Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-01-02
WAS HE POISONED?
A SENSATIONAL AND MYSTERIOUS
CASE IN ACCOMACK COUNTY.
The ACCOUNTING DEATH OF WILLIAM TAY-
LoR-HIs WIFE ARRESTED AND
JAILED-THE CoRoNER's
I1pv

Correspondence of the Richmond DISPATCH
ONANoocK, VA, December %, 1888.
Virginia Taylor, young white woman,
was to-day committed to Accomack county
Jail on the charge of poisoning her husband.
More than week ago William Taylor, a
thrifty yonng farmer residing near Modest
town, in the northern part of Accomack
county, died under circumstances that
aroused the suspicion that he had been poi
soned. Three days before he died he was
suddenly attacked with commissions that
rendered his limbs rigid, bent his body in
the shape of bow so that only his head
and heels would touch the bed, and caused
foam to issue from between his clenched
teeth. During these attacks he was per.
fectly conscious, aud after them would de-
scribe the sensations to his physician.
There we're three attacks, one each day,
and during them several strong men were
required to hold Taylor on the bed. After
the second attack the patient seemed to be
getting better, and all the neighbors who
had been staying with him went home ex-
cept William Parks, who remained to rom
der assistance in case the commissions
should return. About 10 o'clock at night
Taylor, who was sitting before the fire, ask.
ed his wife for some water and after drink
ing it complained of feeling badly and then
walked to his bed and lay down. Parks
got in bed with Taylor while Mrs. Taylor
went upstairs to spend the night. Soon
after this Taylor called to his wife to come
down, saying he was feeling uneasy. She
came down, went into the kitchen, aud
soon returned with glass containing a
considerable quantity of some white sub
stance which she said was sugar to sweetsn
the medicine which the doctor had prescrib-
ed Soon after taking the medicine Taylor
was seized with violent commissions. Parks,
who was sleeping with him, tried in vain
to hold him on the bed.
WOULD NOT ASSIST.
He called to James Dix, young man
who was sleeping up stairs. and who lived
with Taylor and helped i'm on the farm,
but Dix refused to come down, saying he
did not care to see Taylor in such agony.
Several of the neighbors hearing the noise
came over and one of them started for the
doctor, and Mrs. Taylor with her little son
went out to arouse the other neighbors. A
few minutes later Taylor died.
When his wife returned and learned of
his death she evinced no sorrow, and
throughout his illness manifested but little
concern for him. His body was inferred,
Du5 INC suspicion That ne had been
poisoned grew so strong that nearly week
afterwards his remains were disinterred
and an inquest was held.
sTRYCaNINE.
AT the postmorten1 symptoms of strych-
nine poisoning were observed in the au-
topsy, and the stomach and liver are in the
possession of the law officers and will be
tested by chemical analysis. 1t was prov
ed before the coroner's jury that Taylor
and his wife did not live pleasantly together.
1t is generally believed that she was fonder
of James Dix than of her husband. 1t was
also proved that she bought strychnine at
neighboring drugstore, in October, which
she says she bought to kill rats with,
though she is unable to say what became
of all the poison, There were other facts
developed before the jury confirming the
suspicious that Taylor had died of poison
| ing, aud after sitting through four days the
jury to-day rendered a verdict that Taylor
had come to his death by poison, supposed
to have been administered by his wife.
Mrs. Taylor is only thirty-one, rather good
looking, and stoutly protests her innocence.
She is of humble origin and can neither
read per write.