Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-06-28
AN AWFUL CHARGE.
A Womsn Accused of Poisoning Persons,
Including -Four Husbands

INDIANAPOLIS, June 27.--The sudden and
| inexpicable death Of Mrs. Dorsey and MRS.
| Wright, mother and sister Of Mrs. John
| Dorsey, continues 20 invite Coronlal IN
ouiry, and if there is foundation for the
sensational stories aflcat, and Of which she
is freely aware. Mrs Dorsey will prove
veritable Lucretia Borgia in the ma
| lignancy Of her operations. Her pres
ent husband is an honest, industri-
Gus artisan, and although he is cogni-
| sant of the rumors affecting hr Vile, he
retains his confidence in her innocence, and
| their domestic life is lovingly trusttdl In
point of fact. as the gossip goes. Mrs Dor
sey is accused Of poisoning four HUSBANDS,
two step-children and her mother ana SIS,
ter. The accused woman IS aged ~, ana
she Is living with her fifth husband. Her
first husband was Daniel Sauiey, whom she
married in her fifteenth year. He lived but
two years, and twelve months later sue
married John Temple, an employe OF the
Jacksonville, Madison and Indianapolis
Railway Company. Within few months
he was dead. Then she married Albert
Conkling, with whom she removed TO Ca
MARCO, H., where he died. Returning 10
Indianapolis she was woOed and won by
Joseph Sterret, o widOwer, with two chill
dren, and 1t was not long until both he and
his children were dead. Three months
ago she was united in marriage TO Mr.. Dor
sev, and they occupy n comfortable little
home in the southern quarter Of the city.
All of her husbands were poor, and she was
q valuable helpmeet to all of them until her
health failed. At present she is little bet
ter than an invalid. She has broken rap
idly within the past three weeks, due large
~ TO the cruel gossip connecting her with
the death of her mother and sister. IN her
youthful days she was evidently hands one
and there are still traces of former facial
beauty, to which are added piercing brown
eyes and dark brown hair. She speaks
rapidly and to the point, and weeps bit
terly as she protests that she Is victim OF
circumstances and innocent OF crime.
Two months ago the Dorsey household
included Dorsey and his wife, Mrs. Taylor,
mother of the accused woman; Mrs. Nancy
Wright, sister, and a child aged 10,
daughter of the last mentioned Six weeks |
ago Mrs. Taylor was taken suddenly i'll and |
died, and the attendant physician reported |
that he never could satisfactorily diagnose |
her case. Ten days later Mrs. Wright was !
seized of vomiting which continued with |
short intervals until she died. She com |
planned to the physician shortly before |
death that his last powder was killing her, |
and the surprised doctor replied that he had |
ElNSu t.cF M JONhSi, Oltl HIS suspicious NtIc /
allayed by Mrs. Dorsey remarkiug, 'Oh, I
she means the med cine in the bottle"
The death Of these women set the neigh
bors to gossiping that both had been
poisoned, and in this way the attention OF
the Coroner was enlisted. He ordered a
post-rnortem of the remains of Mrs Wright,
and the contents Of her stomach we're ana
lyzed, showing evidences of copper poison
ing The coats of the stomach had bceu
eaten into holes By the drug. and after sep
arating the mas enough verdigris was ex-
tracted to fill a small vial. This, too, in
face of the fact that she had yomited a.
most necessarily for several days prior 10
death
The body of Mrs Taylor was then ex-
humed, and the contents Of her stomach arc
now being analysed by the same chemist
who operated in the Wright case. Upon the
result OF h's findings depend the future pro-
ceedngs relative to Mrs Dorsey.