The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-15
TALK OF POISON.
Strange Death Of Mrs. Harriet South
worth at Edes Falls.
THAS CREATED SUSPICION A MONG
HER NEIGHBORS.


Dead Woman Said to Have Had "spells''
Since Three of Her Children Were
Drowned.
The people in the northern part of the
county are much disturbed over the sud-
den and peculiar death of Mrs. Harriet
Southworth of Edes Falls in the town of
n aples.
Mrs Southworth who was about 81
village with her youngest son George, a
man about 81 years of age. Another son,
Albert lives in Cornish. Her husband
the late Walter Southworth, died sud-
denly while at work in the woods near
home three or four years ago.
Mrs. Southwolth died Thursday after
noon about 2.30 O'Clock after a short ILL
ness aud in great agony.
The circumstances Of this illness and
death are such as to create suspicious,
and Dr. Walter Corliss of Casco, the at
tending physician, decided that an atopsy
should be held. 1t is understood that he
was urged to have this done by Albert
Southworth, the son who lives in
Cornish.
This autopsy was made at 10 O'Clock
DR.. @. B. Sylvester of Harrison, assisted
by D rs. Rounds of Naples and Poor OF
Webbs Mills.
Excepting some minor features the
autopsy showed fatty degeneration Of
the heart and an Inflammation of the
stomach. The cause of this inf1am ma
tion the doctors seem to have been unable
to determine and DR.. Corliss has pre-
served the stomach which will probably
be submitted to chemical analysis.
There has been rumor that Paris
green was found in the stomach, but DR..
Corliss pronounces this report false.
The circumstances of Mrs. Southworth' 8
death were as follows as nearly as can be
ascertained. She arose Thursday morn
ing rs well as ever and ate breakfast
with her son as usual. The young man
who has always been inflrm in intellect
and temper, but who has been the man
of the house since the death of his father,
says that he went out to work after
breakfast leaving his mother b ONE. At
about s. 80 a. N. peighbors saw her at
the pump seemingly well and about her
work. The son says that at some time
during the morning he came into the
kitchen for drink of water. His mother
was not there and he did not look in
other rooms for her.
About 10. 80 a. IN. Mr. Isaac Sands, an
aged neighbor called at the house and
found Mrs. Southworth ill. Mr.. Sands
at once went out and told the son who
came to the house. He asked his mother
if he should go for doctor and she told
him not to, but finally consented that he
should go after Mrs. Caroline Smith a
neighbor. AS soon as Mrs. Smith found
the condition of the patient she sent at
once for the doctor. Mrs. Smith says she
never saw person in such agony. DIR.
Corliss arrived about 11.30 a. IN. and en-
deavored to relieve the terrible pain in
the stomach of which the sick woman
com planned. She died at $50 p. m. .
having been somewhat relieved by
opiates. The doctor says that there was
no signs of commissions.
AT once there seems to have been sus-
picions Of poisoning for a search was
| made of the house, but without result.
| Mrs. Caroline Smith who was the first
| of the neighbors to go to the bedside of
Mrs. Southworth, told wi th great exact
| ness what she knew of the case. Mrs.
Smit b is an elderly woman, apparently
we'll versed in the use of simple house
hold remedies and Of an observant disposi-
| tion and retentive memory Tor in relating
what happened after she was summoned
to Mrs. Southworth's she recalled each
incident and explained it in detail.
She said: "It was just 30 minutes be-
fore IL o'clock when I went to Mrs.
Southworth's. She was in great agony,
the greatest l ever saw. She couldn't
swallow and was suffering SO that she
could hardly speak. She would answer
| If you would ASH her direct question
| but that was all. I tried to get her to
take some hot drink but she couldn't
| swallow 1t. When DR.. Corliss came he
| dSN5u uer Wudb bL6 ntu VakSn SuN Snf
said that she had taken nothing. We
| thought before she died she might hay,
taken poison. We thought SO because Of
the symptoms. She was suffering 81
that The doctor injected morphine in hel
arm. After her3death, We hunted th,
house high and low and we didn't find a
thing that would show that she hat
taken poison. There was a box of Pari
Green in the house but it had never beer
unsealed. Mrs. Southworth's mind wa
clear Her son wanted some money t,
pay for sending a telegram and she tolt
me I would find it in the wallet in thu
| pocket of her skirt. l went and anC
found it just where she said would
Mrs. Smith said in reply to question
rs to the suspicious of foul play, 81 have
| heard all these stories they are tellins
but folks are always talking. There
| were four doctors there yesterday and
waited and tended on them all the time
They are going to send the stomach tt
brunswick. and as she said this Mrs
| ISmith'l irdiaoto5 that Ia liz