Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-28
THEIR FATAL ERROR.
ARSENIC TAKEN IN MISTAKE FOR
QUININE COSTS TWO LIVES.
Anna Ziegler and AdeIbert Devendorf
the Victims-The Sad Story Told
at the Inquest.

1
ziegler lost their lives on Monday night
under circumstances peculiarly painful
Devendorf had been visiting Mrs. Ziegler
during the evening at her residence, No.
| LAZY Twentieth street. The latter was not
| living with her husband, Louis Ziegler, to
whom she was married last December, and
it has been the belief of the neighbors that
| mutual attachment existed between her
and Devendorf. Mrs. Witt, a roomer,
retired rather early-about o'clock-and
shortly afterward Mrs. Ziegler com.
planned of having a chill. Devendorf
suggested dose of quinine and Mrs.
Ziegler produced vial containing white
powder resembling that drug. Devendorf
mixed two doses, saying he needed some
himself, and he and Mrs. Ziegler each took
one. Devendorf soon went home to the
house of his sister-ln-law, Mrs. Charles
Belnap, who resides at Twenty-second
and streets.
Not long after he left Mrs Ziegler's
house the latter was taken very i'll and
soon fell into commissions. A physician
was called, but the woman died about II
o'clock
While this sad scene was being enacted,
another, equally tragic and painful, was
IN progress at the Belnap residence, where
Devendorf lay in the throes of death and
died at about the same hour that Mrs.
Ziegler did. The Coroner was notified of
the occurrence q little after midnight, and
the bodies of both victims were brought to
the Morgue. An inquest was held last
evening, when the following facts were
brought out:
MARY DUBACHER,
The first witness called, said she lived at
Twentieth and streets, was acquainted
with Mrs. Ziegler, and knew Devendorf by
sight. About year and half ago witness
threw away bottle of medicine On being
shown a small vial containing a white
powder, she said that was not the one she
had thrown away. The bottle, containing
similar kind of powder to that shown,
was afterward found in witness cellar by
little girl named Witt. Witness took it
from the child, and was about to throw il
into vault but Mrs. Ziegler said it was
quinine, and said it would be nice to have
sometime, and took it from witness. Never
heard OF the bottle afterward, and knew
nothing concerning Mrs. Ziegler's death.
MRS. SARAH YOUNG
Testified to an acquaintance with Mrs.
Ziegler. Was in Mrs. Ziegler's house Mon
day night little after o'clock to get some
eggs, and left there about half-past g. She
was then as well as | ever saw her Mr..
Devendorf was there. About 10 o'clock
went up stairs to retire and heard terrible
screaming. Mrs. Ziegler's little girl called
for witness to hasten in, that her mother
was very sick. Found Mrs. Ziegler sitting
on the floor, and asked her what YVES the
matter. She replied she thought had taken
some quinine, but was afraid she had taken
poison by mistake and was going to die.
Witness gave her several emetics as rapidly
as they could be prepared, but spasms
came on, and a doctor was sent for.
1t was nearly IL o'clock when he got
there. he gave her remedies several times.
but she continued to get worse, going from
one spasm into another. 1t was about
quarter past IL o'clock when she died. Wit
ness asked to see the bottle from which
the supposed quinine was taken, and it was
shown her. The little girl said it had been
found in Mrs. Dubacher's yard, and her
mother supposed it was quinine. wit
ness identified the bottle shown as the one
seen at Mrs. Zieger's.l About three
months ago witness was called in by Mrs
Ziegler's little girl, who said her mother
was very ill. She went in and found Mrs.
Liegler suffering from cramps. The latter
said she had taken little quinine. Gave
her some liquor and she recovered.
ELLA LAvINE,
Daughter of Mrs. Ziegler, then told her
story of the fatal occurrence as follows:
Mr.. Devendort called on Monday evening
and after time said he felt sick, and would
go home and take some quinine. Mrs.
Ziegler said she had some in the house
and went and got it. Mr.. Devendorf asked
for some water. He took some powder from
the vial on the point of his knife three
times, and placed it in his mouth and then
drank the water. He then took some of
the powder on the knife and gave it wit
ness mother, who also took some water
and swallowed it. After taking the pow
der she remarked that she knew she
would taste that bitter stuff all night
Mr.. Devendort then went home, and
her mother went into the kitchen for
something but sat down on the wood. box
and commenced screaming. Witness got
pitcher of milk and told her mother to
take swallow, which she did. Witness
then ran into the front room and called
Mrs Witt, who roomed in the house She
came in and tried 10 raise witness
mother, but could not, and tod
witness TO call Mrs Young, which
she did. As TO what followed, witne.
corroborated the statement of Mrs Young.
given above.l The little girl further stated
that she was certain the time her mother
was sick before she used the same medi-
cine, as there was none other in the house.
Her mother, she said, was AZ years of age,
and native of Germany.
MRS. IDA F. WITT,
Who resides at the house of deceased, was
next sworn. She said she was home on
Monday evening. Mr.. Devendorf was in
the sitiing-room with Mrs Zieeler and her
daughter, but witness was not with them.
Witness knew nothing of what happened
until called in, when she found Mrs Ziegler
in spasms. She told witness she had taken
quinine, and witness said, Why, quinine
wouldn't affect you in that way" and Mrs.
Ziegler said that perhaps she had taken too
much. Mrs. Witt said she was thoroughly
familiar with the house, and was satisfied
there was no other bottle OF medicine in
the house. She looked for one, but could
find none other. After Mrs. Zieger's first
spasm she said to witness: MY God if
| this affects that poor man as it does me,
may He have mercy on him, for he took
more than l did ~ Witness corroborated
the testimony of former witnesses as to
what followed.
CHARLES BELNAP.
Brother-in-law of Adelbert Devendorf, tes-
tilted that he resided at Twenty second and
2 streets. He had known him from child
hood. Deceased was AZ years old last July,
and was a native of New York State. Wit
ness said he was reading a paper about a
quarter past ten o'clock on Monday night,
when deceased entered the room and
dropped into char. Calling to his sister,
he asked: Mary, have you anything that
will make me vomit? l am scared Give
il to me auick-I am suffering terribly!'
His sister asked him what he had been
taking and where he had been, and he said:
Il took dose of quinine." She asked
him where he got it and he seemed to be
unable to think Of the name. Witness
asked him if he meant Mrs. Lavine's, and
deceased said yes that was the place. His
sister said, You couldn't have taken
quinine, as it would never have
made you sick in this way" He
said, "Yes it was, for it was
bitter. She took a DOSE and so did l."
His sister gave him some remedy, and he
staggered to the back porch and tried to
vomit, and in a moment called them 10
L. Il. l.. L