The morning news., 1888-06-15
AMOTHER'SAWFUL CRIME
SHE POIsONs HER HUSBAND AND
TWO CHILDREN.
Less Than Four Hundred Dollars of
Insurance the Motive for the Muir


der.
From the New York Times.
PHILADELPHIA, June 12.-Mrs. Sarah ].
Whiteling, short stout, rather arse-fea-
tured woman, 40 years of age, was COM
,nitted to prison by Coroner Ashbridge this
afternoon after she had confessed to dellb.
erately numbering her husband and two
children. The woman's crimes, which will
rank in conception and execution with the
most diabolical murders on record, appear
20 have been committed for the pitiful sums
of money for which the victims lives were
insured. Whitelings family consisted of
John Whiteling, the husband and father,
aged 3S years; Bertha aged 9 years, and
Willie, aged years and months, and the
mother, who was two years older than her
husband.
The husband died on March 20, and DR..
George w. Smith of 1890 Walnut street.
who attended him, gave a certificate of
death due to Inflammation of the bowels.
On April "a Bertha died. and DR.. Smith
certified that her death was due to gastric
fever. On May 26 Willie died, and Dr.
George Dietrich, who was called In after
DIR. Smith had abandoned the case, said
that death was due to congestion Of the
bowels, and granted certificate to that
effect. John Whiteling's life was insured
for s145 in the John Hancock insurance
company. He was also a member Of Herd
No. 2 Benevolent Order Of Buffaloes, which
pays death benefit of SS5 to the widow Of
a member. This money was collected by
Mrs. Whiteling Immediately after her hus-
bands death. She had insured Bertha in
the Hancock insurance company for S122.
and Willie was insured in the Prudential
insurance company for ST. and in the Han
cock company for $50. The amount Of
money she received on the death of her hus-
band and children was $500.
The fact of the three deaths at intervals
of only month was brought to the notice
of Coroner Ashbridge, and after examining
the records in the health Office he was salts
fed that the case was one that his Office
should investigate. he communicated with
Chief of Detectives Wood, and Detective
Guyer was detailed TO assist the coroner
The bodies had all been buried in one grave
in Mechanics cemetery, at Twenty second
street and Susquehanna avenue Prof
Lehman made an analysis of the parts
brought to him by the coroner's physician,
and on Sunday reported to Coroner Ash
bridge that he had found arsenic enough In
the bodies to cause death. Mrs. Whiteling
was taken into custody and locked up in
the Central station. She was closely
watched to prevent her from committing
suicide. She spent most of the day in pray
ing, and on Monday she suffered so from
nervous prostration that physician had to
be called in. The coroner charged her with
killing her husband and two children, and
told her to send for him when she was ready
to make a confession.
To-day she made full and clean confes-
sion to the coroner and was committed to
Moyamensing. The inquest will be held on
Friday at IL o'clock. In her confession,
after telling how her husband died from
poison, which she claims he took himself,
Mrs. Whiteling says:
MY little girl, Bertha, was a very
healthy child, and was never sick About
one week before Bertha died, l had made
up my mind to poison myself, but had not
determined what to do with the children.
/ bought a second box of rat poison at
George Bille's drug store, at Second and
Thompson streets, about one week before
Bertha died, and on Saturday morning,
about o'clock, April 81, gave Rertha the
poison, opened the hox. and with spoon
took out quantity and mixed it with
water. | called her and said: Here,
Birdie, is some medicine. want you to
take it nice l gave her a tablespoonful
every half hour. | knew Dr. Smith was at
his Office that day, and l sent Charles
Gilbert over to tell him to call at the house,
as Birdie was SICK When the doctor
called he asked how long she had been sick,
and | told him she was taken the day
before. He left medicine-a couple of
powders to be dissolved in fifteen spoonfuls
of water, and to be given every half hour.
Il did not give her any medicine on Sat
urday at all. / only gave her the poisoned
water every half hour, the same as the
medicine should have been given. On Sun
day morning felt sorry for having given
her the poison and stopped giving it, and
then gave her the medicine for the first
time. The doctor called every day until she
died. She vomited like my husband, and
lived until Tuesday, April "a. She died at
$50 o'clock. Her life was insured in the
they paid me. After Bertha's death did
not want the entire house, and Mrs Dono-
van moved into the lower floors and
moved into the third story with Willie.
Herman Whiteling had gone away after
Birdie died. On Thursday morning
May "A, about 9o'clock, / took teaspoonful
of the poison and mixed it the same as did
for Birdie in fifteen spoonfuls of water,
and gave Willie two teaspoonfuls every half
hour. | then sent Charlie Gilbert for DR..
Smith. He came about l o'clock and left
two powders. | did not give Willie any of
the medicine, which should have been given
every half hour, The next morning l re-
ceived letter from DR.. Smith saying |
should get another DOCTOR as he did not like
to attend Willie after having lost my hus-
band and Birdie | then sent for DR.. Smith
and insisted on his coming. He sent back
word that l would have to get another
physician.
Mrs. Gilbert then recommended DR..
Dietrich. He came, and | showed him DR..
Smiths letter. He read it and then pre-
scrlbed powders every two hours. l gave
Willie three of these before he died /
stopped giving him the poison Friday morn
ing; and then wanted to save him, but it
was too late to do So He died on Saturday
morning, May 26, at 1890 o'clock. l had
him insured iii the Prudential insurance
company for one year, and in the John
Hancock seven weeks before he died. had
him insured in the Hancock after my hus-
bands death. received $17 from the Pru-
Dental and $50 from the Hancock company.
didn't poison all Of them at one time for
Tear would be found out, SO l thought l
would poison them one month apart, then
no one would suspect me-"
"On Sunday evening, June 3, | went to
the church, because my conscience told me
should do something to get pardon from
my sin. / went to the church, and when
Tho minister asked if any one was present
who wanted to be prayed for went to the
altar and asked to be prayed for NY only