, 1891-07-01
WHOLESALE POISONER.
WHOLESALE PRISONER.
Terrible Grimes Charged
Against an Indiana Woman.
Suspected Of Having Poisoned
Four Husbands,
Two Step Children, Her Mother
and a Sister.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, June 3O.-TEe
police authorities of this city. assisted BY
the coroner, are investigating the most
sensational murder case that has ever oc-
Cured in Indiana. Mrs. John Dorsey,
living at No. "a Dougherty street, the
wife OF an industrious artisan, is the sus-
pect. She Is charged with having pois,
oned four husbands, two stepchiIdren,
aud her mother and sister. She is now
but 40 years Of age and is living with her
fifth husband, Her first husband was
Daniel Sauley. who worked in a packing
house and led her to the altar when she
was just turning her 18th year. He lived
two years and a year later she married
John Temple, a fireman on a railroad.
He survived but a short time and his
widow was united to Albert Couklin, a
Tuner, and with him moved to Camargo.
Douglas county, Ill. where he died. Size
then returned to this city. and in a short
time married Joseph Sterret, a w%iiower
with two children, and he shortly followed
her other hu stands to the grave, but not
till both OF his children had died. Three
months ago she was married to John Dor
sey, aud they now occupy a modes. little
cottage in the southern part of the city She
is said to have broken rapidly within the
past three weeks, owing to the sensa-
tioDal rumOrs which connec her name
with the death of her mother and sister.
but traces of former beauty are sill WIS.,
Ible. ln height she is above the average
OF her sex, has piercing brown eyes. dark
brown hair and speaks rapidly IN ordinary
conversation She protests with the most
earnest vehcmence that she is the victim
of circumstances aud innocent o. crime
Less than two months ago tie Dorsey
homestead consisted OF Dorsey aud his
wife and the %lattcr's mother, Mrs. Tay-
lor, her sister. Mrs. Nancy Wright. aud a
child OF the latter, a little girl about 10
years of age. Six weeks AGO Mrs. Taylor
was taken suddenly i'll and soon after
died. Some ten DAYS later Mrs. Wright
also fell sick, being taken with vomiting
which continued a. short intervals till she
died. Just before she died she said to
DR. Bigger. the attending physician, that
the last powder he had given her was kill
ing her. He replied that he had not
gwen her a powder, and Mrs. Dorsey in
terrupted, saying: "Oh, she means the
medicine in the bottle"
1t soon became common talk that both
women had been poisoned. The coroner
began an investigation. which impressed
him so strongly that he ordered the re.
mains OF Mrs. Wright to be exhumed
and the contents OF her stomach analyzed
chemist Lafz mad he investigation and
found unmistakabl6 evidence of conner
poisoning. The coats of the stomach had
been eaten into holes by the drug Aftel
| aauaral dave fhu lnl~.4 NJ I'LL --
also eXhumed and hcr stomach tuEnet
over 10 The same chemist for analysis
The investigation is now in progress
Persons who were present during the
sickness of the two women relate many
circumstance that go to convince them
that foul play ended the wOmen's lives.
Mrs. Dorsey was interviewed TODAY. She
gave the names Of her several husband.
and said each had died a natural death
1t Is not true. that the lives of al
my husbands were insured. Mr.. Temple
carried 81, 900 in the Knights of Homo,
and Mr.. Sterret had Sl3O in tn,
Metropolitan. Neither of the other two
carried any insurance at ali. NV sister
Mrs. Wright, had $1,000 in the Howard
and my mother had $50 in the Metropoli
tan. This was all the insurance that any
of them carried" She said that her
sister had been respondent aud hac
threatened to take her life. She (th,
sister, had also auarreled with her mott er.
If any poisoning had been done the sisteI
was responsible If Mrs. Taylor die,
from poison Mrs. Dorsey will he arrested
and the inquiry will be carried back t.
the death of her last husband and tw,
stnpchildren. Mr.. Dorsey stands by hi
wife and believes that abe il innocent