Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-24
HER SIX VICTIMS.
4 CASE OF WHOLESALE POISONING In IN
DIANAP0LIS.
4 Daring MsthOd to Obtain Insurance MOnsy-How
the Tragic Affairs Were Oporand-A
Story Of Madness With Meth
cd in Il.

INDIANAPOLIS, June 23.-The most
intense interest is felt here in the
charges which have been made against
Mrs. John Dorsey, who is believed to
have poisoned some six or eight persons,
the victims being four husbands, two
step-chidren and her mother and sister,
the alleged incentive being to get the
money for which the lives Of the VIC
tins were insured.
Mrs. Dorsey is 4 woman OF attractive
appearance, and before she entered
upon her matrimonial career was a Miss
Taylor, and lived in this city. She
married Conkling, and with him moved
TO Illinois, and here he died very sud-
denly, but no suspicion seems to have
attached to her at that time. She soon
after returned to the city and has since
been four times married, her present
husband being John Dorsey, laborer.
Six weeks ago her mother, Mrs. Tay-
lor, died, and the similarity between her
death and that Of her former husbands
and two step-children
LED TO MANY COMMENTS,
and these became so pointed that the
authorities determined 10 look into the
matter. While quiet investigation
was in progress Mrs. Nancy Wright fell
sick from similar disease and died
almost before the neighbors were aware
that she was dangerously i'll.
All the circumstances attending this
sickness coincided with those Of other
ros in tho family hut II n n
pears that DR.. Bigger, the attending
physician, had no suspicion that any
thing was wrong. Just before Mrs.
Wright died she said to DR.. Bigger that
that last powder he had given her was
killing her. He replied that he had not
given any powder, when Mrs. Dorsey
interrupted the conversation by saying
son, she means the medicine In the
bottle, DOCTOR" pointing at the same
time to d bottle OF medicine that the
doctor had left for the patient to take.
Mrs. Wright died the next day and was
buried, but the body was exhumed, and
a large quantity Of oxide OF copper or
verdigris was found in her stomach,
Notwithstanding she had vomited con-
siderably before she died. Coroner
Manker has q vial full of greenish fluid
taken from her stomach, and says that
it contains enough oxide OF copper to
! kill three persons. The Coroner sub
\ jected Mrs. Dorsey to rigid examina-
tion, but he failed TO elicit anything
that would Justify her arrest. She ap-
peared Indifferent TO the opinion OF her
, neighbOrs, and met every inquiry in d
don't-care manner that puzzled the Off
cial and for time caused him to be un-
certain as to the proper course TO be
pursued.
He was convinced that Mrs. Wright
had died from copper poisoning, but
there was no way to prove that Mrs.
Dorsey had administered 1t, and the
case presented so many difficulties that
he hesitated 10 act. For two weeks he
has been pursuing quiet
And the result OF this was the deterina-
tion to exhume the remains OF Mrs.
Taylor, the mother OF Mrs. Dorsey,
analyze the contents OF her stomach,
and if suspected conditions were found
to exist TO order the arrest OF Mrs.
Dorsey. The second step in the case
was taken to-day, when Mrs. Taylor's
body was exhumed and the stomach de-
livered to Chemist Latz, an expert Ger
man chemist, for analysis. In the
course OF his examination Of Mrs. Dor
sey the Coroner told her that she was
suspected OF the murder Of her
mother, and said that he proposed TO
have the body Of Mrs. Taylor exhumed.
.'You won find anything there" said
Mrs. Dorsey, "for it has been too long"
The Coroner was dumbfounded at
the effrontery OF the woman and was
more convinced than ever that she had
been guilty OF the crimes charged
against her. In this belief he opposed
the appointment Of Mrs. Dorsey as
guardian of Mrs. Wright's child, and
another was appointed, thus placing the
child out of the way of harm pending
the investigation. Mrs. Wright carried
81 900 insurance and Mrs. Taylor also
carried a small sum.
Two of the deceased husbands car
life policies, but the Coroner has been
unable TO find that the other two offer
ed a similar inducement to the wife to
make way with them. When John
| Dorsey was on MS way to get license
| to marry the woman he met his brother
on the street and told him where he
was going.
"You might as well go and order
your coffin, too" said his brother when
he was told who the prospective bride
was. 1t will be three or four days be-
fore Chemist Lott will complete the
analysis OF Mrs. Taylor's stomach, and
the coroner will wait for this corrobora-
tive evidence before taking action.