Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-07-17
A V[R|TAB[E F|[ND.
Further Evidence Against
Or. Meyer.
HISTORY OF HIS LIFE.
Shows Him to Be Criminal With q
Decidedly Black Record.


CHICAGO, July 1.-THE details OF the
lives of the pair of poisoners In Chicago
equals In horror even that of the Borgas.
1t IL story of subtle scheming. wholesale
poisoning and depravity that almost passes
comprehension.
Dr. II. @. T.. Meyer left the town Of Min
den, Westphalia, In 1915, and came to
America He was then about IS years of
age. He came direcl ly to this city, where
he began the practice Of medicine. He was
never graduated from any Chicago medical
college, though he attended some Of the
postgraduate lectures at the Rush medical
college
He had diploma from German college,
the genuineness of which has been ques-
toned. In 1877 he boarded with family
named Kirchoff ON North Sedgwick street
near North avenue. Among the members
OF the family was handsome young wo-
man, Miss Mary Kirchoff She was 81
years Of age and a universal favorIte In the
neighborhood DR.. Meyer had an office on
North avenue. block from the house, and
Miss Kirchoff was frequent caller. He
paid her marked attention, and the result
was marriage In the fall Of 1871
Early In 1873 DIR. Meyer was called pro-
fessionally to attend child Of Henry Gil
derman, a grocer and saloonkeeper on
SedRwick street. He made the acquaint-
ance OF Mrs. Gilderman. and 1t ripened
into an intimacy that resulted In triple
murder. Gilderman was first
Put Out OF the way.
Mrs. Meyer, the bride of a year, was
poisoned, and subsequently her child was
strangled in q baohtub.
Early In October, 1873, Gilderman's rela-
tives were notified that he was seriously
Ill. They found DIR. Meyer In attendance.
: He said it was nothing and that Gilderman
would be we'll in few days. The patient
grew weaker and weaker and the night of
Oct. IL he died in horrible convulsions.
Matthew Stark, d brother-in-law OF Glider
man, believed that the man had been
poisoned, but he had no proof Gilderman
left nearly $4,000, all going to the widow
except 5000, which was reserved for the
children. Twelve days later, on Nov. 1. 1873.
Mrs. Meyer died suddenly.
The death Of Mrs. Meyer increased the
gossip OF the neighborhood and matters
reached climax In January, 1879, when
DIR. Meyer and the widow Gilderman
were married.
On Feb %. 1879. Stark, who had mar
rird u sister of Gilderman, swore out a
warI'snt, charging DR.. Meyer and Mrs.
Gilderman with the murder of Gilderman
aud Mrs. Meyer. The couple were ar
rested the next day and held without bail
The bodies Of the dead were exhumed and
the viscera given to Professor Haines and
DIR. j. T. Siebel Of the Chicago medical
college for examination.
Professor Haines testified that he found
traces Of strychnine and chloroform in
Gilderman's body. Witnesses were pro-
duced who sold DIR. Meyer the chloroform.
On this evidence the coroner's jury held
the pair for murder. Mrs. Gilderman in
stantly sold about $SO,OO0 worth of real
estate and the money was expended In
securing freedom. Despite the direct evil
dence Of two eminent medical experts the
Grand Jury Ignored the Bill.
The pair were released. They lived to
gether for two years, Mrs. Gilderman
bearing Meyer one child, a girl now about
13 years of age. Early in 1881 the babe
that Meyers first wife had borne him was
found dead In o bathtub. The coroner
found dark marks about the child's throat,
and the evidence pointed to q murder.
Meyer was again arrested, bat, as no di-
rect evidence could be produced against
him, he escaped.
A year later his wife, the former Mrs.
Gilderman, was taken suddenly sick. She
asserted that her husband was poisoning
her and refused the medicines he pre-
scribed Other physicians were summoned
and they said she was suffering from
poison. Mr.. Meyer instantly fed to Ger
many. He remained abroad until be in
duced his wife to withdraw the charge.
He returned to Chicago, was arrested, but
his wife would not appear against him and
He Was Released.
She refused to live with him, and Meyer
began to look up other desirable female
acquaintances. In 1885 he met q Miss
Dresser. q young German girl who lived
with her parents on Bissell street. He
made such progress In her favor that In
six months his wife secured divorce She
has since married another physician and Is
now Mrs Mullock and lives In the Polish
section of the city.
Meyer, after his wife's divorce, devoted
himself TO insurance swindling II is not
known that he married Miss Dresser In
Chicago Miss Dresser's father, q retired
merchant. offered good mark. and Meyer
put In execution the scheme that he has
since frequently worked. He wrote out q
life insurance policy for $4,000 In the
name Of Mr.. Dresser, payable to his
daughter. who was then living with
Meyer. He turned In the examination,
which showed q much younger and vig-
orous man.
Mr.. Dresser suddenly grew sick. In
some way the Germania Insurance COM
pany, the one interested, heard Of the
sickness and began an Investigation.
Myer and the daughter fed and a year
later both were arrested in Denver and
brought back for trial The daughter
prevailed on her father, who had re-
covered from the poisoning. not to prose-
cute, and they left Chicago 1t once, and
have been operating In other cities since.