Evening journal., 1897-07-22
THELARSEN INQUEST
Begun Before the Coroner's Jury
at Matteawan.
SOME OF THE TESTIMONY TAKEN.
Four Physicians Testify, but Fail TO Agree
on the Cause of Death, and the
Case Is as Mysterious
aa Evar-

ence DlnSnOfe OF StaalSDurB, VINO was |
taken sick on a New York Central |
train last Saturday and subsequently |
died in the Fishkill hospital Coroner |
Bevier presented the testimony of near
~ a dozen witnesses, but they failed |
to satisfy the jury, and an adjourn
ment was taken for ten days in order
TO have the stomach and organs of the |
dead girl examined by an expert |
chemist.
-Four physicians, who performed an
autopsy on Miss Larsen, testified, but as |
they failed to agree in their opinions
as to whether the girls death was due
to poison their evidence was mystify
ing rather than helpful to the jury,
and the sudden death of Miss Larsen
remains almost as much mystery as
ever.
One thing. however, was quite salts
factorily established by the evidence,
which was that William Charvill, late
butler at the Dinsmore house. was not
implicated in the girls death. Charvill
after being subpened in New York.
came to Fishkill and voluntarily told
all that he knew about the girl after
which he was allowed to return to
New York.
The weight Of evidence also discredit-
ed all the cries Of suicide, and the indi-
cations are that the girl either died
from poison taken into her stomach by
accident. or her death was due to natu-
raj causes.
Examination OF witnesses Begun.
The examination Of witnesses was
conducted by District Attorney Wood,
who had earlier in the day made an in
vestigation at the Dinsmore house, but
learned nothing of Importance. The
f,rfc
Campbell. the Dinsmores' housekeeper.
She said that Selma Larsen had been
in the employ of Mr.. Dinsmore since
May /. She had no friends or asso-
ciates in Staatsburg and did not seem
TO be intimate with any of the other
servants. Her work required her to
assist the butler in the pantry a great
deal, but she had never noticed any
particular friendship between her and
Butler Charvin.
There was never anything to indi-
cate that they were lovers. The wit
ness saw Selma three hours before she
left for New York. and she was as
we'll and cheerful as ever. She was
singing after that
When 1 saw her in the hospital, she
could not explain her sickness" said
Miss Campbell. "She said that she had
eaten nothing but some lamb and green
peas and a few ears of corn for lunch
at noon. I had no suspicion that she
had been poisoned. When Charvill came
to the hospital, he asked how Selma
was. but did not ask to see her. When
I told the girl that he was there, she
expressed no particular interest. gave
him a short note to deliver to Mrs
Dinsmore."
Testimony Of the Laundress.
more's, who accompanied Selma as far
as. Poughkeepsie on her fatal ride. testl-
fed that at the Staatsburg station Miss
Larsen got package from the station
agent. This package contained the two
bottles Of wine which Charvill took
from the wine cellar and gave her for a
present and which resulted In his sub
sequent discharge. Charvill was at the
station, but he had no private CONVEX
sation with the girl. on the train Sell
ma was in a happy mood and seemed to
be well. This witness said that she
had never seen any sign Of a love- affair
between Selma and the butler.
The girls slept together in one room.
and Miss Rhattigan said that Selma
never complained Of being i'll, although
she had often heard her cough and had
advised her to consult a physician.
Miss Elizabeth Miller. matron Of the
Fishlxin hospital, testified that Selma
was in a state OF collapse when she was
brought into the hospital. There was
nothing in her appearance which caused
the witness to suspect that she had
been poisoned. The girl seemed per-
fectly ignorant of the cause of her sick
ness and kept asking what could be
done for her, seeming to be anxious to
get better. When she was admitted, she
vomited. and the nurse thought it was
blood, but Selma explained that she
had been drinking sarsaparilla.
The Testimony of Charvin.
There was quite stir in the court
room when Charvill took the stand He
said that he had known Selma Larsen
only since May. They were good
friends, but he denied that he was the
girls lover. When the district attor-
ney questioned him about the package
which he gave to Selma, Charvill said
THE package contained two bottles
of wine which 1 gave the girl as 9
present. I left 1t at the station for hei
in the morning so that it would not be
detected. When heard that she was
sick in the hospital, 1 went there t
get the wine so as to save myself from
getting into a row at home. 1 wa.
anxious to learn how she was. Jus
before she left the house gave her {
glass of ginger ale. with a dash O
claret in it, and this looked like sar
saparilla. 1 also gave her box o
candy from the Dinsmores privat
stock"
Charvill was asked to explain VIII.
he bought the girls ticket for her ant
said.
''well, sir. she had done a great den
Of extra work for me in the pantry, ant
had never given her anything for II
so / bought her round trip ticket I
New York and gave it to her as a pres
ert. 1 had never bought her anythin
before. Tie bottles of wine were cork
ed and wired. and they were still s
when j got them at the hospital"
Mrs. Augusta Wickstrom, sister q
the dead girl, testified that Selma wa
20 years Of age and had been In thi
country five years. She was not en-
gagged to bemarried, but she kept compa
ny with young man whose name Mr.