The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-12
POISONED FIVE OF THE FAMILY.
Terrible Deed of Sixteen.Year.
Ole Katie HorIacher.

She Attempts to Murder Her Relatives.
Mrs. Harriet Ritter Arrested Charged
With Being an Accomplishing Uncle,
His Wife. Two Children and IA Grand
Mother Frustrated After PartakIpp
of Soup and Collective of Them
Still In Dangcr-Confession of the Girl.
PHILADELPHIA, Fob. IA startling
story of conspiracy on tho part of q
young girl and woman to murder q
whole family by means of poison, and
the arrest of both the alleged conspira-
tors was made known at police head
quarters last evening. There wore five
victims in the plot, and two Of Thorn are
In precarious condition, but the others
have fully recovered.
On Friday afternoon, February 3.
Thomas. the 3-Year-old son OF John
Horlacher, who lives at and conducts
grocery store at the northeast corner of
Marshall street and Montgomery avenue.
was taken violently i'll. The little
fellow suffered intensely from cramps
and continue to vomit for tho remainder
OF the day. Emetics were given him,
but they brought no apparent relief.
Finally, DR.. Wood, the family physi.
clan, was called in and he prescribed for
the child, who, he said, was suffering
from the effects OF poison. The boy
began to recover the following day.
Two days after the child was taken
sick Mr.. Horlacher and his wife wero
stricken. They also complained of pains
In the stomach and showed the same
symptoms as their child. The nextday
their other child, Charles. aged wears,
and Horlacher's mother also became i'll
and were confined to their beds. DR..
Wood attended all and treated them for
the same ailment
The only one in the family who had
not complained or showed any sipns OF
sickness was Katie Horlacher, Ii wears
old, q niece Of Mr.. Horlachcr, who at
tended 10 the household duties Hor-
lacher became suspicious because of the
girl being the only ono apparently so
fortunate as to escape sickness, and
noticlng that she had acted strangely on
the day the first child was taken i'll he
questioned her if she knew what was the
cause or the family's illness.
The girl at first said that she did not
know, but, 1T is said, afterwards admit
ted TO having placed an extract in the
coi1ee and soup which they had all par
taken of to give it q rich flavor. Mr..
Horlacher said no moro about the mat
ter until Thursday morning, when he
called on Captain Miller and informed
him OF the facts. Detectives Geyer and
Crawford were detailed on the case, and
they accompanied Horlacher to the
house, where thoy had a conversation
with the girl.
On being closely questioned by the
officers she confessed that she had tried
to Kill the family and said it was poison
that She administered in the soup and
coffee. She was placed under arrest and
taken to the Central station, where she
made full confession duplicating Mrs
Harnett Ritter, Of 7O9 Fern street,
Camden.
In her statement she said that she
was dissatisfied with her present home,
as her uncle would not permit her to
keep company Or attend any parties,
and this was the reason why She at
tempted to murder him and his family.
She said that she first consulted Mrs.
Ritter as to what course to pursue and
that she purchased the poison for her
AMI told her how to administer it
1t was on November last that the
plan was contrived, but the girl said
that she had not the heart to place the
poison in the food until February 8,
when she put small quantity in the
coHee, out IT. o1d not take effect on any
OF the family but the child Thomas.
The girl also states that Mrs. Ritter
told her il she should succeed in her
undertaking that she expected some
money for assisting her in the matter.
On the strength Of the girls statement
Detective Geyer visited Camden yester-
day and together with Sergeant John
ii. Beard, of that place, arr ested Mrs.
Ritter at her homo. She was taken be.
fore Justice Cassidy, who committed
her to prison on the charges Of conspi.
racy to murder and with administering
poisonous drug with intent to murder.
This was after she had denied the
charge and had PROPOSED entire igno-
rance of the matter.
The girls mother and father arc both
dead, and she had been living with her
grandmother, Mrs. TT ckler, Of l,632
Germantown avenue, until nine months
ago, when her uncle brought her to his
house. The girls father left an estate
to her and her uncle. and the detectives
think that she imagined that if she
killed the latter she would be the only
one to have possession of it when she
became of age
Horlacher's wife and his mother are
the two who have not yet fully rec ,vered
from the poison, but they are considered
out Of danger. The girl will probably
have hearing to day.
MADAME DE sTUERs LOSES.