Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-08-18


Evans, the suspected man, testified that
She reached heF brother Johns house
Thursday, August llth, between 3 and 4
o'clock, y. IN; the child was then dead and
buried; she found her brother John and
wife suffering severely. She also stated
that SHE has heard her husband, William
Evans, say that some of the Rosser family
hnd a. die by his hand if it took him 20
years to do ii.
Isaac Rosser said that on Wednesday
morning, August 10th, he was sent for to
60 to the home Of his brother John. When
he reached there the child was dead and
he found John and his wife suffering
badly. He al suspected William Evans
from the threats he had heard him make.
He also stated that the wife of Benjamin
Rosser, who was too sick to attend the in
quest told him that she had heard vii
liam Evans say that he intended to poison
the whole family.
This closed the testimony and the Jury
adjourned until Friday, August 18th,
when the stomach will be analysed and
other important witnesses examined.
Philadelphia Record Aug. il.
William Evans, the husband of Mrs.
Esther Evans, one of the Rdsser family,
and toward whom suspicion points as
the author Of the diabOlical plot to cX-
terminate the entire family by poison
erty Vt John Rosser al Oak Grove,
Delaware, was discovered after an cX-
tended search yesterday, at No. GGi2
Tulip street, Tacony.
Ii the tale of woe told by him Of the
wrongs inflicted upon him By his
brothers.in- law be true he certainly was
not wanting for provocation, though
he absolutely denied any completely in
the poisoning and even knowledge of
the affair.
Evans, although he has resided for
| Years IN Tacony, appears to be known
there by but comparatively few people
by his proper name, but the sobriquctof
MARY Ann" or "Billy be Did" is
recognized at once. lie is man AZ years
Of age, b feet s inches tall, rather thick
set, weighs about l65 pounds, blue eyes
and brown hair tinged with gray, and
| though he claims to be an American he
has y strong English accent in his
| speech and would be taken anywhere
for an Englishman.
His general appearance is rather re-
1 pulsive than Otherwise, and notwith-
standing his apparent innocence there is
a species OF low cunning about him that
conveys to the stranger 4 sensation more
or less of distrust.
Evans ascrbes all of his domestic
troubles TO his wife's brothers. He saws
he was married 10 his wife 10 years ago
having met her in Philadelphia. During
the earlier years Of their married life
the current Ut their domestic life ran
along smoothly, and it was not until
after the death of his fathcr.in-law that
the trouble began. He claims that be-
tween him and his hr0ther-in law,
Benjamin Rosser, perfectly pleasant
relations exist, but that John and Isaac
kosser have for years been prosecuting
him and poisoning his wiIes mind, and
simply because he declined to support
them.
The separation between himself and
wife took place two years ago last Feb
ruary, when She left him and went to
her home in Delaware. lie claims that
he was then living on farm in Caroline
county, Md, but the farm being unrc.
muncrative he came back to 1acony
with the understanding that when he
had secured home his wife and chill
drcn We're to follow.
Iii the meantime, however, his wife
and her brothers coniiscatcd ali his
goods and removed them to Delaware,
and he had to resort To law to regain
possession Of them. He claims to have
repeatedly urged his wife to return ID
him, and she had consented and he pre-
pared a home, but the brothers again
lnterlercd ana she declined 10 come. lie
says he has not seen his wife since last
spring, ana has not been near the RossGl
place since then.
lie admitted, however, that he was
away from Tacony Thursday, August
Attn, the day the poison is alleged tc
have been placed in the well, but that
he visited his sister in this city
Evans is employed by Magistrate
south, and has been for several months
: PRIOR to which he was in the employ Of
the Tacony Iron Company, and wa
discharged by Foreman 5. Kirby fol
! lettering about his work, though he say.
he left because work was slack lie ap
pears to have very few If any friends il
Iacony, and those who know him arr
not inclined 70 speak very kindly o.
tiatteringly about him,
HIS STORY VERY WEAK,
Philadelphia RECORD, Monday.
) The departure from Tacony yestefla,
| afternoon of William Evans of No GGl;
Tulip street, suspected Of the POISONING
Of the water in the well Of John l}usser
! of Oak Grove, Del, which has already
/ resulted in the death Of one victim ant
9 the probable death of several others, ant
j his failure to return mp to a late hOu
last evening is very strong link in til,
s chain OF circumstantial evidence that i
y being woven around him.
y The story, as told by Evans himscl
Saturday afternoon as t. his great low
and care for his Wife and children an,
the efforts Of his witc's friends TO potsol
i, her mind against him, has been proven
!. 10 be untrue in every particular and
Il has been shown that his treatment o
!. his wife and children was brutal in til
. extreme.
T. A POSER FOR EVANS,
r, The strongest link in the chain o
1 suspicious circumstances, and While
4 will probably Evans more troubleto cX
7. plain away, was his whereabouts un til
= night ot Thursday, August 4th, I'll
= time when the poison was placed in til
we'll on the Rosser premises.
"a Evans positively stated Saturday tina
:. he had not been away from Tac0ny Il
~ any time during that week eNcrp! I
take run into the city to see his siste1
rs and he was uncertain rs to whether tia
= had been on Wednesday or Thursda,
q Ills lGndlady, Mrs. John Mawr, how
i, ever, told different story yesterday ii
= ternonn. She said that Evans wcr
/, away on the morning Of THURSDAY
Of August 4th, and did not return mi
1t the evening Of Friday, August 9TH; TIT
y he was decidedly s,riy and irritable an
complained Of being very tired, sayin
n thut he Ind been ant with n ii .I,it,