New-York tribune., 1896-04-03
ACCUSED BY HER DYING MOTHER.
FURTHER TESTIMONY IN THE PORT JERv1s
POISONING CASE

POISONING CASE
Port Jervis. n. Y. April 2.-The inquest into the
cause of the death of Jacob Snyder and his wiie'
Frances Snyder. continued here to-day Inc
first witness called Mrs. Augusta Thomas
cousin of Mrs. Snyder. She testified that she VS.
tied her cousin Oh March %. and that Mrs sny-
der stated that she believed her daughter MIS-:
Martha Whitaker. had given poison to herselt ana
to her husband. When asked why she suspected
her daughter Of committing such a CRIME. Mrs. Sny-
der replied: She wants the 5000 insurance on our
lives Continuing the witness said:
"Just then Martha came into the room and over
heard the remark. and bursting into tears. she
said: May. you don't think did it. do you? Mrs
Snyder replied Yes Martha. you did 1t In your
tantrum the ether day. You need not cry now; IT
is too late; II will soon be settled Martha MADE
no further remark"
At this point the suspected daughter accompanied
by Officer Harvey. who had charge or her came
into the courtroom. She Immediately con-
Quoted 10 the witness-stand, and Judge Fullerton
began her examination In all Of the unimportant
details attendant upon her mothers illness ana
death. she told substantially the same story as
the other witnesses. In severa; particulars now
ever, her testimony at variance with the o'her
witnesses. For instance. she denied having taken
the medicines from the sickroom to mix them.
She failed to remember ever having had any con-
versation with her mother about the iatters illness
the of 1t, or that her mother had su'-
pected her of poisoning her. In this particular sew
eral witnesses have sworn TO hearing the mother
accuse the daughter The witness also swore that
she ordered the rat poison at nearby store on
Saturday morning, March q; that her mother had
moeSer ahd her heps az hSd ceaned the closet IN the
kitchen and placed the poison on the shelves A
moment before this the witness swoTe that her
mother was taken i'll on Friday, and that she was
so sick all night that she had to sit up with her.
From the line of questions following, II was evident
that the lawyer did not believe that the SICK
mother of Friday could have cleaned the closet on
Saturday. The witness had several fits of weep
ing while giving her testimony ,u,, u.s,, .,a -,
poison was purchased the next witness. lie
Testified that Mrs. Whitaker ordered the poison.
also some lemons, and told him to deliver them as
soon as possible, her father and mother were
sick He also swore that the poison and lemons
and that Mrs. snyder became much worse that
afternoon and night. Martha tod him. he said,
that she had urged her father and mother 10 send
for Dr. Swartout. that they refused. and that she
then urged Casey Scales, the boarder IN the house,
to 90 for the physician.
Scales was then recalled, and denied that Mrs.
Whitaker had ever said anything TO him about
summonng a physician to attend Mr.; and Mrs;
Synder. DR.. SwartOut was also recalled. and said
that all the symptoms in the cases Of Mr. and Mrs.
Snyder indicated poisoning. and that as their
daughter was the only who had administered
the medicines he was led 10 believe that she gave
them poison. ., :,
answer to questions by the District-Attorney said
that the only time she took any medicines out Of
the room in which her mother lying i'll
when she puverized a large pill on the bannister-
rail. 80
Professor Wtthaus, OF NewYork, will have the
chemical analysis of Mrs. Synder's stomach ready.