Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-14
BURIED ALIVE.
Such the Fate of Mrs. Black
man of This County.
NO PHYSICIAN CALLED IN.
County Attorney Gillespie Receives the
Report of the Chemist on the Poison
Question: Startling Discoy-
cry in the Coffin.


of the death of Mrs. Blackman, who lived
in this county four miles from Arlington
with her husband and four children. were
made known by County Attorney Gillespie.
Up TO the time of receiving the
report from Professor Harper it IS
obvious that in the interest Of
Justice Mr.. Gillespie could not talk. The
death Of Mrs. BlackInan has been the sub
ject of grand jury investigation, but until
the analysis Of the wOman'S stomach. etc,
was made the grand jury could not come to
a determination in the matter. That part
of it is now settled.
Did BIackrnan murder his wife by ad-
ministering strychnine or arsenic was the
question al issue.
Was not Mrs. Blaclman buried alive,
is it not positive that she was
buried alive, IS now the question,
and one \ fact, one horrible and
startling dScovery made when the
body of the poor woman was disintered
points conclusively to the fact that Mrs.
Ella Blaclanan died in her coffin after strug
Cling wildly for life. The fact is that the
woman gave birth to
A GELD II THE COFFIN
how long after she was buried God alone
can say.
FACTS IN THE CASE.
County Attorney Gillespie and his assist
AM, .. S. baltimore were seated in their
considering Professor Harper's report
when the reporter called.
Can | get the report of Professor
Harper for publication" asked TnE
GAZETTE man.
Mr.. Gillespie hesitated, carefully re-read
the report, spoke to Mr. baltimore on the
subject and then remarked: Il guess this
ends it as far as we can sdo anything. You
may read the report" and the county at
tOrney handed it over
Gould you not find where Biackman had
bought strychnine3"
NO, we could not" And then Mr. Gil
lespie gave the history OF the case from tcs-
timony produced before the grand jury
which testimony is in writing.
Mir. and Mrs. Blackman. their two chill
drel, one two and the other four years old,
and d nephew of Blackman, ate breakfast
together on the morning of the 23d of De-
cember, 1880, at Blackman's residence
Mrs. Blackman prepared the meal.
Breakfast over, Blaclman said he
was going to town and asked his nephew
to go with him. He did SO. On the way
Blacl1man said he had to get some medi-
cine for his wife. The nephew did not see
the purchase made, but when they got back
home about ~ O'Clock in the morning
Blacllman took from his pocket Il small box
with 4 sliding cover and said he had brought
the qunine. The box contained q white
powder which had the appearance Of
quiniue. Blackman poured out some of the
powder, and divided 1t in doses. He re-
marked to his wife, you had better take
two or three of these doses at once" He
then said he must go out on the farm, and
asked his nephew TO accompany him, but
the young man said he wished TO go hunt
ing and Blackman left by himself. Mrs.
Rlackman got glass and water and took
the powder while her nephew was putting
on heavy hunting clothes in an adjoining
room. When he came out got his gun and
started to go Mrs. Blackman asked him not
to go, saying she felt very sick. In i min
ute she said, that medicine has poisoned
me- and was soon in commissions. She
revived somewhat and told the little
boy TO blow the horn to call
her husband home. Another spasm and
then another eusued before Blackman was
seen coming to the house. The nephew
hurried out 10 him and said:
Hurry to the house your wife is dy,
ing Blackman then ran to the house and
when he reached his wife she was speech
less.
ELLA, Ella, what does this meant" he
asked, but she could only shake her head.
The nephew was told to go for
a doctor and started, but before
he could reach the fence Blackman
dead. Neighbors were notified and hurried
to The house.
Before the neighbors came the nephew
threw most OF the powder in the fire and
some Of it out the door.
Blacknan returning from town where
he had gone for coffin saw the powder on
the door step and told his nephew be should
not have thrown it there; people would see
it and say he had poisoned his wife.
Mrs Blacknan was buried on the morn
ing of December u. Immediately after
the supposed death her body was rigid. AL
believed her dead and no physician was
called in, no coroner's inquest was held.
People began to talk and it was whis-
pered about that Blackman had murdered
his wife. BY March the whispers had be-
come bold outspoken words and the
people brought the matter to the
attention OF the county attorney.
Three physicians were appointed to disinter
the body and hold an autopsy. The grave
was opened, the coffin taken out, the lid
removed, when to their horror the doctors
found in the coffin a f9tus from five to
seven months old. Mrs. Blackman
HAD BEEN BURIED ALIVE.
She had been in a trance, and when she
revived, finding herself in a coffin, buried,
the fright and anguish, the efforts to free
herself from her confinement, caused pre-
mature birth.
The physicians removed the stomach,
lungs and kidneys and sent them to Fort
Worth to be analysed. On petition numer-
ously signed the county commissioners
appropriated 500 to pay for the examina-
ton and yesterday the following was
handed to the county attorney:
FORT WORTH, TEX, May II, 1891.
Mr. o. W. Gillespie, Attorney for the County Of
Tarrant State OF Texas:
DEAR SIR have the honor to herewith
submit to you the report of the chemical
investigation of the organs taken from the
body of Mrs. Blackman, deceased and
delivered into my hands by your assistant,
Mr.. baltimore, on the Slst day of March,
1851.
In prosecuting this work every effort has
been directed toward obtaining a truthful
result, and no pains have been spared in
carrying ont that object. The con-
dition of the material rendered the task not
only unpleasant but more difficult; but do
not think the result has been changed
thereby; that is, In regard to the presence
or absence of arsenic and stIychnine
REPORT
On the 31st day of March, 1891 I, n. W.
Harper, received from Mr. baltimore,
assistant prosecuting attorney for the
county of Iarrant, state of Texas, a wooden
box, cover securely nailed thereon, pur-
porting TO contain four sealed glass jars in
which had been placed the stomach, kid
neys, liver. heart and section of the lungs
taken from the body of Mrs. Blackman,
deceased, she having died in Tarrant
county, December %, 1890, and the circum-
stances attending her death being of
suspicious character suggesting poison.
The contract is the determination of the
presence or absence OF arsenic and strych-
nine