The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-10-02


READrNG, Pa, Sept. 25.-Thc COM
munity was startled this morning by
the report that the wife Of Robert w.
Spang had committed suicide, that the
immediate cause of the sad act was the
fact that the jury in the suit of slander
which she brought against Miss Char
lotte Harvey, of South Eleventh street,
had brought in verdict in favor of the
defendant. The suit was tried before
Judge lIageman in Court this week,
and in his charge the Judge distinctly
and explicitly stated that if the jury,
after considering all the facts, brought
in verdict in fauor of Miss Harvey,
such verdict conld not at all be con-
strued as setting forth that Mrs. Sprang
was the sort of woman Miss Harvey
was alleged to have said she was.
Judge Hageman said the defense did
not put in plea of justification by
saying that the allegation was true.
On the contrary, Miss Harvey declared
she never made use of such expression,
inasmuch as Mrs. Sprang was re-
spectacle lady. During the trial Mrs.
Spang. who was a medium sized, black
haired, dark-complexioned lady lightly
built, sat beside her husband, and their
counsel, j. G. Becker, at one of the
green-covered tables in the third story
of the Court House, She was close
listener to all of the proceedings and
frequently wept.
When the case was concluded at
p. IN. on Wednesday the Court ad-
journed and Mr.. and Mrs. Sprang went
home. Yesterday morning the jury
brought in sealed verdict in the case,
but Mr.. and Mrs. Sprang were not pre-
sent. The verdict, as above stated, was
in favor of Miss Harvey Mrs. Spang
was restless and uneasy and appeared
greatly troubled in mind. On We'd
nesday night when the Jury's verdict
was not yet known she seemed anxious
to know the result and her one dread
seemed to be verdict in favor of Miss
Harvey. She told her friends that
such a verdict would make her..out all
that Miss Harvey had alleged as to her
character.
Mrs. Sprang heard of the verdict
through her counsel yesterday after
noon. She went home in troubled
condition of mind. Robert w. Spang,
the husband of the woman, said ; All
day yesterday Mrs. Spang was i'll at
case. Her modification and shame
were great when she learned of the re-
suit of the trial. She made threats
that she would take her own life, but
Mr. Spang did not at first pay serious
attention to them. He thought that
his wife was merely excited and would
cool down as time passed on, and she
would forget her unfortunate experience
in Court.
Mr.. Spang guarded her as much as
possible, and kept a watch over her
until they retired at 9 o'clock last night.
In making her threats of suicide Mrs.
Spang stated to her husband that she
would select drowning as the manner
of making away with herself. She
promised her husband before she went
to sleep that she would make no such
attempt that night, and he went to
sleep. An hour afterward, or about I'D
o'clock, he suddenly awakened, and
was startled to find her gone from his
side. He called her by name, when
she answered him from downstairs.
He struck light, and found her sit
ting in the front room. By kind per-
suasions he induced her to go back
with him. He reasoned with her not to
give herself such concern about the
matter, and the husband, tired and
worn out, then again fell asleep.
At 3 o'clock this morning he was
awakened by his wife calling him. He
found that she had gone from their
bed. She was down stairs on the
lounge, and appeared to be in terrible
agony. To him she confessed all how
she had taken poison, and that she de,
sired to die. The husband, now thor
oughly alarmed and dazed by his
wife's terrible confession, hastily dress.
ed himself and ran to the office of DR..
Loose, whom he awakened. DR.. Loose
hurriedly went to the house and ap-
piled all known remedies, but the poi
son had taken too deep hold on her
system, and at 4 o'clock she died.
DR.. Loose had conversation with
Mrs. Spang in which he told her that
her end was near and said that if she
had any request to make she should
state it. She said that she had none.
Sbe refused to have minister sum-
moned. Mr.. Spaug was not aware
that there was any poison in the house.
The family purchased box of Rough
on Rats last winter but he thought
that it had all been used. When ques-
toned as to what she had taken Mrs.
Spang pointed to table drawer and
here the poison was found. The box
was half empty, but Mrs. Spang stated
that she had only taken half tea
spoonful.
Miss Harvey, the defendant, is a
daughter of Isaac Harvey, who mar
ried a sister of the deceased, thus max
ing the deceased an aunt of Miss Har-
vey, the defendant The deceased
brought the suit against Miss Harvey
charging her with having used scan
dalous language concerning her, both
in Reading and in Philadelphia, cast
ing odium upon her character as re-
spectacle woman and alleging that her
home was visited by persons not of
good character and that mo person as
soclales with her any more"