The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-21
HER PRELIMINARY HEARING
Evidence Against Annie Wagner Pro.
duced in Police Court Yesterday.
Ora bursts Assailant Given Seven Years
Result Of Matrimonial "Ad'-Castls
Engine Company.
ANNIE MAGNETS HEARING.
Strong Circumstantiai Evidence, but
Motive Shown.

Strong Circumstantiai Evidence, but No
Motive Shown.
The preliminary hearing of Annie Wag-
Der was begun In the Police Court yester-
day morning. The grand jury having
failed TO return an Indictment against her,
her attorneys insisted upon an immediate
hearing. There was = large crowd of
women In the court room yesterday morn
ing when the girl was brought in. A largo
majority of them felt friendly towards the
accused girl. but there were quite q num-
Der Of German women In the room who
looked fercely sc her. as if they considered
her iiend rather than human being.
The attorneys for the defendant wished
to require the State. which Is represented
by John s. Duncan, to namel In the affidavit
the kind OF poison which they Will attempt
to show was found in the stomachs. and
which caused the death. but Judge Bus
kirk overruled the motion. The affidavit
upon which the hearing was had yesterday
was the one charging Annie Wagner with
having poisoned Clara Koesters, the mother
of Charles Koesters. The first witness ex-
amined was Charles Koesters. and he de-
tailed the facts surrounding the death of
had arranged to attend picnic of the
Sacred Heart Church. and ate dinner be-
fore starting for the picnic. The dinner
was prepared by Annie Wagner. He
said that before eating the meal
his mother had not complained.
but soon thereafter she did.
They attended the picnic. notwithstand-
ing this While at the picnic she became
- hn. ant
right to bed. She vomited frequently dur
ing the night, and died at o'clock the fol-
lowing night. On cross-examinaJion he
testified that he was away from the store
and honse from o'clock in the afternoon
till clock, and that during this time An
ME Wagner was alone at the house.
Coroner Beck was next called. and testi-
fed to having gone TO the koestsrs resi-
dence at o'clock in the morning. with Dr.
Eiseu beiss. The visit was made at this
hour, SO az to prevent the girl from think
ing she had been suspected. In case there
was found to be no grounds for the sus-
piciOn. He said that the stomach was re-
moved and placed into a jar previously
prepared by Deputy Coroner Carey. This
jar was sealed and turned over TO DR.. Essen.
beIss, who made the anayl Isis and fonnd
that 1t contained arsenic. he testified to
having gone to the residence with Chief of
Detectives Splann upon the day the girl
was arrested anc that she denied purchas-
ing Rough on Rats" from druggist Borst or
that she had blue dress, as described by
the druggist Ho also testified that after
the portion of the box OF Rough on Rats
was found that she said she had got il from
her sister befo,e Christmas. DE-. Carey
testified that after the stomach as placed
in the jar aud it was sealed he re-
NAMED with DIR. Eisen beiss till the analysis
was completed. at IL O'Clock the next morn
Ing.
Dr. Eisenbeiss testified to having made
the analysis. He testified to having fonnd
arsenic In sufficient quantities to kill. He
said that he was positive that the poison
had not been absor bed after death both on
account OF the Inflammation OF the stomach
and intestines and the symptoms described
to him. He said that If the poison had
been absorbed after death 1t would not
have caused tho Inflammation and also
that the quantity found could not have
been absorbed after death.
Charles Borst, the druggist from whom
the Rough on Rats" was purch ased, POSI-
lively identified the girl as the one that
purchased the poison from him. ID said
he had known her for two years and could
not be mistaken. He remembered her buy
ing the poison because he did not sell much
of it and when she came for is he asked
her If she wanted q large or small box and
she replied that a small box would do. He
had some difficulty in finding 1t and he re-
membered il for this reason. At the close
of Mr.. BOrsts testimony the case was con-
tinued until to-day.
A letter has been received by Coroner
Beck from l.. s. Wells. the manufacturer
of the preparation known as Rough on
Rats" being reply to one written to him
for information concerning the composition
of the poison. The ans er Is follows:
Reply to your inquiry OF 10th instant will
say that "Rough on Rats" is mainly arsenic. The
other ingredients are DISCUSSES. Probably 80
per cent. is arsenic, and the other ingredients
would in way affect the chemical physIo-
logical action of the arsenic II "Rough on Rats"
is the cause Of death II Is the arsenic that kills
Respectfully yours.
L. 8. WELLS,
712 Grand street. Jersey City. N. ].