Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-18
WAS POISONED.
Cause Of Mrs. Sally w. Jones
Death Determined.
Son Accuses Father and Father Ac.
cuses Son-NO Arrests as Yet.

MILTON, N. H., Dec. 18-The announce
ment Of the finding by Prof. E. b. Wood Of
the Harvard medical school of arsenic In the
stomach ofMrs. Sally W. Jones of this town,
who died Dec. g. 1896, has set the place wild
with excitement Alfred W. Jones, son Of
the dead woman, from the day OF his
mothers death has persistently claimed she
was poisoned, and has openly charged that
his aged father, William Jones, was guilty
OF the murder. There are few among the
steady-going people of Milton who believe
the old man is guilty, or. had any object for
the removal OF his wife who was his support.
The town authorities took but little stock in
the various rumors, and no autopsy was
ordered until Alfred, in June last, prevailed
upon Atty-Gen. Eastman to have the
body exhumed and sent to the proper parties
for examination. Alfred and his wife,
several years ago, lived for while In
Somersworth, taking care of an aged doctor
and his wife, and the doctor Is said at that
time to have given Alfred cabinet OF drugs
which he is said to still retain. Within few
years Alfred has erected number OF new
tenements in Milton, and Is reputed to be
worth considerable money. He is known
there as "The Lion Of the Mountain"
name he applied to himself. At
w. Jones was drawing II pension from the
government for the death of son during
the war, and this was the main support OF
her husband and herself. In the face OF re-
cent developments, of course. the county
authorities are forced to probe the matter to
the bottom. The date Of the inquest, how
ever, has not been fixed. William Jones,
Edgerly OF Somersworth to look after his
interests in the matter.
The old mans story Is as follows 1t
was Oct, 5, 1896, when Sally and l visit
ed Rochester together, during which visit
we had prepared our pension papers to be
visited daughter In Pennington, but the
journey nearly cost us our lives. for our car
rage was struck by train, throwing us
both out and rendering us insensibe. When
We recovered consciousness we resumed our
journey, reaching our daughters home in
an exhausted condition, A physician said
the injuries were not serious, but thought
best that my wife remain where she was for
time. l improved rapidly, and was
able to return home In three
days after the accident, but two days
afterward was taken suddenly sick, and
suffered with severe pain. The doctor who
was summoned told me that | could not live.
While l was confined to the bed, expecting
to die at any time, my sons wife called and
ticipating her death, had retained Roch-
ester lawyer to make her will. When she
told me this began to cry, and my daugh-
ter-in-iaw said Don't cry, papa, YOU will
be better Off without mamma besides. she
has willed you all the property Provi-
denca spared us both, and week later
Sally was brought home. Two days after
ward she told me that soon after
I left Pennington Alfred and his
wife came to see her. Shortly after
they left my wife claimed that she was
suddenly taken with vomiting spell, and
suffered severe pain In her back and stom-
ach. She further said she believed she was
poisoned. The next day was Wednesday,
and it was on this day that Alfred and his
wife came to see us. Previous to this time
Mrs. Laura l. Prescott Of Alton was placed
In charge Of my wiie's sick room. asked
her to look sharply after Sally, but no sus-
picion had entered my mind that she had
been poisoned, or that an attempt had been
made in that direction. The following Sat
urday was told Sally was dying, and found
her vomiting and In great pain. She tried
to tell me something, but could not, and
fell back unconscious. l sent the hired
man after DR.. Pillsbury, but he came back
saying that the doctor was sick. then sent
for DR.. Hart. Alfred was present and strong
ly objected, saying the doctor could not re-
lieve mother then. Then my suspicious
were fully aroused, and 1 sent the man
through rear door. He was successful
this time, and Alfred showed great surprise
when he came down stairs and found the
doctor in the room. My wife died soon after
the DOCTOR came to the house. Two hours
after my wife died Alfred demanded
the two keys to private chest
which was so built that il took
th-rn t"ye tn unlock it. He had found one
OF tnem. l wasafraid he would do me harm
went upstairs. l called in Selectman JOSEPH
A. Avery and we found drawers open, also
the chest, and from the latter missed da-
monds to the value OF $3.50. Among other
things also missing were the deeds OF the
property, insurance papers and money and
jewelry to the value of about $l100. Alfred
came back later, and l asked him
to hand back whatever articles he had
taken. He got excited and said he had
taken no valuables. He claimed that
he was the executor Of his mothers
will. then told him that mother had de-
stroyed the will she made In Pennington,
but he refused to return anything. The first
/ heard in regard to the story that I had
poisoned my wife was after the funeral,
when again asked Alfred to return the ar
ticles he had taken. He said he would see me
hanged first, and then said that had poi
soned Sally. This staggered me, and when he
asked me to come and live with him I
refused. This made him mai, and he
said: Father, you shall not live in this
house; you must live with me- When
he repeated the request the next day,
said: you have robbed me, but you can't
kill me- He then left, threatening to de-
nounce me IN the newspapers as a murder
er." One OF the curious features OF the
case is the fact that the wife OF Alfred w.
Jones Is a sister Of Sylvester Kimball, who
was brought into notoriety during the Lea
royd trial in Danvers, Mass, In which one
man for attempted poisoning was sent to