The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-28
He POISONED HIS WIFE:
The Serious Charge Brought Against
DR.. Buchanan.
he MADE VERY BOLD STATEMENTS
Which May Hurt Him I'm the Trial Now
I'm Progress = Tho story of the Al
legged Crime as Reviewed and Ex-
planned by Counsel.

NEW YORK, March 2s.--After many days
Of work, the 18th juryman for the trial Of
DIR. Robert w. Buchanan, the wife MUIR
derer, was secured. 1t is charged that
Buchanan got rid OF his wife by the use Of
morphine. The IL jurors obtained have
been selected out Of a total OF 242 citizens
examined. Assistant District Attorney
Osborne opened the case for the prosecti-
ton. He reviewed the history of DIR.
Buchanan a. far back as was necessary for
the case. He began life as drug clerk In
Halifax and soon became medical stu-
dent, graduating at the College OF Physi-
clans and Surgeons in Chicago. Returning
20 Halifax, he married Miss Annie Patter-
son, a woman of high social standing.
On Nov. 1e, 1889, he obtained divorce
from his wife. Seventeen days later he
married Mrs. Anna Ii. Sutherland, who
kept disorderly house at 311 Halsey
street. She had accumulated 600, 900, and
DIR. Buchanan, though warned by his
friends, said he would marry her for her
money She was 90 years older than he
WAS They moved to 207 West Eleventh
street His debts were paid by his wife's
money. In the fall of 1891 he
Had Grown Tired of Her
and began paying attentions to other
younger women. 1--WE got tired Of her"
che prosecutor declared Buchanan
said to his friends, "I'm going to dump
her I've hoped TO get rid Of her without
scandal, but the old chrome must go any
way. She has a face to drive a man crazy"
In April, 1892, Mrs Buchanan decided
to return to her old life in Newark. Dr.
Buchanan was determined she should not
do this. He had got from her will of her
property In his favor and also a deed OF
her real estate. He began to spread re-
ports among his friends that his wife had
orights disease and other ailments that
would soon carry her Off, although at that
dme she was perfectly well He also re-
moved his mother and his little daughter,
who had been living with him. Con-
tinuing Mr.. Osborne said that when, on
Friday, April %, Mrs. Buchanan was
taken i'll and DR. MacIntire was sent for,
Dr. Buchanan told his friends that his
wife had kidney trouble that might result
In coma.
When DR. MacIntyre examined her and
found she had no kidney trouble, DIR.
Buchanan sent for DIR. Watson Mrs.
Buchanan was in deep stupor. The doc
tors were puzzled, and Buchanan told
chem that her father had died from cere-
bral apoplexy, when in fact he had In
reality died from gangrene in the foot. At
2;30 on Saturday morning Mrs Buchanan
was dead No notice of, the funeral was
put In the papers, and Buchanan told
friends he would not stay in the house with
the corpse for $4,000.
After the Funeral
he went around drinking with his friends
ana expressing generally his relief at his
wife's death. Then he returned to Hall
fax and remarked Miss Patterson, from
whom he had already been divorced. Then
shey came TO New York. When, In 1891,
Nhe Harris murder trial was going ON, he
made the remark to his friends that
Harris was a id young fool. II he
had known his business well there could
have been no traces of the poison left"
Mr.. Osborne told how Mrs. Buchanan's
body was exhumed AZ days after the burial.
The autopsy revealed traces OF morphine
in the stomach. Morphine was also found
IN the intestines.
The first witness called by the prosecu-
ton was J. d. Smith lie testified that he
lived In the same house with Mrs Suther-
land at Newark. He had known her for
IL years. He was supported by the pro-
ceeds of the house kept by Mrs Suther-
,and. She had made will In his favor,
and he was angry when Buchanan mar
ried her. Witness told, under cross-exam-
nation, how he sent for the coroner and
oade the affldavit concerning Mr. Bu-