, 1890-12-04
A SENSATIONAL CASE.
Sister and Mother at the
Point of Death.
THERE ARE SIGNS OF POISON
It Looks as II the Daughter
Wanted the Property-Police
at Work.

PORTLAND, Or. Nov. 2S.-An evening
paper publishes sensational story OF
an attempt to murder Mrs. Victorinc
Langrez, French woman "a years old,
and Mrs. l.. Sarguesse, her married
daughter. The purpose, it Is alleged,
was to get hold of her property, valued
at $50, 900.
Abeut two weeks ago Mrs. Langarez
was put into carriage at her house and
her daughters. Mrs. Merrill and Mrs.
Sarguesse, entered with her. A few
moments before Mrs. Merrill rushed up
to neighbor and excitedly said her
mother was suffering from delirium
tremens and was to be taken to an in
ebriate asylum.
The mother was taken to hospital
and few days later Mrs. Sarguesse had
dinner at Mrs. Merrill's house and tea
party. Beer was furnished at the meal,
but Mrs. Sargese noticed that 1t tasted
Hat and bitter, and drank but little of 1t.
That night Mrs. Sarguesse was taken
deathly sick and volnited terribly. Mrs.
Garoutte, her next door neighbor, was
summoned, and insisted upon giving
the woman coffee, but Mrs. Merrill OBJ
jected and wanted to give her brandy.
Mrs. Garroutte would not allow this,
whereupon Mrs. Merrill accused her
sister of being an habitual drum kard and
said she was suffering from tremens,
saying her sister was a common drunk
ard and needed no doctor. The physi.
clan, however, left prescription and
Mrs. Garroutte administered the medi-
cine.
Mrs. Sarguesse was found by the
physician to be in state of almost total
paralysis and could neither move her
body nor her hands. She could lisp but
not talk. DIR. q. NJ. Wells was also
called some days later to attend Mrs.
Sarguesse, and Dr. Bell, attending Mrs.
Langrez, whose case is exactly like her
daughters only much worse.
That poison was used, and that it must
have been administered by some one
other than the sick persons, is evident,
but the question is: BY what person and
by whom was it givenp Since the mother
and daughter have been sick Mrs. Mer-
rill has called ut Mrs. Garroutte's 3
house and demanded rent on the house
occupied by the latter lady and by Mrs.
Langrez. She asserted that she was
boss now and that her mother and sister
had the property in control long enough.
SIZE is stated to have acted like u mad
woman and insisted that her sick sister
is a confirmed drunkard.
A careful inquiry in tho neigh borhocd
developed the fact, however, that Mrs
| Sarguesse was the only member OF the
family who did not drink, and that she
was her mothers favorite. DIR. Wells
said to reporter to-day:
II think there is dark history be-
hind this case. According to the
daughters symptoms think she is suf-
iering from absinthism. She will, be
lieve, survive. The dose was quite
large, and without medical aid OF the
most careful kind she would have died.
The lower part of the body is partially
paralyzed."
Mrs Langrez is afflicted exactly like
her daughter, but because of her great
age she will not live. Last week Mrs.
Merrill called at the hospital with two
lawyers before whom the old lady made
her will, the provisions of which are not
made public. The police are working
on the case.