St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-20
HER MARRIAGE A FAILURE.
An Indictment of Murder Re
turned Against Mrs. Diggle For
Poisoning Her Husband.

CARTON. To-, Oct 19.-The grand jury
of Wright county to-day returned an
Indictment against Mrs. Bertha Diggle,
for the murder of her husband. George
Diggle, on the oath of May. This case
being the last of four similar cases
transDiring in the county within year.
The proceedings are watched with
great interest. Mrs. Diggle, prior to her
engagement with the Ford Dramatic
company. was the stellar attraction in
Andrews Opera company. The Ford
company came here in the latter part
of May to fill weeks engagement. On
the second night of the per-
Torrance with Monte ChriSto''
on the boards, Diggle, who came
from Sioux Falls. made his appearance
on the stage, handing his wife letter
and telling her to read it before she
spoke a word to him. As the curtain
was rung up for the second act he re-
appeared on the stage and asked her if
she had read the letter, when she said
that she had not. At the close of the
entertainment they repaired to Mrs.
Diggle's boarding house and renamed
during the night, occupying the same
room. Before retiring, Diggle, in the
presence of others,
URGED HIS WIFE TO RETURN
to their home at Sioux Falls, but his
pleadings were of no avail. The next
morning they had similar converse
ton, and after he had used all the argu-
ments in his power he petitiOned her, in
behalf of her siX-monthS-Old babe. to
quit the stage forever and go home with
MIN. She at last consented. About
noon of the same day, after she had OBJ
tanned her release from Ford's company,
she again changed her mind. and abSo-
lutely refused to return. MIR. and
Mrs. DiggIe spent most of that
afternoon walking about town, talk
ing the matter over. About
O'Clock they returned to her boarding
house, and as they were about to enter
the door Mrs. Diggle turned saying to
her husband that she had forgotten
to get something. Without further con-
versatiOn she proceeded to drug store
and purchased twenty-five grains of
morphine. The druggist asked her if
she was in the habit of using it and she
replied that she was. She returned to
the house and spoke to her husband in
regard to drinking some beer which he
had brought with him from Sioux Falls.
They took up two gobletS which were
standing OH the dining room table and
went into the bedroom and drank the
beer. Mrs. Diggle soon after passed
through the room and went out to the
pump and cleaned out the cups and set
them back on the table. About ten
minutes later Diggle, his wife and Ford
sat down to supper. They had been
seated about five minutes when
DIGGLE SUDDENLY STOPPED EATING.
His wife. apparently surprised, looked
up into his face, saying: George, how
strange your eyes look" He replied
that he didn't feel we'll and soon arose
from his chair and went and lay down
on the bed. Mrs. Diggle did not appear
in the least worried and when she had
finished supper. went into the bed
room and sat down of the foot of the
bed. Diggle was noticed to be in con-
siderable pain and it was suggested by
the landlady that doctor be summoned,
but Mrs. Diggle said that it was not
necessary; that he was subject to heart
trouble and would soon rally. After
waiting some fifteen minutes the land
lady insisted that physician be called,
and two children. who were playing in
the street. were told to run and get a
doctor. When the doctor came he was
met at the door by Mrs. Diggle, who
told him that her husband was sub
| ject to heart trouble and wanted him to
| do something for that. After a COM
ple:e diagnosis of the case he told her
| that there was no heart difficulty and
that from all appearances the man had
been poisoned and at once proceeded to
ADMINISTER THE PROPER ANTIDoTEs
In a few minutes Diggle was dead.
After his death Mrs. Diggle again said
I to the doctor that it must have been a
heart difficulty, but after the doctor re-
peated that Diggle had been poisoned
the unfaithful wife exclaimed: my,
God he has taken my morphine" The
day following the coroner empaneled
jury, and after examination returned
verdict that the deceased had come to
his death by an overdose of morphine
administered to him by some person or
| persons unknown. A large quantity of
! morphine was found in his stomach.
The beer which remained in the bottles
was examined, and found all right.
During the progress of the inquest
vault was searched, and the wrapper
which contained the morphine was
found. Mrs. Diggle was seen going to
the vault short time after the doctors
arrival. Diggle was not out of the house
after drinking the beer. The grand jury
in session at this time was given the
evidence as produced before the cor
oner's investigation, and dismissed the
case without returning an indictment.
The troupe left the following Monday,
Mrs. Diggle accompanying them, and
continued to play the leading part. In
dignation ran high, and warrant was
at once sworn out, and she was arrested
and bound over to await the action of
| the grand jury, which now returns an
indictment against her of murder in the
first degree. The case will come up in
Judge Stevens court next Tuesday, and
the nronpadinrs nrnnisa to he hiuhlu