's friendly offices, might
be made amcnablc TO the resources of art.
These wretchcs paid the old gypsy n fee of
from fifty to a hundred tlorins for each bot
tie Of poison they bought, and w ere duly
instructed by her in the safest methods of
its exhibition" Thekla Popov's clients
were however, not always married women.
Sometimes she had dealings with Young
girls who quarrelled with their sweethcarts.
and who from jealousy or rage had deter
mined to kill them This woman's terrible
trade prospcrcd amazingly for two years
She excited no suspicion. because the drugs
she administered acted slowly. though
surely, and in their effects stimulated the
symptoms of disease Even now that the
bodies of some of her victims have been ey-
humed they show now no signs of poision
lng though the stomachs are eaten away,
The first case that set people OH the alert
was that of one Jocza Kukin, rich peasant.
who died ut Melencze two months ago.
Ugly rumors about his death were spread.
and the gossips whispered mysterious hints
OF foul play. There was in consequence an
inquest, but the most careful post-mortem
examination failed to reaveal any traces of
poisoning in his case. The whole story was
slipping out of the memories of the villagers
when suddenly dreadful revelation was
made; A gypsy girl, the daughter of old
Ihekla Popov, came before the court at
Gross Bedskerek, and Mortified it by the tale
she had to tell She confessed that She had
given the wife ofJocza Kukin bottle ofsome
.t1eANe poi'oh piSpttICu ny uCT llUlncF.
She had done this by her mothers instruc-
tions. Having had a quarrel with her re-
spected parent over some property she de-
termined to betray her. Thekla Propoy's
daughter further declared that she had ac-
tually seen Kukin's wife pour this poison
into his coffee, and that she told her mother
what she knew and had seen. To this the
old gypsy replied, "One day I will poison
you unless you hold your tongue'' Of
course this statement caused ThcEla Popov
and the widow of Kukin to be arrested.
They, however, denied the charge brought
against them. Oddly enough, the Judge.
by clever ruse not quite in keeping with
English notions of fair play to accused pri-
soners, managed to overhear the two wo-
men talking the affair over in Jail. Among
other things he overheard was Kukin's
widow saying to her accomplice, "Wel, I
am young and pretty. He was old and
ugly; why should he not die?" The Judge
after that had little doubt that the prisoners
were guilty. They were therefore put OH
their trial and the clew thus unexpectedly
placed in the hands of the authorities was
actively followed up. Strange discoveries
were soon made, showing that from the wo-
NAH Thekla Popov as centre a vast and
complex ramifcation of crime extended far
and wide throughout the community. The
trial has been deferred for several weeks so
that the bodies of men supposed to have
been murdered by their wives may be ex-
humed and subjected to post-mortem cx-
animation.