Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-06-12
THE BODY EXRUMED.
The Stomach of Mrs. White
to be Submitted to
Analysis.
The Husband OQce ExhoQOrated'
BUT A SECOND MARRIAGE TEN DAYS AT.
TER HIS wIFE'S DEATH CAUSED
THE NEIGuBoRS TO TALK

White, a widoWer of some fifty
years or more, and Miss Juanita
White, a blushing maiden of
eighteen summers, both of Deep
Creek, Va, eloped to this city
and were married.. It now turns
out that there is grounds for the
suspicion of crooked business,
and a reporter for the Norfolk
Vygluian has the following to
say of the case
Three weeks ago Mrs. Hulda
White, the wife OF George Il.
White, a we'll known farmer liv- :
ing about three miles beyond
Deep Creek, died suddenly. She
had been in bad health for a long
time, her last illness extending
over period of fseven weeks, and
death coming somWhat suddenly
while her husband was away
from home. This was on May
I8. The remains were inferred
at Mount Pleasant, also in Nor
folk county.
The death Of the lady created
little surprise at the time, al
though it was not expected, for
all of her neighbors knew that
she was subjected to painful at
tacks They were surprised ten
days later, however, when they
learned that the widower had
eloped TO Elizabeth City, N. c.,
with Miss Juanita White, an at
tractive young lady of IS years,
and that the two were married
by Rev. c. S. Blackwell on May
2S. Mr.. White had been married
to his first wife for thirty years,
and the two Lad always seeming
ly been happy 1t SO looked to
the neighbors at any rate.
When this second marriage
occurred the neighbors started
talking, and the result was that
last week Mr.. White was arrested
on warrent sworn out by
Charles and Nathan Fentress,
charging him with poisoning
his dead wife.
The Fentress brothers were
brothers of the deceased Mrs.
White. The hearing took place
before Justice S. w. Gary at
Deep Creek, last Friday, and Mr.
White was acquitted, there being
no evidence upon which he could
be held, the Commonwealth S
witnesses being the only Witness
es examined, and they testify1ng
that Mr.. White was unusually
kind to his wife.
1t seems, however, that at least
one of these witnesses was dis
satisfied. That was Charles
Fentress. On Saturday he wrote
a note to Mr. White, telling him
that he was going to have the
body exhumed and the stomach
removed for analysis. This was
done on Sunday afternoon about
o'clock by DR.. Morgan, of Berk
lev, the coroner of Norfolk coun>
ty. assisted by DR.. Lomax Gwath-
1ney, of Norfolk. The body was
taken up and the stomach re-
moved and sent to State Chemist
Gaines at Richmond Monday for
analysis. On his report will
depend another effort to prose-
cute.
The people of the Deep Greek
section say that White is highly
thought of and will not believe
that he is guilty of any wrong
doing. White himself says that
he was indiscreet in marrying So
soon after his first Wife's death.
"There was no charge of poison
ing made" he said, "until after
my first wife's brothers found
that I had married again. Then
they brought this charge. l was
SO placed that it was almost nee
cessary to marry. Ihad no one
to look out for my home, as an
adopted daughter had told me
she was going to leave. l was
indiscreet l must confess, but
that is ALL"
Mr.. White did not know until
told by a reporter that his wite's
body had been exhumed, but he
said that he had no objection if il
was done according to law, but
that if not some one would suffer
1t turns out that Mrs. Whites
body was embalmed before bur,
ial, and this, it is thought, will
prevent a successful analysis Of
the stomach, as the enbalmine
fluid is a poison, as is supposed
to have penetrated all parts Of
the body. 1t will take some
time to complete the examina.
tjo1