The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-04
THE BUCHANAN CASE.
STORY OF THE CRIME FOR WHICH
THE PRISONER MUST DIE.

70 Prevent Suicide.
II nothing unexpected intervenes. DR.. P
". buchanan. of New York. will on next
Wednesday be executed IN the electrical
chair. for the murder OF his wife The
history of the Buchanan case is more
interesting than any detective novel;
ever written The crime was secret and
hidden. the victim safely buried and the
murderer in undisturbed possession Of the
fortune for which his crime was commit
ted. A physicians certificate showed that
zIrs Buchanan died of apoplexy. and
there was no suspicion whatever that
death had resulted from any other cause.
Then the prisoner remarked a former
wife. which act gave rise to gossip. In
seeking 10 silence the talk about his rather
sensational marriage, the doctor told a
number Of palpable lies to newspaper re
porters, which aroused their suspicion.
They began an investigation, uneartheG
the entire story, with all the details of
the crime, and supplied the evidence which
led 10 DR.. Buchanan's arrest and eonvic-
ton
Or. Buchanans trial was the longest.
the most difficult and the most extraor-
binary of any murder trial in New York
state before or since. 1t lasted six weeks;
go jurors were examined before twelve
men We're found to try the case; the print
ed record made at the time the case was
appealed contained 300 pages, or 1920
folos. More than 300 exceptions were
taken by the attorneys of the defendant
during the course of the trial. but the
court of appeals failed to lind any error
in the trial of the case in the lower court.
The trial was remarkable also for the
long and famous array of legal talent on
either side. The prosecution was con
Quoted by District Attorney De Lancey
NicOll. assisted by Francis l.. Wellman
and James W. Osborne of his office The
defense was represented by Charles W.
Brooke, a. renowned criminal lawyer: Her
bert w Knight, of Newark DR.. William
j O'Sullivan, the lawyer physician. who
defended Dr. Meyer in his celebrated trial
on the charge of poisoning, and Charles
+. Davidson, one of the counsel in the
Carlyle Harris poisoning case. So assidu-
ously did these attorneys perform their
labors that some one of them was i'll
during the entire trial from too close
II was not a case where the facts could
be consecutively adduced from the mouths
of witnesses; It was, on the contrary, a
battle of chemists, Psychologists and toXi-
Cologists. The contradictory statements
and the confusion Of the defendant We're
as convincing as the circumstantial evil
The detailed history Of the crime. the
important events preceding il and the
trial and conviction which followed is here
with given.
Or. Buchanan, who is now but SO years
of age, came to New York in 1885 from
OlfInUlace. began
the pracuce OF medicine. He had mar
ried in Nova Scotia when only boy IN
years and in 1890 obtained divorce from
Among his patients that year was a
woman named Anna b. Sutherland, the
keeper Of q house of i'll fame in Newark.
she was about IS years of age, and y
woman Of temperate habits, considering
her occupation She had accumulated
fortune. From the testimony a the
trial 1t was evident that she became in
1dtudfeQ with the Young doctor
The first that was known of their more
than friendly acquaintance was on Nov.
-, 1870, when DIT. Buchanan requested
q friend of his. Richard w Macomber
of New York to so with him to Newark
10 witness a will. In Newark they were
Joined by a man named Doria, and the
trio. went to the house of Mrs suther-
land,
Buchanan had the will, which he pro-
duced 1t bequeathed to her husband If
she should have one at the time of her
death, all her real and personal property,
There were two small money legacies to
a sister and brother, and then the will
provided that in case she should die with
out having married the residue of her
real and personal property should go to
DR.. Buchanan for professional services
and in consideration of his uniform kind
ness and attention during her life. This
Will was read by Mrs. Sutherland who
then executed 1t with Macomber and Do
ria as witnesses.
A short time thereafter the doctor told
NacOmber that Mrs. Sutherland was i'm
lpIlullnE MN 10 DflnS ner 10 New YORK
as his housekeeper and promised to deed
him her residence property in Newark if
he would comply with her request. Later
he told MacOmber that Mrs. Sutherland
had decided him the Newark property.
that he had sold ii for 50, 800, and had pur-
chased house in New York, NO. 367 West
Eleventh street, at which place the crime
Of wife murder was later committed by
buchanan. He also told Macomber at the
same time that Mrs. Sutherland was
begging him to marry her, but that he
Mt q TO n aeoIf
It developed al the trial that Buchanan
had married the woman three days after
she mad signed the will, but the fact did
nCt become known, even to his intimate
friend Macomber until the following sum-
ner The marriage ceremony was per-
formed in Newark and .Doria one of the
witnesses to the will. together with the
clergyman.s wife, constituted the wit
nesses to the marriage. The doctor brought
chased with the $500. where they con-
tinued ia live until her dea tn Saturday.
April % 1899. From the time of his re-
moval to the West Eleventh street house
until his wife's death Buchanan saw Ma
comber frequently and always had a
story Of domestic trouble to tell the
latter. One was that he was determined
10 get rid of her, and had decided to lease
ms mouse and so away for six months In
october, 1891, he told Macomber that he
MAD faued to get tenant and would
wait until May. He said he would try
10 persuade her to go back TO Newark
ana i've quietly, and that he would visit
humor. so that she would not change her
VIII. The doctor expressed the opinion
AZ tina time that his wife would not
i've long, although sa far as her acquainJ-
dnceS knew she was in excellent health.
IL seems that during the following vim
Ter the doctors domestic affairs grew
eecldedly worse. He continued to lie, TO
Macomber about his marriage, claiming
mat MRS. sutherland, as he called her,
was demanding that he should marry her
or deed back the property He said her
lace was enough to drive a man to drink,
ana that if he did not succeed in getting
rld of her by May or if she sued him
ana caused a scandal that he would skip
10 some foreign land. The doctor did not
W va until May t. get rid of his wife.
On friday, April %, she was taken i'll
aila nurse was employed. The day pre-
tlous she was in perfect health. The doc
VI was giving his wife a dose OF medi-
enc when the nurse entered the room.
I O'clock
IN the meantime he had met Macomber
ana tod the latter that Mrs. Sutherland
Mas qylng. He also exhibited some of her
ytWeiry which he claimed she had given
4IIn IN the presence of witnesses. DIR. Nc
40LNFe was called f.lU in 70 Of