Daily Republican., 1886-08-14
MURDER BY THE WHOLESALE.
! Woman Accused OF Poisoning nj
Least Eleven Persons.

Ao~ss GAowoh okbohbs l
A special despatch from Boston,
Mass. says: Mrs. Sarah j. Robinson,
q widow, 48 years Of age, who WAS ar
rested In West Somerville yesterday on
y charge Of attempting to murder her
son, William j. Robinson, by admins
tering poison, and her aocomplice.
Thomas r. Smith, were arraigned in
the police court in 6omerville this
morning. Mrs. Robinson came into
court trembling, and appeared very
and body. To the complaint which
charged them with ''mipgling poison
with medicine with intent to kill one
William j. Robinson" both pleaded
not guilty. Judge Story decided to
continue the cases until the 18th inst,
and held Mrs. Robinson In S25, 900 and |
Mr.. Smith In S3, 800 bail. As yet they |
have not obtained bondsmen. In the |
meantime 1t was learned that the boy |
d led this morning. and the charge of
wilful murder will now be made |
against the woman.
The alleged accompiice, Thomas r. |
Smith, . married man 80 years of age, |
who has homo and family in Hyde
Park, was also arrested yesterday ss he
was about to enter the Widows house |
In West Somerviile.
He has been q constant visitor there. |
and Ii suspected Of having maintained
illicit relations with the widow. The i
arrests were made after q chemical an |
alysis by Harvard professor had
shown traces of arsenic in matter from
the stomach of the widows son, who
was then lying at the point of death at
her house In West Somerville. The dying
boy asserted that his mother and Smith
had both given him poison In his food.
An examination of the food given tol
the boy last night showed conclueively
that poison was Administered.
The case has created feeling of hor.
| r0r among those conversant with the
facts, and the deeper the investigation
| the more terrible the case appears. It'll
is said that the police have information
Of the suspicious death of at least eleven
persons.
The last victim was the son of Mrs
K JbinsvD, who died this morning in
terrible agony, his ply sioians eaid of ar
senical poisoning. This was the third
death this year In the house. In March
last her oldest daughter. Elizabeth, "a
years old, was stricken down with Pc
culiar malady which baffla cd the skill Of
her physicians After thort illness
three months elapsed when Thomas A.
freeman, q child Of whom Mrs. Robin
son was guardian, fell prey to illness
and death speedily ensued.
The two last deaths following each
: Iother 30 soon, and d.being.apparently simi-
lar in their symptoms, caused no little
: comment. but were regarded as peculiar
rather than in suspicious light. The
I taking down of William few days age
7 with just such on attack as the Others
had, seemed TO demand an examina.
t ton. TIE physician, DR.. White, pro
cured quantity of the contents OF tht
o lyoung mans stomach and sent 1t Il
Prof. Wood, of Harvard Medical Col
I, Ilege, who made an analysis, which
n showed large quantities of arsenic -
0 DR.. White Immediately informed th'
= police. who arrested Mrs. Robinson apt
8 Thomas r. Smith.
vi The investigation of the police ha
9 Just begun. They find that Mrs. Rob
!, jnson, who IL apparently q cultured
l woman. originally came from Chelsea
o but for about four years previous to he
i coming to Somerville resided in vari
! GUS neighborhoods in Cam bridge. Th,
frat known about her was when liviDl
y on Brookline street in the latter city
; 1t was there that her husband, wht
a was carpenter by trade, died very
o suddenly four years ago. He wal
d taken i'll on Fourth of July night witt
= lcramps and abdominal pains. which
u resulted fatally in . few hours. Hi
t death was attributed to drinking ic'
= water when overheated.
III Mrs. Robinson next moved to Hewe
o street, where the second sudden de2ti
o In her family occurred, the victim benl
n a 10-year old daughter. The circum
8 stances of that death were regarded a
y very peculiar at the time. After shor
i residence at the last named place sh
% moved to De Wolf street. While liviu
|, there her sister led in South Boston
whereupon the latter's husband, Mr.
y freeman, and his two small children
d went to live with Mrs. Robinson. Th
q infant child died soon afterward. Mrs
70 Robinson soon after moved to 81 Boy
3. ston street, where Mr.. Freeman wa
's taken suddenly i'll and died, tho sud
', denness of his death again attractin
q attention and suspicion.
III In connection with the death of Nj
lg Freeman, and, still later, of his 30
Thomas, are circumstances which th
lpolice ihterpret as shedding a littl
Hight on affairs. Mr.. Freeman was
member of secret society known a
s. the United Order of Pilgrim Fathers, /
ID which his life was insured for 81, ,0Ot
: q The money was made payable to hi
ne wife In case of his death, but his viii
.. dying before him, the money was mad
I'd payable to Mrs. Robin0on, with til
AL understanding that 1t was to be devote
,y to the support aud education of his sol
" The death of his son placed the none
C. unrestrictedly In Mrs. Robinson
Tx Ihands.
ad Then the daughter OF Mrs. Robinson
ed who died in March, also had her II
ok iinsnred in the Same society for 81. 90
.e- which was made payable to the sc
btj William, who died to day. He in tur
d was insured Tor 81, COO for the benefit
his mother, 80 that the latter will r.
lceive the Insurance on his life and VIII
.s has not been spent of the sum receive
% on the daughters. Mrs. Robinson 3 hu
h band was insured for 81. 600 In the Ne
England Mutual Relief Association
The payment of the policy was contes
ed on the ground that the agent wi
A received the premiums embszzled Il
> money, and the cafe is still pendiI
;,c before the Supreme Court
TO- The police say, without giving detail
n hat they have learned of eleven sudd,
We deaths in Mrs. Robinson's househol
within the past four years. 1t has nev
happened that the same physician b
been called twice.
ey The man Smith, charged with beii
BAR an accomplice, has been q frequent vii
IN, tor to Mrs. Robinson's house. He 81
\ 10 he is an old friend of the family. 1t
Inc said he 10 a social member of the ga y
In Pilgrim Fathers society that Mrs. Ro
ely inson and her children belong, but
sinot entitled to the beneficiary adva