The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-01
= POISONED HIS RR0THER..
A Terrible Tragedy Which Stirs Up an o
Kentish Town.

n
kenttsh Town.
d.. w. r. Lyddon was ut one time the
most popular physician in Feversham,
England. He had a large practice and was
said to enjoy a correspondingly large in
come. He drove dog-cart and a variety
of other vehicles, supposed to be the ac-
compartment and guarantee OF success.
He also had pretty wife, charming
woman, with an attractive personality and
magnetic influence. She led in The social
entertainments among her neighbors, was
prominent in the ANA teur tn eatricals that
every winter form 50 attractive feature i'll
this old kentish town, and formed the GEN.
ter of a brilliant cOterlc. Had Mrs. LyddUn
confined herself to these harmless amuSe-
ments she would have remained Innocent
ana not have enSnared herself in the web OF
damnlng circumstances that now environ
her.
Mrs. Lyddon, however, although to all
appearances a happy wife, and looked upon
with envy as such by ali her women ac-
quaintances, was destined to meet her fate
in her husbands stepbrOther, whom DIR.
Lyddon brought down from London one
evening and introduced as young medical
student with all the bonorS OF his aim a
mater fresh upon him. The embodiment of
peculiar type OF manly beauty, Charles
Lyddon was not long making Il favorable
impression upon the kentish matron. He
soon became a regular visitor at the semi
detached villa occupied by the elder physi-
clan, and SO frequently occupied the same
sleeping apartment that 1t came to be Called
in the family by his name.
1t was in the course of these visits that
long sirolls were taken by the banks of the
sleepy Swale; at other times the lovers
wandered through the echoing aisleS of the
old abbey, where lie the remains of the
royal founder. King Stephen, whose
''breeches cost him but a CROWN" while on
other days the doctors dogcart would be
utilized Tor journey through the leafy hop
fields. Progressing thus iav0rably with the
wife, Charles began 10 make himself solid
with the husband, and by dint of much per-
suason brought the latter TO agree to sale
OF f's practice, possession to be given on his
deal..
Insignificant and harmless as this pro-
vision seemed to the doctor, the agreement
containing it proved to be the unfortunate
mans drath warrant, as so sooner 1t
signed than his stepbrother, with devilish
malignitv, began to p!An the crime that he
has Just succeeded in accomplishing. Not
long after the prosperous ana until then eX-
| ceptionaly healthy medical man bad put his
| name to the fatal document, he was seized
| with mysterious Illness, which, however
| Charles pretended to thoroughly under
! stand and consequently took full charge of
| the treatment.
| His remedies, however seemed 10 aggra-
| vate rather than alleviate the malady, as DIR.
| Lyddon grew steadily worse. Not content
| with this deliberate assault on his brother
life, Charles did not attempt to disguise the
| hatred that filled his heart. In fact he
| treated him with such cruelty that Mrs.
| Lyddon was repeatedly heard by the serv-
! ants to exclaim: Don't hit him in the face,
| Z Iarley; for Gods sake don't strike him.
ne wont anger you again. dear" and SINH
| lar adjurations.
When the last hour arrived and the strong
| constitution of the physician had been COM
petely broken down by the powerful drugs
| ruthlessly administered to him, and his
| heart had been broken rs the hideous facts
| of his wife's falsehood and hio brother $
! treachery were revealed to him. Charles
locked himself in the room with his victim
| and proceeded to perform the last act in
| the tragedy. What then occurred is only
known To heaven and the occupants OF the
fatal chamber.
1t was the finding of an empty cottle OF
morphine in an adjacent lumber room that
first aroused suspicion and led to the arrest
of Charles Lyddon. Then came the story
of the horrible details they were sworn
to by different witnesses before the Corr,
ner's jury, which was not long in tindiHs
verdict OF guilty.
The prisoner protests his innGc;;anc%e, % anu
declares that the evidence. wbi.n. 10 aiu9st IS
entirely circumstautial, is mi'ie"uins' ne
will be tried at the next assi1es'