The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-09-04
ARKANSAS SENSATION.

A KANSAS SENSATION.
Death Under Suspicious Circumstances OF
Hon. J. r. walkup mt Emporia His
Young Wife Suspected Of Having Admin
lstered Poison, Which She IN Known to.
Have Purchased.
EMPoRIA, Kas., August 23.-The sud-
den and strange death of Hon. J. r.
Walkup is the universal topic OF CONVEX
satiOn. Stories without number have
been circulated on all sides. Many OF
the statements made are mere ru-
mors and greatly exaggerated, while
other statements concerning the cause
Of Mr.. Walkup's sad and untimely
taking.of bear marks which excite the
gravest suspicious and the most serious
charges. Sunday night Mr.. Walkup was
attacked by 4 severe cramping, but was
able Monday to attend the Council
meeting. He was taken worse on
Tuesday, and although the physicians
treated him for poison, and did
everything possible in their power to
save him he died yesterday morning ut
ten minutes to eleven O'Clock. 1t was
rumOred on the streets early Yesterday
morning that Mr.. Walkup was dying
from the effects OF poison administered
/ bv his wife. Although Friday night was
the first time that suspicion of crime on
the part of Mrs. Waikup had been made
public, yet it had existed with parties in.
timately acquainted with Mr.. Walkup
and his physicians. The symptoms
which Mr.. Walkup exhibited on Sunday
night indicated strychnine poison, aud
the indications for forty eight hours or
more before his death were those of ar
senic poison.
On the l4th Mrs. Walkup stepped into
1rwin's drug store, and approaching viii
/ Irwin asked in low tone for dimes J..
worth of sifychnine. Mr.. Irwin was in
the act Of getting the drug for her when
she remarked in louder tone that he
might give her fifteen cents worth. Mr..
Irwin told her that she would have to
sign the record, as all purchasers of poi
son are required to do. When he asked
her for what purpose she wanted the
s,rychnine, she said that was thing she
could not tell. only that she wanted to
u.s. it as an ingredient in a medicine she
was making. She stated that while in Gin
cinnati last July she called for some
strychnine, but the clerk h ad made
mistake and gave her quinine. When
MIR. Irwin again ASKED her to sign the
record she remarked: "You don't think
am going to commit suicide, do you?'
On Thursday. the Goth, Mrs. Walkup.
called at WheldOn's drug store and asked
for quarters worth of arsenic, saying
that she wanted to use it to improve her
complexion. Mr.. WheldOn finally sold
her four ounces of arsenic and az soon as
he heard that Mr.. Walkup was sick he
went to Dwight Bell AMI told him thath
had sold Mrs. Walkup some arsenic, and.
from what he had heard since had grave
suspicious that criminal use had been
made of the poison. A pOst-mOr'em ex-
animation was held by Drs. Moore, Ja-
cObs, Page, Harrison and FoncannOn.
The stomach and intes'i ines were found
in a congestcd state, with indications of
corrosive poison.
Shortly after three O'Clock Yesterday
afternoon Coroner DIR. G.. W. Frost sum-
moned a Jury and began the holding of
an inquest. The first witness examined
was Miss Libbie Walkup, daughter of
the deceased. She testified that Mr..
Walkup, her father. married Minnie Wal
lace at COvingtOn, XIV, and arrived with
her in EmpOria one month ago yester-
day; that previous to Saturday he had
been in good health; that during his
illness Mrs. WaIkup waited upon him
until Friday noon, when she (Libbie)
took entire charge. Miss Walkup said
she did not know of anv poison being in
the house during his sickness. She had
been at home but a few days since her
fai hers marriage, having returned from,
Co OradO last Tuesday evening.
VI. II. Bates testified that he sold Mrs.
Wa'kup about eight grams of strychnine
on the 18th Of August. She signed an
application, but did not write the pur--
pose for which she wanted it, saying it.
was for private formula. The medicine
was put In a small strychnine bottle and
labelled poison. 1t was suiphate of
strychnine she purchased. She sent
written order Sunday by colored girl
for strychnine, saving that she had lost
the first. Mr.. Bates did not let her have it.
l.. Severy testified that Mrs. Wakup
told him in reference to the strychnine
purchased of NJ. II Bates that she mad
bought the strychnine for the purpose of
making mixture OF strychnine and an-
other article to remove some stains in.
her clothing; that she had never tried
the preparation but was told that it
would remove the stains. and she bought
it for thai purpose. She had also pur-
chased arsenic to change her complexion,
but on Mr.. Waikup's coming home be-
fore she had time. to Use it, and not
wishing to let him know that she was
about to use it, she hastily threw it into
the slOp-bucket
After some further unimportant testi--
mony, the Coroner at $3.50 yesterday
evening adjourned the inquest and in
the Sheriff TO hold Mrs. Walk
up in custody until Monday morning at
oin .,SN hon ho v,x,;lI
again. She takes the arrest very cooliy
and refuses to talk to reporters at
all. She is now in charge of Sheriff
white at tn. Fifth Avenue Hotel. Her
Cousin, William ID. Willis, q boy fifteen
years old, recently here from New Or
leans, at Mrs. Walkup's request was
lodged in Jail about noon yesterday on
account OF suspicious circumstances
Nr. Walkup was at the time of his
death Deputy Grand Dictator of the
Knights of Honor, President of the
Council and acting Mayor of this city.
He became acquainted with Miss WAL
lace at her residence, No. 222 Canal
street. New Orleans, while visiting the:
and after 3 short courtship
be returned home and then went TO Cow
iu.tOn, ky., where he was met by Miss
WI !lace, and they were married. returning,
here July 22d, one month ago Shs is his
third wife, very handsOpas a1d only
twenty years of age, while Mr. WaIkup'
was forty-nine. He carried life insurance
policies IS follows: One of 1000 in the
wv and one of the ,me amount in
.bs Knights Of Honor, both in favor Of
Mrs. Hannah Walkup, his deceased wife,
mi one In the New York MGtnsi for
b, 500 ia favor of his daughter, Libbie.-