Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-28


poisoned her husband. lie took her
20 Or. Bowdoin's. On the way over
fho said she would never consent to baye the
body eNhuned, aud that II she could prevent
81 10 should not be done. Witness bad urged
her 20 nave i. done 20 clear herself OF su,pi-
ciou and to get the $1,000 for which her bus
hands life was Insured ia the knights OF
Honor. Mrs. Tal Tor told witness that II bad
only cost her husband Ell TO join the order
ona ihst she would rather lose The $1,000
than have her husbands body taken up.
Sue CONSENTED.
After Dr. Bowdoiu told her that be could
not tell positively whether her husband bad
died from strychnine she consented TO having
the body taken up and an autopsy held.
She did not appear 20 witness to be greving
mucn over the loss Of her husband. Wit
ness bad never visited bis brothers house
after his marriage 10 tie prisoner, but was
on friendly terms with him. " itness heard !
much talk ia the neghbOrhOOd about The I
prisoner being the cause Of ms brothers /
dcsth, aud be took steps TO have post NOR
tenn held.
several witnesses testified to Taylor's good !
health PRIOR 90 his death.
William NOrthsm WAS osked by Mrs Tay-
Tor on tie day her husband was buried TO
tee that he Was securely put away. aud at
her suggestion he made threc-cro marks on
the mortar % The arch over the coffin 10 |
show 10 case The body should be exhumed |
secretly, as she had heard that 1t would be.
ASKED FoR DIX.
William Petit said that he had visited the |
prisoner an jal. She bad asked him where |
James Dix wps. and 10 tell him that he must |
save bis money, s. he was the only one to |
whom she could look when she got out OF
Sal.
The colored cook and colored servant ties. /
tilted tbat they had never seen any strycb- |
nine about Tsyior's house nor heard OF krs. |
TayIor's geese being killed on the marsh by |
dogs and foxes.
Tins ended the testimony for the prosecu-
dion.
Tux DEFENCE.
The first witness for the defence was Miss |
Eliza Gardener, On elderly woman and aunt |
90 The accused, who had lived several years 1
Is domestic IN Iayior's house She stated 4
that she had heard the deceased say some
time lat fsll he intended 10 get poison from |
romperanccvlle 10 kin rats With. when
Cross-eXsmIncd she became very nervous.
Sne admitted that she had hsd trouble with
TaYlor's Nile and the farm hands. On one
occasion she aud Mrs. TAYLOR had fracas be-
cause James Dix did not have warm food for
breakfast. AT another time Mrs. TAYLOR
hustled Der ont Of the door and told her she
would better find a home elsewhere.
MERRMEEr.
Her peculiar WAYS. emphatic gestures,
md odd sayings created unbOunded merri-
ment in the court room. As she left the
stand, addressing the Commonwealth At
torbcy, sBe SAID "Jedge, AIN tired OF you.
GOod.by, and am going TO leave you" She
Iusscd her way out, wandered into the bar.
and got tangled up among the lawyers. but
was finally eXtricated by the Sheriff and
taken ellis
John ". Colouua. whose sister is a wife
81 Mr.. TSylor's brother said ne hsd heard
Taylor say about the LIST Of last December
that he had been using strychnine TO Kill
rats. lie became much confused on cross
examination.
TIE PRISONER TEsTlTlEs.
After several other witnesses bad testified
10 the friendly relations existing between
deceased ana his wife Mrs. Virginia Taylor.
the sccused woman, was placed on the
Stand. A. she rose from her seat in the
N0r snd walked 10 the wiincss.boz every
eve IN the building was directed TO her.
she was clad IN deep mourning and showed
remarkable cOmposure during the ordeal
she gave a minute account OF her husbands |
illness; how she found bin sitting at the
table on Wednesday, December 18th, with
his head in his hands, complaining OF pains
IN the side and back; how that night Just
before going to bed he took a glass Of whis-
kew. and how she was aroused about 10
O'Clock ny his jumping or Jerking in his
fleep. ~Ic related how the next morning, |
when several OF the Heghbors were there
helping about killing the hogs. she went INTO
the house md found him in another spell
aud tried G give bin some medicine the
doctor had but could not. She gave an
account Of D.. nal attack on the following
Saturday nigb., when after she had gone up
stars "a led her husband called To her and |
tod her he was feeling uneasy. She went
Gown In her night-eiothes and got sugar
from the kitchen and sWeetened the hot
drops left by the doctor and gave 1t to her
ashland.
AvIvID ACCOUNT.
She gave a vivid account Of how the fatal =
--s.m came on. She left her husband in q
arge OF william Parks and James DIX, J
A. taking with her her little ten .year.Old [
y, went out INTO the dark night 10 secure
In from her neighborS returning just after {
T husband had expired. She confessed
nj she bought the bottle OF strychue, but
"a her husband had requested her 10 get H.
Iew was not in trouble when she bought the
rychnnc as stated by Mr. Oldham. but O
A. trying 20 recall the name OF some medi' I
ne which she bsd promised TO I
t for her old aunt. She had not, I
r'e declared, been indifferent TO her a
husband during his illness. The doe
tor, had said be was in no danger, and d
she was busy at the time with work that {
could not be ncglcc ed and Delghbors were b
:, ilh HIM all the tune. She said she had [
given her husband no medicine except that b
leit by Or. BORdOin. She had, however, n
given hun some household panAcea Just O
Ter his first attack and had given him Y
"a hiSkey several times during his Illness.
II she had given him any poison she did
not know H. She tad handed The suyeh.
nine 10 her husband, who had used some
OF II 10 Kill rats, but could not tell what Y
he had done with the rest OF IL. II
TnE DIsiNrERNENT.
She had opposed the disuterment Of her
husband. body because she knew his wishes I
In the matter. she had heard him say he /
wonld not allow one Of his family 10 be cut
up by the doctors. When Or. Bowdoin ex- :
planned It to Der and Informed her that the $
.,w would not regard her wishes IN
the matter she consented 20 the post |
mortcu. She confessed that she had z
kissed James DIX several times and sat
on his knee, bu, said her husband knew
al about II, and did the same thing
W ith both married aud single women. She
denied that she had ever been !
guilty OF any immoral conduct with James r
DIX. She bad Rugged aud kissed several Of i
the men who bad testified against her, giving 2
tneir names, anO SAID that IL was kissing D
peighborb00d. She denied ever having "a Il b
that she hop,d her husband would never u
come back from bis fishing expedition IN r
Csargaiha bay, ana SAID Olivtr Lucss had C
never told her not to kill her husband, nor, y
he declared, did she hide any bsrrel- II
Di -four or other property 10 keep 1t e
rom being sold. she and her husband
lad never bad any serious trouble. lie had
1eyer charged Der with iniideiity. but bad
old her 20 be careful or tue people might "
ak about Der and Dix. She said she bad -
leyer sent DIX word 10 save his money 10 y
iupOOTi her when she got out OF jail. 10 b
act abe coutra1icted mOet OF the damaging b