The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-10-31
MAS SIZE POISONED?
a Prominent Young Canadian Charged
with NIurderIng His Wife.


with Numbering His Wife.
OTTAWA, ONr., Oct. SO.-John Regin-
aid Hooper is the son of wealthy re-
tired merchant residing in Port Hope, a
small town in the province of Ontario.
He is SO years OF age, handsome and
well educated. He is president OF the
Numismatic society aud belongs to
about dozen other societies, such "a
the Odd Fellows, st. Georges and the
lions OF England. lie is also an officer
in the militia and took part in the
northwest rebellion in 1885, for which
service he draws pension.
About ten years ago Hooper married
pretty French Canada girl, who lived
in village below Montreal. They did
not live happily, and several years ago
Hooper gave out that his wife was in
sane. He obtained certificate from
two doctors in Ottawa Mrs. Hooper
was admitted to the Kingston asylum as
pay patient. Her husband showed
her at the asylum every sign OF alice
tomato care.
Then Hooper began paying attention
W u lOuuE NbllltAll VI IhAO wy ANAASN
Miss Alice Stapley. He told her his
wife was dead, and showed her II clip
ping from newspaper in the form OF n
death notice, which stated that Georg-
ina Malo, wife OF ]. L. Hooper, had
died at Isle, France, about year pre-
vious. On September 10 last Hooper
presented himself at the Kingston asy-
lum. He said that lie was going to
England, and desired to leave his wife
with her relatives while he was gone.
Hooper lett the asylum with his wife
and boarded Quebec train with her.
lie told the conductor that the woman
was insane and that lest she should be-
come violent he desired to take her in the
baggage car, which he was allowed to
do. Shortly afterward tho conductor
entered the baggage car and saw that
the woman was on the floor. Hooper
was giving her something to drink out
OF n tin emp. The woman appeared to
DO very i'll. She was carried OFF the
train ut the next station, where che
died in a few minutes. Hooper got q
local doctor to certify that the woman
might have died Of heart disease. The
body was at once taken TO Port Hope
and buried, without the casket having
bcsn opaued. Hooper then went down
to Montreal, where he again asked Miss
Stapley to marry him.
A newspaper reporter from Montreal
got wind OF the sudden death at the
railway station and began an investiga-
ton. The reporter finally gave the re-
suit OF his Investigations to the public,
and the papers devoted q couple OF COL
umns to what they called the Hooper
sensation. Five hours after the issue
OF these papers Hooper took Il train for
Port Hope. ue went to the under
taker and gave him couple Of bottles
containing fluid, and told him that he
wanted his wife's body taken up and
embNlmed. II poison had been admin
istered this would have destroyed all
traces ofit. The undertaken refused to
exhume the remains.
An autopsy and analysis OF his stom-
ach have now been concluded. The
doctors testified that they found all the
organs in healthy condition and moth
ing to show the cause OF death. The
analyst reported that he found no trace
oil poison. Before the inquest was con-
cluded Hooper was arrested, charged
with murder He is now confined in
toilette Jail. Examination OF witnesses
isnow going on and may last couple
OF weeks. One OF the strongest points
against Hooper is that ho purchased
prussic acid in Montreal for the pur-
pose, us he alleged, OF killing u dog.
The doctors testified at the inquest that
after lapse OF twelve days traces Of
prussic acid in body might disappear.
1t is said that the defense will rely on
tho inability OF the crown,to prove that
any crime had been committed, be-
cause they have been utterly unable to
fix the cause OF death.