Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-04-17
THE POISONED CANDY CASE.
JEALOUSY THE CAUSE OF THE FIENDIsH AT
TEMPr-THE TESTIMONY BEFORE THE MAGIs-
rRATEs-AcoUsED SENT ON TO THE GRAND
JURY.

JEALOUSY THE CAUSE OF THE FIENDIsH AT
TEMPr-THE TESTIMONY BEFORE THE MAGIs
rRATEs-AcCUsED SENT ON TO THE GRAM
JURY.
There was much excitement in the city last
week over the attempted poisoning OF Miss
Florence Meredith, on Monday. the 9Th inst.
by means of a box of poisoned candy sent hel
through the mail.
From information gained by the Common
wealth's Attorney and the police they were LED
to believe that young woman named Maggie
Greaver was the guilty party. She was arrest
ed on Wednesday morning, and on THURSDAY
evening was tried before justices Pearman and
Kayser, Messrs. W. E. Craig and James Bum
gardner appearing for the accused, and Com
monwealth's Attorney Edward Echols for the
prosecution.
The testimony given at the trial was suostan-
TALLY as follows:
MR.. VIM. L. MEREDITH,
the step-father of Miss Florence Meredith,
whilst at the post-office on Monday evening
was handed package directed to Miss Flor
ence Meredith. which he took home and de-
livered to her. When opened by his daughter
it was found to contain candy, and was handed
around to himself, his wife and Miss HulVey, q
woman living in the same house. He took
several pieces of 1t, put them in his pocket, and
after supper started for Thornburg's stables.
where he was employed. On the way he ate q
chocolate drop and found it bitter, then ate a
gum drop and found it also bitter, but did not
think much of it. After reaching the stables be
began to feel badly, and his limbs grew stiff;
started to get some water but grew worse and
vomited; returned 10 the office and sat down,
and in short while messenger came and told
him that Miss Hulvey had been poisoned by
the candy. He at once mounted horse and
rode home. but when dismounting found him.
self stiff i'll the legs, back and arms; felt numb
and rigid; was assisted into the house by his
wife, -'felt as If his heels wanted to get up to
the back of his neck >; took mustard and vom-
tied; sent for DOCTOR but he did not come for
several hours.
MISS FLORENCE MEREDITH
testified to receiving the box from her father.
When she opened it she found it filled with
candy. and a very pretty valentine on top OF
the candy She was curious to find out who
had sent g her, ar :; kept .he address,,
but threw the wrapper away. She showed her
present 70 Miss Rulvey and her mother and
father, and they took some of the candy TO eat;
she having the toothache did not eat any. but in
tended to do SO after supper, if her tooth got
better In examining the box to see if there
was any thing else in it she poured the candy
into her lap, and in doing so noticed some gum
drops fastened together with string. Not
having seen anything of this kind before she
examined it closly and in doing so her fingers
became sticky and she put them in her mouth.
and noticed very bitter taste. After supper
back, and, falling on the floor, said the candy
was poisoned. Witness then went for doctor;
saw DR.. McChesney, who gave her a prescrip-
ton which she had filled at Berkeley's drug
store The box was wrapped in a Valley Vir-
gilman, dated March Goth. 1888. The witness
here identified the box of candy and valentine.
SUSPICION AROUSED.
Mr. Meredith being recalled, said his suspi-
cion that Miss Greaver had sent the box was
because on that Monday morning he had seen
Miss Greaver come down the street, but when
she saw him she crossed over the street. as If
for the purpose of avoiding him. She then had
three packages under her arm wrapped in
newspaper, one of them about the size of the
box of dandy. The accused had for the passed
year been causing him much trouble by bring
ing him reports about his daughter which he
had since found to be untrue. He thought she
was actuated by jealousy. but had never heard
her make any threats against his daughter.
MRS. W. L. MEREDITH
had also eaten some of the candy, but had suf-
fered no i'll effects from it, as neither did a
small boy who had also eaten some of it.
MISS MARIA HULvEY
ate two pieces of the candy, the first did not
taste bitter but the second did; soon felt dizzy
started down street. but began to feel SO badly
she had to return; was so stiff in her legs that
she could hardly walk, and had to hold on to
the fence; drank some sweet milk, then TOOK
some mustard and vomited, after which she got
better.
DIR. f. L. HENKEL
was called to the house of MIR. Meredith; found
Miss Hulvey sick; thought she was suffering
from the effects of an emetic; also saw Mr..
Meredith; he was suffering with commissions,
and thought he was poisoned with strychnine,
and so told the family. He took the box of
candy to his Office, where he kept it under lock
and key. Having procured a cat. he sifted
about tenth off grain of the powder in the
candy into water and Dissolved it, This he in
jected hypodermically into the fiber of the cat,
which soon went into commissions and died in
about forty five minutes.
B.F HUGHES,
a druggist, had sold valentines to Miss Greaver
and recognized his cost mark on the one shown
him.
MEsSRS. JAS. e. TAYoR AND R. NJ. AYRES
testified to having sold candy to Miss Greaver
on the Friday and Saturday previous, and that
the kind in the box was similar to what they
kept in stock.
THE FATAL ENVELOPE.
Mr.. VIM. M. Simpson, policeman, who, in
company with officer Hounihan and Constable
Hutchinson, made the arrest, testified: When
read the warrant to Mrs. Fuller, when 1 came
to that part about the candy, Mrs. F. exclaim-
ed, why, there's been no candy in the house,"
in prisoners trunk found an envelope with
Miss Florence Meredith's name on it; prisoner
hesitatingly admitted that it was
IN HER OWN HANDWRITING.
iGnyelope SHOWN and identified the direction
on the box of poisoned candy and the address
on this envelope are in the same handwriting0
Prisoner denied positively having bought any
c indy since Mr.. Fuller's death, except the even
ing before TUESDAY evening" when she bought
a stick from Mr.. Haines store. CThe fact was
here shown that Mr.. Full er died two week ago.
Some mixed candy WAS also found in her house.
Two envelopes addressed to other parties were
shown to establish her handwriting. Also
communication to the Police Gazette. Geo. A.
Hutcheson confirmed the above evidence.
F. S. HAINEs,
clerk at The post-office, testified that the box
had been put in the Office after O'Clock Mon
day.
MISS ST. CLAIR
testified that she saw the prisoner going into
the post-otfice about o'clock Monday with a
package and come out without it. Before get
ting to the post-office prisoner spoke to a boy
who replied mo, ma'am 1 can't do it," and
prisoner passed on into the post-office. After
leaving the post-office prisoner went down
town.
EXPERT TESTIMONY ON THE HANDWRITING.
Thos. A. Bledsoe, Cashier of the National
Valley Bank, was called to express his opinion
on the similarity of the FLORENCE Meredith" on
the box address to that on the envelope found
in prisoners trunk, the last address she admit
ted she had written. Mr.. Biedsoe testified that,
in his opinion, both were in the same hand
writing.