Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-01
A WISCONSIN BORGIA.

a Family That Dropped OF Mysteri-
ously, Until the Cause Was Traced to "A
Daughter and sister.
WHITE WATER, Wis. Jan. 2S.-In few
days the attorney for Miss Nellie Koran,
who is in Jail on the terrible charge of
numbering her sister, viii ask the Circuit
Judge at ElkhOrn to fix the amount of
bail which his fair client will he required
to give to secure her liberty until her case
is called for trial. The preliminary ex-
animation of the young lady lasted six or
seven days, and at its conclusion she was
committed to Jail to await trial in the
Criminal Court. The case is one of eX-
tra0rdinary interest and has few paral-
lels in the criminal history of the country.
Miss Nellie Koran is unusually good look
ing, about % years old, five feet nine inches
tall, and is of gracefC /, slender build. She
was considered Of excellent morals until
the charge of poisoning her sister was
brought against her. The evidence of a
dozen unimpeachable witnesses during
the preliminary trial was direct and strong
against the unhappy young woman. 1t
was clearly proven that she had purchased
strychnine the day before her sister died,
and that she became insanely excited
when informed that it had been decided
sisters remains to determine the cause of
death. She even threatened to kill the
Sheriff when told that pOSt-mOftem
would have to be held. A web of most
damning evidence was woven around
her.
Miss Koran tainted several times during
the preliminary examination and the case
proved an exceptionally sensational one.
W hen the prosecution announced that the
testimony for the State was all in, the de-
Tense announced that no witnesses would
be called until the formal trial, which will
begin in a few weeks. The prisoner was
committed to the county Jail until the
motion for bail was decided, and the mat
ter win be officially disposed Of on " ed
nesday, as already stated. Miss Koran
viii undoubtedly be convicted, aud is al
most sure to get life sentence in States
prison. Capitol punishment is not in
vogue in this State or she would stand a
splendid chance of going 10 the SallOWs.
The crime with which Miss Koran IS
charged is a most diabOlical one. 1t is
not only the poisoning Of her sister but of
her whole family. If she is guilty of poi
sOning her sister Annie the last victim,
she is undoubtedly guilty of killing her
father, mother and another sister in the
same way. Two years ago the father and
mother died very suddenly, and the story
get around some months after their death
that they had been poisoned. Their re-
mains were exhumed but it was too late
to determine the cause of their deaths.
Later sister died in a most mysterious
manner and her death was never account
ed for. Nellie Koran stood so well and
was 50 much thought of that no one ever
suspected her, and matters ran along un-
tillast December, when Miss Annie Koran
dice under such suspicious circumstances
that an investigation was made, which
Al . 81
COroner's jury held an inquest, returning /
the following verdict:
1--WE find that Annie Koran came to her
death on Dec. 8, and that she came TO her
death by means Of being poisoned by
strychnine, and that said Annie Koran
w2sj murdered at White Water, Wis. in
the manner aforesaid, and that we do /
hereby charge Nellie Koran with the crime /
of committing the murder, and recon- /
mend that she be dealt with according to /.
law"
The arrest Of the suspected sister fol- /
lowed, and she was kept under close /
guard at her home, being too i'll TO leave |
her bed, until the result Of the prelimi- (
nary examination was known, when she /
was removed to the village jail. The case 1
has attracted widespread attention aud /
the result Of the trial Will be closely +
watched by the reading public.
Inc prisoner was tor some time a sue I
cessful school teacher. Two years ago /
she was engaged to a well-to-do young
merchant named Frank Richardson. The |
wedding day was set and Miss H0ran's /
trOusseau was ready. The day before the /
time set for the happy event Richardson
suddenly left town and the wedding was /
declared OF. No explanation was ever /
made, and the young man took up his /
residence in a neighboring town. After
this unhappy affair Miss Koran became a
type-setter and worked for some time in .
the office of the White Water Register, /
short time Of the death Of her sister An /
ME. one sister still lives and is making .
a plucky fight to save Nellie, whom she .
believes to be innOcens of the terrible ac- (
cusations. The trial of Wiscoasin's Bor- !
gia promises to be a celebrated case.