Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-12

was arrested for these two murders. But
where now were all the friends who had so
respected her and been so grateful for her
unwearied kindness? They were all busy
asking themselves and each other how they
could have been so blind to the woman's
real character. Those who had
blessed her execrated her now, and the air
was heavy with the recital of all the atroci-
ties she had committed.
EER CRUELTY GENTLE HAND.
Other deaths than these two were hinted
at-deaths attended by the same terrible
symptoms, and occurring under the same
cruelty gentle hand. Narrow escapes were
described Sick people whom Mrs. Grinder
had nursed had drawn near to Just such an
agonizing death, and had only escaped it
by fatty refusing to eat or drink
anything more prepared by the neighbor-
hood nurse. If the rumors prevailing could
be believed the woman was a monster Of
cruelty without precedent. According to
what was related she deliberately expert
mented with her favorite poison when
nothing whatever could be gained by it ex-
eept to give her knowledge and facility
against the time of need. Instances were
related of her administering arsenic with
out any purpose of actual murder, just to
learn how much could be given at a dose
without producing teli-tale symptoms. It
was even told that more than once, after
reducing her victims to such a condition Of
suffering that blisters had to be applied to
them she sprinkled arsenic on the dressing
for the blisters, that the poison might be
taken into the sytem through the circula-
ton.
H. -,oL - u. I:4II. Il II 1I.;. kod
foundation in fact no man can tell. Very
little, 1 hope. That which was proved to
the satisfaction of the jury was bad enough.
This was that Martha Grinder administered
arsenic in fatal quantities to Mrs. Caruth-
ers, Miss Buchanan, and, think, to her
own brother-in-law.
And for what reason was all this terrible
cruelty INDUCED in? So far as could be
made out for no earthly reason save petty
robbery. From the house OF one victim she
was shown to have carried away few
dishes; from the house of another few
clothes; and so on. While her trial was in
} progress the fact that her husbands brother
had died in her house was developed.
He was an invalid soldier, but he
had died with the same symptoms
as the others. His body was taken
from the grave and an analysis made,
with the result, if mistake not, that ar
senic was found. The only possible motive
for his taking of, it seemed, was that Mrs.
Grinder might come into possession of his
army overcoatl The most charitable ex-
planation of the whole strange career of the
woman is that she did not really intend to
commit murder at all; but only TO keep her
victims seriously sick for long enough
time to give her good stealing opportunities.
STORY OF THE TRIAL.
Never did the old Court House hold
larger or more intensely interested throngs
of spectators than while the trial of this ex-
traordinary criminal was in progress. Day
after day every foot of space within the
court room was occupied, and crowds
of people who could not get within
the room at all stood patiently hour after
hour in the rotunda, in the hope of catch
ing some word of the proceedings at second
hand. Women were almost if not quite, as
numerous as men in the daily throngs. And
they were by no means the vulgar curiosity
mongers who habitually' haunt the court
room. but respectable. well-dressed women
who had probably never before been inside
the court house walls.
And how pitiless they werel When court
took recess or adjourned for the day the
prisoner was conducted through the rotunda
into the Sherif's office and thence to the
Jail. The pathway had to be roped off to keep
back the crowd; and on more than one oc-
casion l saw women reach over the ropes to
catch or strike at the unhappy woman kept
beyond their reach.
''Give the women chance at herI' cried
one. "It will save the county the cost of a
ropel"
At such times Mrs Grinder would cling,
trembling to Sheriff Stewart or Deputy
Cluley. seemingly as much terrified as when
H. Ill l. IL L.
trial was long one Judge Sterrett be- |
lieve, occupied the bench. Hon. John NJ. |
kirkpatrick was Prosecuting Attorney, and !
Thomas III. Marshall, ESQ.,, conducted the |
defense. Some of the incidents were in |
tensely and thrillingly dramatic. Rarely |
has any trial awakened profounder interest |
or more passionate comment. The end was
conviction. Then a petition, numerously |
signed, was sent to the Governor, asking for |
a commission to inquire into the sanity of |
the convicted woman. The result of the in |
uuiry was the decision that she was sane |
and responsible.
THE CLOSING SCENES.
When she stood up to receive sentence Of |
death the prisoner protested her innocence |
in a rambling, shrill-voiced speech. What |
she undertook to say was so incoh erent and |
hysterical that she was checked in the ut |
terance OF IL, ana tnen received ner sentence |
calmly enough, but without trace OF stolid- |
ity or braYado. The last scene of this nota- |
BILE tragedy did not take place until some |
months after the end of the trial. But not
withstanding the lapse of time there seemed
no diminution of the interest in the case,
and but little abatement of the indignant
passion it had excited.
The execution took place in the Jail yard,
and, of course, was witnessed by only a Sc
lect few. But long before the earliest hour
mentioned in the death warrant, Ross street
and the upper part OF Fifth avenue were
thronged with people who had no thought
of catching the faintest glimpse of the grue-
som spectacle, but who waited with sort
of eager patience until they were assured
that the woman they held in such execra-
ton had passed to the other world.
JAMES @. PURDY.