Evening journal., 1897-07-21
THE LARSEN CASE.
The Inquest May Reveal tho
Motive For Poisoning.
THE DEAD GIRL HAD AN ADMIRER.
Was Accompanied by Young Man on
the 1rain--A Letter Was Found on
-. -. the Body Which May Possibly
Explain Matters.


@. - the Body Which May Possibly
Explain Matters.
Staatsburg on the Hudson, N. Y,
July 2l.-Selma Larsen, the young Swed-
ish woman who died at the General
hospital at Matteawan from the effects
of poison, did not poison herself. OF
this fact there Is no doubt, judging
from the statements Of Mrs. Clarence
G. Dinsmore of The Locusts, Stats
burg, by whom the Larsen girl was en-
ployed as parlor maid. When seen,
Mrs. Dinsmore said:
THE death of Selma Larsen is ter
ribe thing. She was a beautiful girl. |
and have always trusted and thought |
much of her.
William Charvauill has been dis
charged" she continued absently.
Who is this Charvauill?" was asked, |
but Mrs. Dinsmore flushed. bit her lip |
and would say nothing.
Il am bound to secrecy" she finally |
exclaimed, "and cannot say word un-
iii after the inquest. Then the truth
must come out. If it takes me my whole
life" continued Mrs. Dinsmore agitat-
! edly Il shall solve the mystery
Mrs. Dinsmore said that she had al
ways taken an interest in the dead girl.
"She left here Saturday afternoon at 3
o'clock" said Mrs Dinsmore. saying
she was going TO the station to take
the train for her sisters in New York.
I told her the heat was so great she
should not walk and ordered the car
riage for her.
"She went to the station and boarded
the train alone. We heard nothing from
her until we received the dispatch from
Matteawan saying that she was dying,
and then I at once sent Miss Campbell,
my housekeeper. down to see her and
she staid with her until she died
THE girl viii be buried at my ex-
pense. My own physician. DR. Barnes
OF Staatsburg. saw the girl before she
died. and both he and myself have our
suspicious as to how she got the poison
that caused her death. 1t would how
ever. be unfair for me to reveal any
thing now or to implcate any one"
The Girl Had an Admirer.
Inquiry revealed the fact that the
dead girl had an admirer. The servants
said they had been warned not TO talk
regarding either the dead girl or her
lover. 1t was learned that Of late the
Larsen girl and her admirer had been
constantly together. Others in the house
had heard the girl sobbing at night on
I
? two occasions.
When the body Of the girl was search
ed at the home Of her sister, Mrs
Charles Wickstrom of 164 East Ninety
second street. New York a sealed let
ter was found addressed to her sister.
This letter Mrs. Dinsmore has tele-
, graphed Mrs. Wickstrom to send her.
as she says she has right to know it's
, contents. so that the mystery may In
some way II possible. be made clearer.
The authorities here think It Is strange
that the mysterious sealed letter re-
ferred to by Mrs Dinsmora as having
been found on the body Of the dead
girl has not been given 10 Coroner Be-
vler He is said TO know nothing re-
a garding the existence Of such letter.
A dispatch from Poughkaepsie sheds
some light on the mystery. It appears
that when the news of the sickness OF
the girl at the FlshkiH hospital became
known at Dinsmores place, young
man who knew the Larsen girl came
down TO the hospital post haste on his
bicycle He secured a parcel of letters
which had been in the girls possession
and went away with them. The man /:
!. known at Dinsmore's place.
n 1t is also said that the same young
l. man accompanied the girl on the train
r and when she was taken i'll quickly lef
y her to look out for herself.
Coroner Bevier Is making. an autopsy
l. at Fishkill. but Will not make his re
t port until tonight. Professor Cooley o
8. Vassar college is also making chemi
cal analysis.
Knew Of No Reason For Suicide.
Mrs. Wickstrom. who was seen at he
l. home in New York said she was un
s. able to tell any circumstances tina
l. would give any reason for the suicid
u Of her sister. She said that the gin
n was governess in the family Of Mrs
u Clarence DinsmOre at Staatsburg Sh
. saw her sister just before she died il
III the Fishkili hospital. She appeared {
be in great agony.
The girl told her that she did no
knew what was the matter with her
A. that while coming down I'm the trai
OF she was suddenly seized with such ter
l. rible pains that she was forced to CT
I'd out.
~ The girl further said that she ha
lg eaten nothing that day to cause her III
I'd ness and was in perfect health when sh
ce left Staatsburg. The only admissio
that the girl made was that she wa
accompanied by one Of the Dinsmor
servants and that this servant had lei
90 the train at Poughkeepsie shortly be
81 fore she was stricken. Mrs. WickstroT
80 said that Selma Larsen had no love al
v fairs.
as Indian Prisoners Escape.
- Miles city. Mon. July 21.--Yello'
Hair and Sam Crow. two Cheyenne Ir