The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-11

MATTE GoATLEY, C0LoRED CHILD
ATTEMPTS TO POISON A FAMILY.
She Was Twelve Years Old Yesterday
Put Rough ON Rats fn the
Coffee.

Matte Goatley, colorcd. who was twelvu
years Of age yesterday. In locked up at the
police station charged with poisoning .
whole family. Tho girl has no mother ana
her father lives IN Dayton, o. she has been
living with the family OF Mrs Amanda
Teetus. 2sl East Miami street. for over .
year. where II Is said she has been treated
as one OF the family. An are colored- The
family consists OF Mrs. TeetuA
her son Edward. and Elias Rob-
inson, boarder. Yesterday morn
ing the family arose at the usual time.
Mrs. Teetus prepared breakfast and called
the other members Of the family. She then
went out to grocery. Robinson had pre-
viously gone down town. but expected 20
return for breakfast. When Mrs. Teetus
called Matte Goatley, the girl did not set
up Immediately and Mrs. Teetus slapped
her. The girl soon got up and found the
house deserted. with the exception OF Ed
ward Teetus. who had not yet dressed. She
was angry at being slapped and had for
a long time cherished hatred for Robin
son, who. she says. often accused her OF
stealing things from his room.
When the family moved TO the present
home box of rough on rats was brought
s sS the place and was PLACED in the wood
put some into the coffee pot, which con-
tanned coffee for the family's breakfast
nm hs s a pOsO When n Ss put sse back
It became jammed down into the pot, When
Mrs. Teetus returned she noticed that the
Lid wss not as she had left i, but the girl
though she was not accused. The family
ate breakfast and drank OF the coffee. The
girl never drinks coffee. so that the fact
able. AS the different members OF the FAM
lily tasted the coffee they noticed a peculiar
taste. but did not think much OF 1T at the
time. Some thought the coffee needed
more sugar and sweetened IL again. Mrs.
Teetus did not like the taste OF IL and 50
drank only swallow, which accounts for
as her son. The same is true OF Robinson.
short time after drinking the coffee. Ed
ward Tedus became very sick and vomited.
DE went into the yard and was In such
misery from cramping pains that he fell In
agony. AS soon as Robinson had partially
recovered he went for physician.
In the meantime patroiman Terry Moore.
who lives in the house next TO the Teetug
home, started down town 10 roll call. A
he left his house he noticed Edward Tee
tus in the yard writing in agony. After
few questions he suspected poison and sent
for Police Surgeon Kahlo and Chief of De-
tectives splan., As soon. as splan arrived
he began series OF questions and soon had
a confession from the little girl She took
the box ~ poison and showed how she had
taken portion Of 1t on the handle Of
quantity she put in, according to her
statement was sufficient, DIR. Kahlo says,
to have killed the entire family. The girl
was taken 10 the police station and Dr..
Kahlo administered to the suffering people.
Matte Groatley was seen at the police
station last night. She is slender mulat-
to. not large for her age. and has an intel
ligent-iooking face. She was badly fright
ened and did not seem to realize the crime
she had committed. On account OF her
frightened condition and her natural ten
de1cy to withdraw from strangers. she did
not do much talking. merely answering In
asked From the questions asked her II was
ascertained that she did not want TO In
jure any member OF the household except
Robinson, although she was not averse 10
any suffering she might cause Mrs. Tee
tus. She said she did not like Robinson be-
cause he accused her of taking articles from
his room, which she said she did not take
He accused her or ransacking his drawers.
and this. she said. made her very angry. for
she did not steal and did not like to be
accused OF Il. AT various times, she says.
he slapped her. All this caused her to hate
him and she embraced the opportunity to
get even.
AS to her dislike for Mrs. Teetus she
says IL grew out OF the fact that Mrs. Tee
tus had slapped her several times She
says Mrs Teetus accused her OF kicking her
not know II she did kick her and could not
help IL IL she did She does not deny any
OF the story OF putting the poison I'm the
coffee, but does not realize that II was such
crime as has subjected others to punish
Matte Is the girl who caused the arrest
of a man named Horton last summer,
charged with assaulting her. DE was sent
offense. The child had been sustaining i'm
proper relations with him for some time
DR.. kahlo said last night those who had
drank the poisoned coffee would recover.