Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-12-19
ALLEGED POISONING.
Neighbour brown Tells - story Which Im-
pIisat..- Mr.. rhgIt-

pIirat-~ Mr.. rh~Ip>.
SYRACUSE. D,F. lp.-On the night ~
Dee. :. at his home MAR M,1;rawvillC
Cortland county, L"r,'n Phelps was taken
violently i'll Dr, VI. u. smith 1T Ne
Granville and later Dr. H. 4. Hendricks
WEIR called They found that Phelps Wa
suffering fr,m poisson. and despite ;hCir
efforts he died uu DCc .. The physicians
r,fusci {" grant burial permit and NJ
ported {" Coroner i;CNrg' Bradford nj
Homer.
Immediately after Phelps death Coroner
Bradford and the doCtnrs made an exam
nation and the physicians then signed =
certificate that Phelps died from unknown
causes. Monday Coroner Bradford
companicd by his jury, viewed Phelps ~
mains after which the inquest was al
journCd subject to the CurnnCr'S call.
Phelps stomach was ~cnt for cxamina
tion to William MnnlinS smith, an expert
chemist of this city. Dr. Hendricks oN-
amincd the dead mans intcStin,r. and
says they showed such Inflammation ~
would naturally result from poison.
The most startling story " all i told hy
Farmer u. r. Brown. ncighhor of Phelps
MIR. Brown says that Phelps called him
into his sickrnom shortly after the first at
tack and told him that he (Phc!r>I had
been poisoned by them. The next day
at o'clock he again ~cnt for Brown. and
in the presence of Dr. smith told the same
story
Phelps said that his wife Adelaide had
ON Dee. purchased ut the sturc of 4. ID
smith ~ Mo rawvill,. u half QUINCY Of ar
scnic. and that un D,c Il she had sent her
daughter. IL y,ar~ old. t1 MIR. Brown
HOUSE for str.,hninr. Mir Brown asked
the grid HIT sh, wanted To do with the
poison. aud the child rplicd that her
mother wantsI tn us, it to Kill the rats
which ate up the popcurn. Mrs Brown
finally gave the child the deadly drug for
the purpose of killing the rats, though
not. Mrs. Brown says, without misgty-
ings- IL was the next night that Phelps
was attacked with his fatal Illness.
Ii l. said that Phelps and his wife have
for some time lived unhappily together
owing TO the attentions of William smith.
aged -, of Cortland. to Mrs Phelps
Their intimacy Is rcpnr'Cd to have caused
much trouble and m Phelps at times
very Respondent On the Saturday before
THANKSGIVING. it l. said, there was a
stormy scene in Cortland between Phelps
and his wife because she refused To return
with Phelps In MCtirawvillc after n visit
i'm Cortland. She Is alleged To have told
him she would drive over with Willie
Smith tomorrow" and Phelps went home
without nef SnC ulu not TctNrn rs pfuin-
iscd, and ON the following Monday Phelps
was compelled again To go after her.
Meantime. IL is said, Mrs Phelps was out
driving with smith.
Phelps was about 40 years old, and his
wife l. some years his junior.
They have thrcc children, the eldest
being a boy ~ years old The second Is
the girl of Ii who went In Mrs. Brown 5
for the stryehninc. and the youngest Is n
boy of :. Mrs. Phelps Is n well preserved
woman. and although she appeared slight
ly nervous she maintains rcmarkable self
oomposurc. she refuses to discuss her
husbands d,Fath and docs not appear to be
deeply afflicted. She Is a native OF Brad
ford. Pa, and was married to Phelps is
years ago.
William Manlius Smith, the chemist,
said that IL might he two weeks before tho
analysis would be complete.