The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-06-07
Mrs. Grier Of Spokane Held on
the Charge Of Murder.
HER DAUGHTERS AWFUL STORY
Testimony Showing That Grier Was IN
doubleday Poisoned-Held Without
Ball tn the Superior Court.

cemetery, and the wife is In the county
Jail, accused of causing his death. OF
these six husbands three are dead, one
is in an asylum for the insane, one has
been divorced and the other is 4 wan
derer on the face of the earth.
The preliminary examination of Mrs.
Grier and David Minor, her son by
former husband, was heard before JUS
tice Wood yesterday afternoon. The
fist witness was Mrs. Florence Shirley,
a pleaslnt-looking woman of 80 years,
and a widow with two children. She is
the daughter of Mrs. Grier by one of
the six husbands, and David Minor is
her half brother. When her husband
died in the east Mrs. Shirley and her
children applied to Mrs. Grier for
money TO me to Spokane She got
the Price of the fare and worked for
her herss.f in various lowly positions
since her arrival. Last Christmas week
the young woman went to the home of
her parents. They qulrreled a great
deal, and the mother evidently had
some grudge against the father. Mrs.
Shirley continued:
''The day after Christmas mother
and l were coming to town in the
wagon. She said she had a grudge
against my stepfather, that he had
maze promise to her in Illinois before
they came out here, but would not
keep 1t, and she wanted me to get a
revolver and kill the old man when he
went out of the house at night just be-
fore retiring. 1 told mother that
would, not thinking OF doing such
thing; that had myself and two chill
dren to support and did not intend to
stain my hands with blood. My mother
had always been kind to me and l loved
her, and the affair shocked me. ] did
not 60 near the house again, but on the
2Sth of January mother drove up to the
house where | was rooming and asked
me to 60 to a drug store and buy s
cents worth of powdered nux vomca.
She said she didn't want to 60 herself,
because she drove team CT white
to the Spokane Drug Company and
bought the stuff, not knowing its ma
ture, but when the druggist said 1t was
poison and took my name, it dawned
upon me that she might want 1t to in
jure Mr.. Grier. l made up my mind
not to give it to her, so I took the pack
age back and gave'it to the druggist.
''The third day afterward mother
came to my rooms on Second avenue
and asked: Did you get ita' 1 said
No, 1 didn't She answered, Give me
the money and | will get 1t myself.
She came back again and when l asked
if she had got 1t, said: Il did; you bet
did. If anything should happen out to
the house will you give it awayg
told her she had better let that thing
drop.
'The latter part of February mother
said Grier was gong away the first Of
March and wanted her to give him the
"
but she answered: no; before I would
do that would first put him under the
sod.' A month later, in March, l asked
If he had gone, and mother replied
ooh, he's sick and grunting around
Before week you will hear something.
A week after Mr.. Grier died, mother
said, of the grip. l expressed my sus
plcions that he had been foully deal
with and she told me to keep my moutl
shut; 1t cost $50 to put him under thu
sod, more than his carcass was worth.
After that asked her for money to g.
away, so I could hide my disgrace owe
the affair"
Cross-examination developed tina
Mrs. Shirley had lived three month
with Edward Corrigan, a chime.
sweep, but they parted after the dealt
of Grier, because of the mother. He
mother had grudge against Grier be
cause when they came from Illinois b
would not marry her, and she wante
revenge for it. There were gophers /
the garden and her mother may hav
bought the poison for that purpose
Mrs. Shirley was asked by her mothe
to shoot Grler for revenge. The daugl
ter was not aided by the county CON
missioners because she testified in tn
case, nor did she have any motive fc
SO doing.
E. ]. Gregory of the Spokane Dru
Company testified to having sold qua
ter of an ounce of nux vomica to Mr.
Shirley and told her of its poisonous n
ture. 1t was afterward returned i
tact. On the 10th of March the accuse
woman, Mrs. Grier, came into the plat
and bought four ounces of laudanur
saying she was an habltual user, t.
grains of strychnine to kill mice ar
squirrels, and two ounces of chlorofor
to make lIniment. She objected
being registered, but finally gave Il
name of Mary Williams.
DR.. Newman told of viewing the boz
and of the cause ascribed for death
the time, grip. F. P. Irving, Il
Greenwood cemetery superintendent