The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-04-12
A Diaboneal Attempt to Poison.

"A Diabolieal Attempt to Poison.
A BOX OF POISONED CANDY COMES NEAR
CAUSING THE DEATH OF TWO PERSONS.
-sTRYCIININE THE DEADLY AGENT
One of TIE most cold-bloode,l and afro
cious attempts to commit murder was per-
petrated in this city last Monday evening.
Fortunately it failed of accomplishment
but two persons were sickened nigh unto
death
In returning home from his work last
Monday evening, Mr.. VIM. Meredith, of
this city, stopped al TIE post Office to de-
liver II bond which he bad just executed
as mail carrier from the office To edepot.
As he turned to go away, he inquired ii
there was any mail, and was handeda small
paper box directed to his daughter, Miss
Florence Meredith. Reaching home, he
gave the box to his daughter who opened
| il, and found therein abou! II pound OF
mixed candies. upon TIE Top OF which was
a small, pretty valentine, bearing this in
scription:
bear little friend
send You here,
With hearI sincere,
A loving line
| And il Will be
Aioy 10 me
| 10 gel from you
A valentine.
Miss Meredith having suffered with
| 40 IN a oh, nt
eat any of the candy, and handed ii around
to other members OF the family. Her
| father took two pieces. one a chocolate and
| tie other gum drop, Miss Maria Hulyey,
WHO WAS staying III TIE house, took one
| or two of the smalerdrops Mr.. Meredith
put TIE candy in his pocket until after sup
per. Having eaten heartily, he started
back 10 Thornburg's stables, where he is
| employed. aud Oh TIE way ate the drops.
He noticed al the time that they were very
bitter. but not suspecting anything wrong,
put II chew OF tobacco in lis mouth and gave
tie matter no thought. Upon reacl'ingthe
| stable he began 10 feel badly, and shortly
| afterwards i,ec;tlne sick aud yolited. la
becoming numb and almost useless. He
told several par, les ;liout tie stable OF this
peculiar sensation. hut still had no tn ought
| of poisol uni :; messenger came for him
| to go home. saving that Miss HuNey had
been poisoned hy he cand, sac bad eaten.
Immediately he coinprefendpd his own sit
| llation. and saddiing horse rode rapidly
home. Reaching tie gate he found the
| MUSCLES q. his hack, arms and legs rigid,
| and became speeches.. TIE spinal column
ape ned so CONSTRUCTED that it seemed his
| legs would he drawn to the back Of his
| head. Still his mind was perfectly clear,
| and re fully realized tie peril he was in.
| His wife seeing bis condition helped him
| into the house. BY signs Mr.. Meredith di-
rected her to mix him some mustard,
which he swallowed and vomited violently.
| In the meantime Miss Huyey was in con
| yulsionS. She had started down street i'm
| mediatey after eating the candy, and being
attacked returned and told them at the
house that the candy bud poisoned her.
Several neighhors came in and did all they
could and the doctor WAS summoned. After
several hours DIR. Fred. Henkle reached
the patients and administered proper anti
dotes. Yesterday both were so far recOv-
cred as to he down street, hui the effect
upon the muscles, the stiffness, soreness
and nimbness had by no means disap-
peared. The candy eaten by the child pro-
duced no bad effects; it must hive es-
capped in TIE general distribution of tie
strychnine.
DIR. Ilenkle took the box of candy with
him to his office, and from one of the pieces
busted the white powder with which it was
coated. This powderhe dissolved in water
and injected into cat The cat went into
spasms and died within five minutes
Commonwealth Attorney Echols was in
formed of the case and Immediately set
about to find the author. Miss Meredith
suspected Il woman named Mag. Greayer,
she having, it is said, uttered threats against
her. Upon investigation it was discovered
that Mag. Greayer had purchased ,candy
at Taylor's and at Ayres'. and that the
specimens in tie box corresponded with
that sold ut the two stores. She had also,
sometime ago, purchased avalentine at the
drug store of B. +. Hughes & Co. Mr..
Hughes could not identify the valentine,
bnt the mark on the one found in the box
of candy was his cost mark and must have
been procured from his store. In addition
to this, Mr.. Meredith noticed the woman
he believes to have been the identical box
in question. What is supposed to be q
clue to the strychnine, the poison used,
is also thought to have been discovered,
and it is believed the handwriting of the
direction can beestablished rs that of Mag.
Greayer. The cireumstantial evidence
is very strong, and the trial of the case
may probably disclose other testimony
Yesterday the accused was arrested and
brought before Justice Pearman. She was
given until three O'Clock this evening to
employ counsel, and remanded to Jail.
She is a woman Of very unsavory reputa-
ton, violent passions and regarded as
dangerous.
Miss Meredith lisa young girl of unusual
intelligence, and generally respected and
beliked. She was awarded the prize schol-
arship at the public schools several years
ago, and was given the choice of the Staun-
ton seminaries in which to complete her
education. She selected one of the most
prominent and has since been pursuing her
studies there. She had no acquaintance
whatever with the woman, Greaver, and
knew of the latter's enmity only by what
others had told her.
Taken altogether this is the most cold
blooded, diabolical crime that we have ever
been called upon to chronicle. We hope
that the guilty party, whether Greayer OF
some one else, may be brought to punish
ment and made to suffer the extreme pen
atty OF the law. The penalty for attempt
to poison is from to 5 years in the pen
itentiary.
1t is fortunate indeed that the results
were not more serious. 1t seems almost
providential that Mr.. Meredith was
called to the post office that evening.
He was not in the habit of getting the mail,
and but for the fact of his being at the Of
flee he would not have asked for it. Had
he not taken it, it would have remained