Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1890-04-26
A SERIOUS CHARGE.

VIII average 10 last a monCn.
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
There was considerable surprise ex-
pressed when it was known hat the
Grand Jury had indicted Mrs. Carrie
E. Vandegrift, of Burlington, on the
charge Of poisoning her own son. The
whole matter had been quietly worked
up and carefully kept from the public
and the sensation was greater, there
fore when the matter was given pub
licity.
Mrs. VANDERBILT has been leading a
very quiet life in Burlington since
1884.
AT the April term of court, in that
year, she was brought into prominence
by the trial ola young mar whom she
accused Of throwing vitriol in her face.
AS the case proceeded Mrs. Vande-
grift's previous life was sharply in
quired into by the defendants counsel
and the result was not creditable to
her. The young mar was convicted,
much to the surprise of all who heard
the evidence, the popular verdict being
that Mrs. Vandegrift threw the vitriol
herself to create a public sentiment in
her favor. He was granted a new
trial, however on a legal technicality,
~whereupon the State abandoned the
case, and he went free.
Right on the top of this case, and
Immediately following came an in
dictment against the same defendant
and another young man for stealing
from the VANDERBILT house. On this
charge they were promptly acquitted,
the stolen property having been near
ly all recovered, much of it being
found by Mrs. Vandegrift herself
From hat time Mrs. Vandegrift
has not been held in very high esteem
by Burlington people, and while the
announcement of her Indictment was
unexpected it did not create a great
deal of surprise.
Mrs. Vandegrift had been married
twice. Her first husband was named
Joshua Norman. BY him she had a
son, Frank, the young man whom, it
is now alleged, she attempted to MUIR
der. He is about % years of age.
Up to March Is, he was living in
Philadelphia. Being in poor health,
he was taken to his mothers residence
in Burlington.
DR.. Hall had charge of him, but
the symptoms of the case bafled him
to such an extent that he called in con-
s%ulting physicians. These decided that
croton oil had been administered to
young Norman. A quiet investiga-
ton discovered who had bought the
poison and where it came from. The
result was a complaint to the Grand
Jury and an indictatment.
The motive for this horrible crime
is said to be a desire to secure the
amount of a life insurance policy on
the young mans life.
Mrs. Vandegrift was brought to jail
on Thursday, and pleaded not guilty
when arraigned before the Court.
Bail was fixed at $4,000, and earnest
efforts were made to secure bondsmen,
but they we're unsuccessful, and the
woman will have to remain in prison
until her fate is decided by a jury.
Her defence will probably be tha' the
charges are trumped up for revenge by
persons who have some grudges against
her, but such practitioners as Drs.
Gauntt, Pugh, Rink and Hall, who
testified before the Grand Jury, would
not lead themselves to any such scheme,
nor are they likely to be deceived in
their diagnosis of the case.
The trial will be represented by
Prosecutor Budd, Mark R. Sooy and
Howard Flanders, and Charles E.
Hendrickson and Samuel H. Grey
the will look after defendants interest.
Young Norman is said to be thor
oughly convinced that poison was
administered to him, but he has been
in constant attendance upon his mother
since she was brought to prison.
There is no truth in the report that
he had left the county to escape being
a witness.
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