The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-09-26
A REMARKABLE TRTrr@
A MlSTE IN THE FAMOUS ChES-
rCHFIELD POISONING CASE.

| Jacobs on Trial for Administering
Strychuinc To Her Husband -rhe "Details
of the Case.
CHESTERFIELD Sept. IA most re-
markable poisoning case has just been
brought to trial in this county. 1t was
the case of the Sta.c against Mary y.
Johnson ana David J. Jacobs, who are
charged with wilfully, fcloniouSly and
maliciouSly administering poison /"
| N-''.'''-. ~ ',"''"N" N" huShnnd or
Mary, on the 32d of August. The ease
consumed two whole days and was full
of the most revolving developments,
and, contrary TO genera! expectation,
resulted in Il miStrial. The jury standing
two for acquittal and ten for convic-
tion. ,Jacobs's wife and daughter ami
the sons of the dead man were the
principal witnesses. Jacobs is any
thing but Il handsome man. is tail, thin
and apparently about fifty years old.
Mary Johnson has seen some thirty
summers, and is not prcposSrSSing by II
large majority. II was shown during
the trial that Il criminal intimacy OK
listed between the pair, notwithStand-
: ing they went from house to house
holding prayer meetings.
, Johnson and Jacobs were ncighbors,
;niIon4 n;m4I IL Sr SrT%E n1 hnsbai1i Hb5 G aTy toEn
son. and j 3hnSnn WIS icalonS OF his
+ wife and Jacobs. Jacobs visited th"
t .IohnsunS daily. ami frequently carried
s .Iohnsun'S wife &C. Hn1 from Sunday
4 School III his buggy, allowing l* "Nn
L wife and chi!,frn to walk. Johnson
+ was heard to remark that II Jacobs dih
II not stop visiting his ho'IHct there wou'I
be trouble, and 1t Is said That JACOBS
/ cursed and abused the Grcc@srd
{ On the 22d OF August Jacobs carried
a box OF snuff to Mary and "had som"
\ secret talk" johnson, who WAS Il man
e about 60 Years of age, ate hearty sup
G per that night and retired about
y o'clock in his usual good health, win
the exception OF Il bad cold. HIS vile
testified that she reminded him ahat iii'
had not taken some quin!nc which hr
had promised her that morning To take.
and that she then brought the pill, or
capsule: and Aa-H% allowed It. SHORTY
T. after retiring the household were
rt aroused by johnson, VINO hal hrr"in'
N suddenly and Violently i'll. The al''rm
m WAS given and one of his &un$ WAS dis
,r patched for jacobs. WHO NJ" net com-
d. questions in iha Wdrll# # hat hlS wns ,'!T tnC
ar mattcr?' Wv
)it johnSOn C0mp.a!ard Of the hj,irr
W luiN'Ec 2nu Hait, that his thrugt v:,5
!" la!ch"d Ic called :ur water Aii lnc
X lihlc AMI HSkvd !ur something in ,u,I;,.
1t him vonit, bat uolhiny was 4l,r;i. liz;
lit''r son wanted 80 go i1r :. uu,..ur bii,
~ was iC!G by thrS" attending his father
Il, CIilC i "doctOr "OiliU go no GOOD" ;,lI
~ non" Wa$ seat for. ID" -iCi ASA ,rir,y
l. worse 'tnd rnnNui;iun ;lliv. "o,.u;.iol
II followed; lis limbs were drawn. ;r.
y. PaIoNI ISha brCaimH longer and more We
VIZ RIB tctti ci"hcicd III Il S:-tlUuic
, grln, ana IL 3 Il. III. tn" end c;lnc
l. Jacobs was the iirsI person TO arr.\r
IS on the scene, and he aud Mary tool;
u lhelr places at the bedside Of the Hlcl,
man ana watched, whispered AMI CAV"
c lhclr patient water. AT first Mary. the
Il WIG, seemed TO he much distressed, bat
e soon became calm. After Johnson's
Vt dcaiil, jacobs took charge Of the body
! ana made all the arrangements for tho
Il funeral, etc.
u some of the ncighDorS were not sat
!; lSiicd ut the SUd;'cnnC3S of .Johnsou's
Il death, and demanded that an inquest,
{ ShhE9lHHlaa hElH ald hdf "JfattoDss daTgrtGr testified
', that she found Il bottle OF white pow
Il der in her fathers trunk, who. whom
called upon the second time, admitted
n that hc had kept strychninc for twenty
h years to kill crows. DR.. Ruirdgc cX-
ii ;mnGd the body and declared that
e death had been caused by Strychnino
o poison.
Bcforc and after the inquest Jacobs
u and Mary met and held several secret
talks Mary Mrs. JOnnSom WAS heard
; to say that it must have been the pill
Il that killed her husband, and that if She
Was sent to the pcnitcntiary she would
burn everything before her husbands
q folks should have them.
Jacobs and Mary were arrested, and
q while being conveyed TO Jail asked that
they be allowed 70 ride in the same
p buggy, but the request was refused.
Jacobs takes the matter very lightly
= ana IS inclined To Joke over the affair.
. He believes in charms aud exhibits a
{ black cat : loot. the pictur" Ui Il woman
- and Il wreath Gi black lI;iIr. When ask
:, cd 10y the Solicitor who gave him the
wreath and picture, he SAID Inc could
. not remember the H&mc. II was Oh.
: served that Mary'5 hair had been shin-
n gled, and WAS Of the same colCr us that
;. shown by Jacobs.
The defendants denied all improper
:, relations and said that no poison had
q been given, and that nothing but Qui-
nine had been administered and tnat
: with 40 criminal intent.
Some OF the powder found in jacobs
( trunk by his wife and daughter was
+ tested and proved to be SLrS chnlnc ANA
TIL" pulninc capsules found at John
l. SON were also tested and found to he
p all right.
!. The theory Of the state was that
jacobs furnished the strychninc and
that JohnSon'S wife, Mary, put some of
1t III one Of the quininc capsules AID
- administered it as medicine.
f The jury was out about two hours.
S but failing TO agree, the Judge ordered
e Il mlStrial and the prisoners Nurc com
ii mittCd TO Jail.
Il Tragedy After the Play.
g. NEW GORk, September 10. IN cleo
Il trio light liHcman named kOM was Kill
e. ci tonight 10y the electric fluid OH the
wires he was handling. As hc hung
suspended in the air in front of the Park
Theatre III full view of the audience,
G which was passing ont OF the thcatcr,
s the case was attended with all the trag-
: iC features which have characterized