The evening world., 1894-05-02
PURSUED BY A BORGIA
An Army Officers Wife Goes to
Byrnes for Protection
She Accuses a Society Woman OF
Trying TO XIII Her.
Thinks Her Cook and Butler Were
Mixed Up in the Plot.

A handsome. richly attired woman
drove up to Police Headquarters yes
terday afternoon In n cab and was ush
cred into Supt. Byrnes's private Office.
She was accompanied by u boy Of about
ten years, who was said to be ner son.
After being in consultation with the Su-
perintendent for an hour the woman
was driven to the Astor House.
This strange visitor Is the wife of a
we'll known army officer. who vas until
recently IN command OF garrison rot
far from New York. She says many at
tempts have been made to poison her
and she believes a woman high in army
society Is responsible.
Supt. Byrues told the visitor she
would have to place the matter in the
hands of the authorities Of an adjoin-
ing county, as the alleged crimes were
committed outside this county.
To an Evening World" reporter the
woman told the same story she had
told to Supt. Byrnes.
Exhibiting several bottles and walls,
she declared that they contained guam
titles of poison which had been ad-
ministered to her In her food. For a
year or more. she said. poison had been
put in her food in small quantities., but
her suspicious were not aroused until
last November. when she was obliged
to take to her bed. The cook, a negress,
had prepared all the dishes and served
them in person. When the condition
of the army officers wife became 30
serious that she feared for her life
she suggested to the cook that ply
sician be called in.
The negress got into a passion, de-
claring that there was no occasion for
a doctor: that she was fully capable
Of taking care Of her and nursing her
back to health and strength.
Then. the mistress says. she realized
that she was being poisoned and secretly
consulted a physician. he advised her
to bottle and seal In the presence OF
one or more members OF the family some
was prepared and served by the cook.
nurse. She followed the advice and took
a sample to n chemist for analysis.
In the, mean time she refused TO taste
of anything prepared or served by the
cook, and began improving in health:
She visited the chemists laboratory and
saw, saw the The specimens Of poison developed
There IL enough poison in this one
little phial." she says the chemist said
ito poison your whole family. 1t is ar.
senic, and you were lucky you didn',
drink the beef tea In which 1t was
placed"
The beef tea had been prepared, tbs
woman SAYS. after she had ANNOUNCED
her intention OF calling a doctor. She
| believes 1t was the intention of the ne
| gfess to murder her with a single dose.
The cook, the woman says, supposing
| that detection was inevitable. left the
family's employ. But a colored butle
rema ined. No suspicion was entertained
or him until December. when the mis-
tress' = health began to fail again. Sew
eral bottles of lager beer that had
peculiar taste We're taken to a New
| York chemist. analyzed and foun,
to contain poison, but not in sufficien
| quantity to kill.
The army officers wife says she &C
cused the butler OF attempting to mur
| der her and he disappeared.
These two persons. the woman be
| leves. were merely tools OF one Of he
enemies, who fears exposure, hayinJ
| been con >erned in a crime. Exposure
the army officers wife says. would b,
worse than death to this person, who i
| well known In society.
The army officers wifes brother
well known In this city. She has game
an enviable reputation in the literar
world. and is the author OF severa
meritorious works. 1t was only on tn
reporters pledge OF not mentioning he
name that she told her story.