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 Kill Her.
Thinks Her Cook and Butler Were
Mixed Up In the Plot.

A handsome. richly attired woman
drove up to Police Headquarters yes
tcrday afternoon In IA cab and was ush-
cred into supt. Byrnes's private Office.
She was accompanied by a boy OF about
zen years, who was said to be ner son.
After being in consultation with the SUI
perintcndent for an hour the woman
was driven TO the Astor House.
This strange visitor IL the wife OF a
well-known army officer, who v as until
recently in command OF a 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 ID responsible.
Supt. Byrues told the visitor she
would rave 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 hat they contained guam
titles of poison which had been adj
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 so
serious that she feared for her life
she suggested to the cook hat a 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
to bottle and seal In the presence of
one or more members OF the family some
Of the chicken broth and beef tea that
was prepared and served by the cook
nurse. She followed the advice and took
IA 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
from the samples Of food.
little phial." she says the chemist said.
ito poison your whole family. 1t Is ar
senic. and you were lucky you didn't
drink the beef tea in which 1t was
placed"
The beef tea had been prepared, the
woman says. after she had announced
her intention OF calling a doctor. She
believes II vas the intention OF the ne
gress to murder her with IL single dose.
The cook, the woman says. surprising
that detection was inevitable, left the
family's employ. Blu n colored butler
remained. No suspicion was entertained
OF him until December, when the mis-
tress's health began to fail again. Sew
eral bottles Of lager beer that had n
peculiar taste were taken to a New
York chemist, analysed and found
to contain poison, but not in sufficient
quantity to kill.
The army officers wife says she ac-
cused the butler OF attempting to muir
der. her and he disappeared.
These two persons, the woman be-
neves, were merely tools OF one OF her
enemies. who fears exposure, having
been con rerned in n crime. Exposure,
the army officers wife says. would be
worse than death to this person, who Is
well known In society.
The army officers wife's brother Is
well known In this city. She has gained
an enviable reputation in the literary
world. and IL the author of several
meritorious works. 1t was only on the
reporters pledge OF not mentioning her
name that she told her story.