St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-04
A London Mystery Which Is
Battling the Police of That
Great City.
Mrs. DR.. KnoWlSon Townsend
and William De La Motto
the Victims.
Death Undoubtedly Due to
Poison, but Who Admin
iStePed 1t?
Whether Suicide or Murder
May Never Be KnoWn--A
Romance.

LONDON. Aug. 3.-The week wound
up with tragic poisoning case, which
possesses every element of mystery and
romance Whether it Is a murder or
a double suicide London does not know.
So far the police refuse to divulge any
of the facts in their possession. What
is known is the result of the individual
efforts of reporters. DR.. Knowlson
Townsend, living in Lewisham, High
Road, and Mrs. Townsend were booked
as passengers on the Ludgate Hill,
which sailed from the Thames yester-
day for New York. Townsend sold
his practice here, and was going
to Virginia to join his brother.
In order to be near the YES
sci and get his baggage aboard early.
they took rooms on Park Row, near the
docks, last night. Townsend left his
wife in the room to send the baggage
away while he went to the vessel to re-
ceive it. Less than an hour after he
left two men drove up to the house in
cart. One was carman, the other his
friend, who had come to assist. They
were admitted and proceeded to the bed
room. Entering the room, the carman
noticed Mrs. Townsend lying on the
bed, fully dressed, apparently asleep,
and man halfway under the foot OF
the bed.
Both Were Dead.
An attempt was made to arouse Mrs.
Townsend. 1t was unsuccessful. There
were no marks of violence and no 1ndl-
- nc%r1 In Irn inv rny
that soon after the husband left Mrs.
Townsend was visited by William de la
Motto, Frenchman, who was friend
of her husband. At their house he was
always treated more as brother than a
friend. Though always an ardent ad-
mirer of Mrs. Townsend, there is
no insinuation of anything improper
in their relation. Judging from the
glasses in the room. Mrs. Townsend
and the man took drink of whisky to-
gether previous to sending the three
children from the room. A few minutes
later one of the children, boy, went
back and saw his mother unconscious
on the bed, while De La Motto was sit
ting on the floor leaning against box
gasping for breath. The child does not
appear to have taken much notice of
what he saw, for no alarm was given till
the carmen came, when the bodies were
discovered. Physicians were called.
They said that death was
Due to Poison
probably prussic acid. The police at
once took possession of the rooms and
declined to make public anything they
know-if really they do know anything
which will clear up the mystery.
Public opinion is divided between the
theory that the couple decided to die
| together and drank the poison in the
whisky, and the theory that De la Motto
| gave the woman poison and then took
| it himself, but both theories are sup
| ported by mere gossip. 10 DR.. Town
send the mystery is as great as to every
body else. When he left his wife she
was in good spirits, and it was ar
ranged by which train she should
join him on the steamer. Moth
ing was told at the inquest
which would throw any light on the
mystery. The doctors called said they
could not positively say what poison
was used without post-mortem. This
will be made to-day and the inquest
will be resumed Monday. DR.. EZard
first saw the bodies after they were dis
covered. He said that it was assuming
a great deal to call the case one of mur-
der, for, so far as he knew, there was
no evidence of a crime having been
committed. Neither was there any
thing to suggest any impropriety be-
tween De La Motto and Mrs. Townsend.
He declined to say whether any vessel
Containing Poison
was found in the room. The police are
equally reticent upon this as on all
| other points connected with the mys-
| terry, The correspondent has the best
of authority for saying that the poison
| found in the room was pruSSic acid. The
| strongest circumStantial evidence goes
to support the theory that the poison
| was given to the woman by De La
| Motto before she discovered the nature
of the liquid. 1t is known that De La
| Motto ordered whisky to be sent to the
| house, and had also purchased the
spirit himself in the locality. 1t has
been suggested that he induced Mrs.
Townsend to drink the poison
under the pretense that it was
whisky. DR.. Townsend is about forty
| years old, while Motto and Mrs. Town
send. who is described as a handsome
| woman, were about five years younger.
| De La Motto was employed in an East
London dispensary. Six weeks ago Mrs.
| Townsend visited him there. They ap-
peared on friendly terms. Another ro-
mantle incident in the tragedy is that it
| is stated that De La Motto is engaged to
a we'll known song-writer and author
ess. Nothing as vet has been learned
as to where the poison was procured,
but there would have been no difficulty
in obtaining 1t from the East London
| dispensary. He was not seen to take
any'away. and his movements did not