Evening journal., 1890-05-09
HER GUILT WAS PROVEN
New Jerseys Borgia Convicted
by jury.
SIZE TRIED TO POISON HER SON.

"
A History Of the Unnatural Crime Charged
Against Mrs. vandergrift, OF Buriing-
ton, \. J.--How She Received the YER
dict-A Motion Made for a New Trial.
MOUNT HOLLY, n. j., May 9.-Mrs. Van.
dergrift has been found guilty Of the at
tempted murder Of her son. She was
charged with having attempted to take his
life by poisoning him with croton oil As
soon as the virdict Of the jury was re-
corded Mrs Vandergrifts counsel moved
for a new trial. The judges charge was
delivered to the jury Wednesday afternoon.
Then the jury retired, but could not agree
on q verdict So they were locked up for
the night. Thursday it was rumored that
the jury had agreed on a verdict A rush
was made for the court room, which was
soon crowded to sufTocation.
Mrs vandcrgrin Hears the Verdict.
Mrs Nandergrift was brought in TO hear
the verdict Of the jury She faced them
with apparent unconcern. Not even when
the foreman said, during the most pro- I
found silencei Guilty, as she stands
charged in the Indictment did she show
any emotion She was at once taken back
TO JAIL while her counsel moved for a new
trial
sketch Of the Crime.
The crime committed by Mrs Carrie +.
vandergrift is one Of the most henous ever
recorded During the first fortnight in
April she gave her own son, Frank Q. Nor.
man. repeated doses OF croton oil, with the
intention Of poisoning him. DR. Walter E.
Hall, the family physician, was summoned
ia due time, and found his patient suffer
ing from collapse. All the symptoms
pointed toward poisoning by croton oil.
The oil Il a violent and irritant cathartic,
either causing death by collapse from weak
ness or fatal liberation Of the intestnes
from prolonged use AS Mrs. Nandergrift
was leading social light as well as pillar
In the local Methodist church, DIR Hall de
termined to take every precaution before
making any accusation against her which
might afterward prove to be unfounded.
The Woman watched.
With this aim the doctor called 10 his as
sistance Drs. Gaunt and Pugh They both
unhesitatingly agreed with him ia his dag
nosis Of young Normanis ailment as poison
ing by croton oil. Then the three physi-
clans determined to watch Mrs Wander
grift. They found that the only customers
that the local druggist had for croton oil
were Mrs vandergrift and her servant,
| Berenice Kane. In order 10 test the matter
/ still further an innocent drug was on one
occasion, by direction Of the physicians,
| substituted for croton oil. Traces Of this
drug were found in young Norman's food.
Mrs. Nandergrift was now taxed BY Or.
Hall with giving croton oil to her son. She
stoutly denied the accusation. When asked
about her purchases Of croton oil she az
first denied having made them, but finally
admitted having on one.occasion purchased
some croton oil for corn.
Her Motives for the Deed.
All these explanations were so unsatis-
factory 80 che physicians that they placed
the matter before Mr. G. Budd, prosecutor
Of the public pleas He at once brought
the case under the notice Of the grand
| Jury, which was then sitting The grand
jury on lhearing the evidence at once in
dicted Mrs Vandergrift for attempted MUIR
der AS soon as Mrs Vandergrift had been
arrested search was made for the motives
which impelled her TO attempt the murder
of her own son. II was found that she had
given mortgage on all her real estate
around Burlington to the United Security
Life Insurance and Trust Company Of Penn
sylvania The amount received under this
mortgage by her was about s2S,OO0-
A Jailbird In Pennsylvania.
The form Of the mortgage was what is
known as an insurance mortgage The
policy was issued in the name Of Frank G.
Norman, and in the event of his death, the
mortgage would be cancelled and the entire
property, free of debt, would be turned over
to Mrs Nandergrift. ltwas also discovered
that Mrs. Vandergrift served several terms
in prison in Pennsylvania for larceny pre-
vious 70 her marriage to Joseph Wander
grift
-. u....... xss.x..- re..a