The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-25
POISON FOR HER RIVAL.
GRACE ALIENS ATTEMPT TO DO
AWAY VT FkONA EOHOL1.

oho IL . School Teacher I'm Knnnna, and her
Jeaiousy Was Aroused By the Discevery or
. L~etter-Thcn She JouFneyea % Oklahons
and Administered Poison 70 TIVE Persons.
PERRY. Oklahoma, July 23.-The poisoning Of
two members OF tho Echols family at Stroud,
Oklahoma, last week by Miss Grace Allen. o
school teacher. who came 900 miles from hoR
home in Kansas to put her rival out Of the way,
is the talk of Hansas and Oklahoma The Rev.
Mr.. Echols, the head Of the family. In q Metho-
dist Episcopal preacher. He lived formerly in
New York State, went to st. Louis many years
ago. and after q stay in Kansas settled Mt Stroud.
His daughter Frona is q graduate of q st. Louis
female school. 1t was while q student in St.
Louis that she met and began to love g. W.
Smith. who was the cause Of the poisoning.
Grace Allen is a daughter Of John G. Allen OF
Altoona. Kan. Smith also lives in Altoona and
for many months he has been visiting Miss
Allen. who is a teacher in the city public school.
IL was supposed that the two intended to get
married. One night last week Smith went 10
see Miss Allen, and, by accident lost a letter
from his pocket The next morning Miss Allen
found the letter on the parlor floor and read it.
The letter was from Frona Echols and was full
off love terms. 1t was fdirected to Smith
and from its contents Miss Allen con-
cluded that Smith was In love with
the writer. Miss Allen at once became
frantic She confronted Smith with the
letter and he attempted to put her of. but she
made him confess that he had known Frona
Echols for years and that he had a deep regard
for her. This interview with Smith seemed to
craze Miss Allen. She consulted a map and
found that Stroud is q small town on the diyid-
ing line between Oklahoma and the Greek In
dian Nation, and the nearest station is Edmond,
Oklahoma, on the santa Fe Railroad. sixty miles
away. Altoona is 800 miles from Stroud.
Miss Allen made some excuse to her family
for going away and boarded q train for Okla
homa. She bought a ticket for Edmond. and there
she secured a hack and was driven to Stroud.
On her arrival at Stroud she inquired for the
Echols home, which was located on O bea utiful
farm half a mile from the town. She drove TO
the farm, asked for Mr.. Echols, and requested
the privilege OF spending the night there. This
request was refused by Mr.. and Mrs. Echols,
who said that their homo was crowded with
visitors. Miss Allen spent the night al the vii.
laSe inn, but early the next morning she went
again to the Echols home and begged TO be al
lowed to remain for a while. She promised
TO DO q servant in the house and 10
do any kind Of work required OF her.
She said that she was from Appleton, Mo-,
where she had been employed as o bookkeeper
In a bank for i've years, and on account OF too
physician had advised her TO seek a change OF
climate in some quiet neighborhood under
Jessie Wiley, Her story aroused the sympathy
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Echols. aud they agreed 10 Lee
gent and well educated and had a poetical quota
t,on for almost every topic Tho family was
Az bedtime she begged to be- allowed TO sleep
with Frona, which request was granted. and the
O'Clock. The next morning, while Mr.. Echois
was busy in the farmyard. he was shocked By
"oh, father. come quick. Frona is dying
Fastening to the house, he found his daughter
Of home remedies die ' and R tso assisssno " Of a ' SSy Sit
clan Frona was restored to consciousness and
Then her mother prepared her some boast. Mss
Allen requested to DO allowed to carry 1t up TO
Allen took it back to tho kitchen ana put it into
Shs Si9Es; about fifteen minutes afteEwurd
and ia Aiiss if thaa tho, tho SIX sP s sGTs eat .oe az IT, to From Frons
again refused. Miss Allen laid II aside with the
y Wit iesi better wall ait lsy a Il m Siiss e TSe mother. e sSa
Ing IN soon t% a@ftsr W. H d. remarked that 1t was
coeded 10 eat the It toast. soon SSoa at tegSE; fa sSe P %ss
taken III, and nov, her life is despeired OF.
mo,h here XII MIs .s% alIsn were %sos al ~ %GThking With the
krona, and said:
"Erona. ! am not who you think I am"
presentimont that your name is erase Allen.
and 'a aSmnyIf 9q sb poisoned % Q mother and me% .,.,,
the guest. but I deny that i have, poisoned
y yoa h ~ u a iIs, pS9is ,ba aad from God % hsSsq -,
smith. II YOU Will relinquish all your right,
titis and interest in Gil. will promise you that
be happy ~eyermore."
Frona repeated this conversation. Thereupon
Miss Aliens baggage was searched and q LOT OF
rat poison was found in II. She Was brought TO
town by young Mr.. Echols and a warrant Issued
for her arrest Certain actions on the part of
the prisoner led the officers 10 believe that she
contemplated suicide. Therefore a search was
Instituted. and a powder. supposed TO be a
poison. WAS found in the bosom OF her dress.
The prisoner is so young, pretty. well-edu-
Gated. and attractive that all the men around
tho Court House say she is innocent; that sho
must be- the victim OF some foul play. Her
attorney will plead insanity.
Love In the Country. -