The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-13
my time was precious l very blunt

hands, and fell prone to the floor.
first began to reproach myself for being
in the fall that was amused, and re-
solved to sit there until she took a notion
to become aware of my presence. l took a
book from the table and began to read.
The woman moved slightly, turned over
and raised her head. Her eyes were wide
open, and seeing me evidently engaged in
reading she sprang to her feet and flew at
me all arage.
"Give me that book" she screamed,
snatching it from my hands and tossing it
into the fire.
Before could move h ard voice say,
"What do you mean, Mrs. Wilson, and
saw a woman dart forward and recover the
book, but slightly scorched, from the flames.
The woman who had entered unobserved
was Mrs. Metten, a neighbor, and the
wife of newspaper man. Mrs. Wilson, as
soon as she recognized her neighbor, went
off into fit of sham Mysteries, and l very
wisely took my departure. Not, however,
until I had secured the book, which man.
aged to do unobserved.
The next morning had three column
scoop on the other papers, and the manager
of my paper detailed me to watch the pro-
gress of the case, and l entered zealously
into the assignment. A rich and influential
citizen had died under mysterious circum-
stances. His wife, an educated and brilliant
society woman, was suspected of having
caused his death.
The coroner's inquest was long and tedi
GUS. An autopsy was held and portions of
the stomach. intestines, liver and kidneys
analysed, all showing the presence Of
arsenic in large quantities: It was proved
that the sediment found in the glass of
milk by the nurse was arsenic. It was
proved that arsenic was found in two bot
ties of pepsin which the deceased had par
taken of, and arsenic was found in other
bottles of medicine. Medical experts swore
that John Wilson came to his death from
arsenical poisoning, yet the jury returned a
verdict that the deceased came to his death
from causes unknown to them.
But this did not clear Mrs. Wilson. She
was arrested, and long preliminary trial
followed, which resulted in her being bound
over to the grand jury.
had searched the city over to find the
druggist who had sold the arsenic to Mrs.
Wilson-druRgists were obliged to keep a
poison reeister-but could find no clue in
| any of the registers.
After the preliminary examination I re-
membered that drug store in the lower
part of the city had been closed by the sher-
if and that it was in charge of a deputy, a
good natured, stupid fellow. visited the
store one night and with sundry cigars in
duced him to allow me to look over the
poison register. I fou nd what I wanted.
An entry Aug.17 showed that Mrs. M. Will
son had purchased one ounce of arsenic.
| informed the prosecuting attorney of what
| had found. and he took possession of the
store, Mr.. Johns, was absent from the
city, but was brought back in time for the
| trial, which came on in due time.
Mrs. Wilson had secured for her attorney
the most noted criminal lawyer in the west,
man of prodigious learning snd marvel
hard worker. He never went into case
unless he was fully prepared. He labored
energy is due his success. He is the same
attorney who cleared "Tin Hat" Wyom-
ing murderer, who afterwards hanged him
self in cell at Great Falls, having been ar
rested for the cowardly killing of family
| in the Judith Basin.
The prosecuting attorney had not been
idle, but had collected mass of evidence
sufficient to have hanged anybody but
woman, and she of the upper circle.
The trial lasted three weeks and created
intense excitement. The women of the
city became possessed of the idea that Mrs.
Wilson was poor, persecuted creature,
and they thronged the courtroom day
after day. It was impossible for man,
unless one of the favored few admitted
prisoner, dressed in the deepest mourning.
accompanied by her little daughter Ruby
and half dozen or more sympathizing fe-
male friends, among whom was Mrs. Met
ten, came into the courtroom every day
with languid air, and took seat by the
side of her counsel. One of her friends
would sit in front of her and fan her gently
at times, while two of her sympathetic
friends would chafe her hands if she
showed signs of going off into Mysteries, as
she frequently did. A fresh bouquet of
flowers graced the judges stand and the Ia
BILE of defendants counsel every day.
The evidence adduced showed that de-
PENDANT and deceased had married in Indi-
ana and had removed west two years after
marriage: that two children, a boy and a
girl, had been born to them. and that after
the birth of the boy, a period of five years
up to the time of Mr.. Wilson's death,
the husband and wife had not lived to-
gether, though occupying the same house.
It was shown that Mrs. Wilson was in
tenselv jealous of a niece of her husband.
Miss Hattie Wilson. and that she was
continually Representing him with his neg
Gl to M se taking ss sot
he was making preparations to join his
niece in Europe and had sold valuable
ranch, realizing about $40, 600 for the same.
1t was proved that Mrs. Wilson had
sworn her husband should not go TO
him by fair means or foul. The druggist
Johns. swore that two weeks previous to
Mr.. Wilson becoming ill Mrs. Wilson called
at his store with her little daughter and
purchased an ounce OF arsenic, saying her
husband wished to use it on the ranch to
destroy vermin. The ranch hands swore
they had never seen any arsenic upon the
premises.
DIR. Hulett. the first physician called to
see Mr.. Wilson, testified that the disease
from which his patient was suffering
baffiei his skill, and he threw up the case,
advising the family to call in another ply
stefan. He found his patient suffering
from burning sensation in the stomach,
racking pains in the body and limbs,
extreme emaciation, dryness of the
skin, swollen tonsiis, continuous thirst.
and other symptoms connected with arseni-
cal poisoning, facts verified by other physi-
clans called in later.
The nurse swore positively to having seen
Mrs. Wilson handling glass of milk she,
the nurse, had prepared for her patient, and
that she found a powder in it which she gave
to DE-. S. She swore that she saw Mrs. Will
son sprinkling what she took to be salt over
piece of beefsteak and that she gave the
steak to DR.. s. She also gathered up the
bottles containing medicine she had admin
istered to Mr.. Wilson and gave them to DR..
S. who swors that he had everything an
alyzed by competent chemist, who testi-
fed he had found arsenic in every thing an
alyzed and produced in court the tubes
showing the result Of his analyses.
DR.. S. testified that he had advised the
II L.. g. H. Il