The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-23
SUNDAY SENSATIONS,
An ALLEGED POISONING CASE
Which Proves to be no Poisoning when In
ycstignted by the COrOnCr-Two Arrests
a Serious CnttInE scraps At Fulton
and Another In East Wheeling,

Gus Brown, q ColOred man, died sudden'
" Yesterday bsGween II O'Clock and noon
under circumstances which seemed to sug'
gest suspicion Of foul play. Some time
ago Brown and George Hoffman, another
colored man, had difficulty, and Ho&-
man cut Brown badly with Ratchet.
Hoffman was arranged in police court and
sent to the hill for thirty days, After be-
| ing released from the workhouSe he was
committed to the county jail for ten days,
| He and Brown have had numerous diff
cultes in the past two years, growing out
OF their intimacy with Mary Williams, a
woman living on Morrow street. AT the
time OF the difficulty which led to Holt
mans imprisonment he threatened TO kill
Brown.
Yesterday shorty after nine O'Clock
Brown, who WAC at Mrs, Willlam1' house,
came down town at her request and
bought hali.pint OF whisky, He at first
refused 10 drink OF this, but after Mrs.
Williams poured some into tin cup, he
> took the same cup, poured out drink and
drank it, He and his two little children
and two daughters OF Mrs. Williams then
sRt down to breakfast, Brown ate q little
then GOT up and went Into another room
and Law down, Almost Immediately one
: Of his little girls went to ask him some
thing, and found him speeChless and evil
IDENTIFY in pain. She raised an alarm anu
Mrs. Willisms' grown daughter went lnIe
the room. His condition alarmed mel
too, and she sent for DR.. u. II, slillyaru
When he arrived, scarcely q minute alter
Brown was dead.
HOFFMAN AND MRS, WILLIAMS ARRESTED
The circumstances and come talk II
connection with the case led DR., stillyart
10 make some inquiries OF the people II
the house. lie then searched the house
and took all the bottles III 1t, the dlshe
h from which Brown had eaten and SOM
" other articles away with him. SOUR!
sChultze, the County Coroner, was not'
lied, and alter an informal inquiry, n
deemed 1t bis duty to order the arrest o
Huffman and the woman. They Wer
: arrested by officer Juukins and lodged IL
the county jail. .,
Squire schultzs then ordered the fol
= lowing Jury to be summoned: Y. X
Tracy, Il. NJ. Rowls, Jete Crawford, Han
Dayip, Robert Strange, George McMeGhen
I James Jones, George Prayer, William
q Darrah, John Mooney, Robert McGee AM
Thomas Newman.
The inquest was set for 4 o'clock, Cor
oner Schultz9 spent the interim IN tfyini
to get Prosecuting Attorney Jordan to at
tend the trial, but failed, az MIR. Jordal
was at his homo in tho country. Count.
Physician Wilson attended, prepared Il
make post mOrteln examination itneces
sary, but it was decided not to DO neces
sRry.
TIE DEATH FROM NATURAL CAUSES,
Tho inquest was held at Mendel'a fur
nilure factory, where the body had beel
taken, The evidence showed the state o
affairs prior 10 the death OF Brown, anC
The circumstances attending his death, L
be as stated above. There was nothing II
The testimony 10 show foul play. A
Tumor that Holman had visited thu
house sub rosa while Brown wa
after the whisky was not substantiated
DR.. Wilson gaid there was no poison ex
cent prussic acid that would act 80 quickly
and he did not believe there was 9 droI
OF that in town. He and DR.. stillyart
testitied that the symptoms were not IN
consistent with the theory that death wa
the result OF natural causes.
In view Of these facts, the jury rendered
a verdict OF death from natural causes
and the Coroner ordered the release o
Mrs. Williams and Hoffman. The alai
created q great sensation. and sensational
rumo1s multiplied rapidly tllthey were
all exploded by the sworn evidence.