The Portland daily press., 1895-02-09
AN ALLEGED POISONER.
Mrs. Mary COWan Arrested On A
Terrible Charge.
IL is SAID SHE CAUSED THE
DEATH OF A CHILD.

And Other Mysterious Deaths are Laid at
Her Door-Action Against Her Was
Long Delayed-She Broke Down When
Placed In a Cell.
Especial 20 the PREsS.)
Bangor. February S.-After man1festing
what seemed like either Indifference toward
the sensational Dixmont poisoning case for
over four months past, the ohcers went to
the house of Elias Cowan in North DixmoEt
day and arrested his wife Mary. charging
her with the murder of her step son Willie,
bright boy of five years. Willie Cowan
was taken sick Friday. September II. last.
and physician who was called was told
that the boy had been eating green apples.
some simple remedies cor bowel complaint
were prescribed. and the opinion expressed
that the patient would be all right in few
hours.
Sunday he died in great agony. Then the
suspicion of the neighbora was aroused,
principally because of Mrs. Cowan's alleged
dark record in the past. though the circun-
stances of the boys death were very
strange, 1t having been noised about that
shreds of membrane large as silver
quarter had passed from his stomach.
Through the efforts of Deputy Sheriff W. d.
Toothaker the remains were disinterred,
an autopsy performed and the vital organs
sent away for analysis. Since then nothing
has been heard of the case except the in
oreasing gossip of the neighbors. until yes
terday, when the county attorney placed
the evidence in his possession before the
grand jury. Its nature is not known, but 1T
will suffice to say that an Indictment was
quickly found. specially reported to the
court, an extremely rare proceeding, and
oapias was issued upon which Mrs. Cowan
was arrested and hurried to a cell in the
county Jail. Up to this time she has main
rained a half defiant. half injured attitude,
and has announced her discrimination of
taking legal action against her accusers at
home and abroad. Today. whom lodged ia
Jail, she completely lost heart and wept
bitterly.
STRANGE CAREER.
Mrs. Cowan's strange career Will not
operate in her favor just now. II she is in
nocent she is the victim of most remark
able chain of adverse circumstances. At
the age of twenty, seventeen years ago. she
married Willis W. Bean. young farmer.
who lived near her own rural home at Ply
mouth. He became interested in the study
of medicine. and she dabbled in it to some
extent until they finally went to Ohio to
pursue a course at a medical school. Before
their departure. however. their three small
children died in quick succession. and of
the same complaint. A year or two later
Dr.. Bean died. and with apparently the
same troulle which carried away his chill
dren Mrs. Bean came home and after
brief period OF mourning married George II.
Taylor of Plymouth. a rugged aboring man.
and they went to Lewiston to live. In 1891,
Tay lor died after an illness of only four
days, of the same description which had
been common to the womaD's former family.
There was grievous disappointment on her
part when it was found that the insurance
policy on Taylor's life had lap sed. and that
she would get nothing from it. few
months more of mourning and she married
Elias Co van, and the first startling event
after these new relations was when Cowan's
full set of farm buildings was burned. The
neighbors claimed that when they reached
the scene of the fire to render such assist
ance as might be necessary. they found the
family clothing, dishes and other effects all
tied up in bundles ready to be carried out.
Willie Cowan, they say, had been abused
by his stepmother, all sorts of petty hard
ships being inflicted upon him. and Ply
mouth man told Bangor reporter that DR..
Merrill barely saved Cowan, himself. from
death a short time ago. The Doctor an
nounced one day that Cowan was suffering
from terrible stomach trouble, and there
i. rumor to the effect that Mrs. Cowan
told a neighbor that DR.. Merrill had in
formed her that If her husband died. that
case would be investigated. Cowan didn't
die. The case is expected to create ths
greatest interest here owing to it's general
ly complicated nature. and the bac
character which has been given Mr.
CoWan.