The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-05
JONES BOUGHT ARSENIC.
Damaging Testimony Against Re.
spondent in Murder Trial.
IDENTIFIED AS MAN WHO PUR.
CHASED POISON.

Evidence for the State All In-Physician
Testified That He Suspected Mrs. Jones
Had BEN Poisoned-Wm of the De-
ceased.
Dover, N. H., January 4.-The second
days SESSION of the preliminary hearing
of Alfred w. Jones OF Milton, who is
charged with the murder of his mother,
was opened promptly this morning.
William Jones, the father of the defend
ant, who began his evidence yesterday,
was cross-examined and William T. Gun
nison, who wrote the will of Mrs. Jones
and DR.. William e. Pillsbury, who at
tended the woman in her last illness,
were also called as witnesses during the
forenoon session.
Mr.. Jones said he had never driven his
wife out of the house nor chased her with
an axe. Witness said, his son, and Alfred S
mother were always on good terms. On
the day Mrs. Jones died, witness said he
did not say he had been in bondage fifty
six years and it looked as If he was going
to get clear.
daughter law, informed him of the
contents of the will of his wife. She told
him that Sally had left him well off; that
the property was to be his as long as he
lived, and that he WAS great deal better
off without her than with her.
William l.. Gunnison of Rochester,
lawyer, was the next witness. He stated
that October s, 1855, he wrote the will of
Sally W. Jones. 1t was dictated by A fired
". Jones. Witness said Mrs. Jones
seemed anxious that her husband should
be provided for. She was willing to place
her signature to the instrument and did
so by characters her hand being guided at
the time. In Mr.. Gunnisons presence
Alfred said he wanted his father provided
for, and that the provision of the will had
| been framed after conference between
his mother and himself. After cross-ex-
animation the lawyer said he was of tire
opinion that the woman approved of the
will.
DR.. William E. Pillsbury of Milton,
who was the attending physician during
the last illness of Mrs. Jones, was then
called. He testified that Alfred Jones
asked him several time if he did not
| think his mother was dying from slow
poison. DR.. Pillsbury read the will to
Mrs. Jones at her request and the woman
asked him to destroy it. In substance the
will gave the property Of the testator to
her husband during his life and one dollar
tto eact Of e-da'agbters, Tired vse to
have the property at his fathers death.
| 81 was OF the opinion that Mrs. Jones
thought it was her last Illness said DIR.
| Pilisbury. ''She said on one occasion,
| They have done it. have got just as |
said l would, and I have to co. ] then
came to the conclusion that l was dealing
with severe case of poisoning. Alfred
told me that he believed that either his
| father or his sister, Mrs. Prescott had
hand in the poisoning of his mother
At this point the court adjour ned until
| 1.30 p. m. -
On the opening of the afternoon session
DR.. Macon e. Hart of Milton took the
stand and testified that he called in
October of 1896 to see VIM. Jones who
was suffering from a carriage accident.
On December 9Th he was called at nine
O'Clock in the morning to attens Sally w.
Jones aud remained there until evening
when she died. Alfred was about the
house, but the witness did not pay much
attention to him.
Henry Viru, veterinary surgeon of
Boston, testified that he was in Exeter in
| the month of September, 1885, and while
there Alfred Jones called on him and
| said he wanted some powders for a horse
that was suffering from farcy. Jones
asked if there would not be arsenic In the
powders and the witness replied that
there would be four grains in the lot,
each powder to contain from three to
| three and half grains. The witness
recognized Alfred Jones as the young
man who called on him and paid one
| dollar for the powders which were marked
poison. The loison contained arsenic,
charcoal, antimony and sulphur.
DIR. Pillsbury was recalled by the state
| tn n n
and intestines of Mrs. Jones and Of plac-
| ing them in jar to be shipped to Boston.
| Ha said that when he saw Sally Jones on
| Decem Der 3rd, two days before she died
| she was not delirious- AAlfTed was always
| solicitous for his mothers recovery. Mrs.
| Jones kept a preparation in "a bottle in
her room at the suggestion of the witness.
1t was morphine and was ordered to be
| kept for emergency IS an opiate.
| John L, Pender of Portsmouth testified
that he rode with Alfred from Rochester
to Dover on the day of the arrest. He
had general conversation with him about
Saily's will. Alfred said that his father
was to have the use of the property during
his life time. At his death it was TO be
divided among the children.
Asa Fox, an undertaken Mt Milton,
testified to preparing the body for burial
and embalming it with utopia fluid by
injection.
Samuel Matthews of Berwick, Me-.
said he saw Alfred late in 1896, a few
days before his mothers death.
Alfred said that it seemed to him as
though his mother could not get well.
This was on Monday, and Mrs. Jones
died on the next Saturday.
The witness said that Alfred owed him
$l9. so at that time and shortly after her
death he paid it.
AT this point the court adjourned until
| tomorrow. 1t is not now expected that
the defense will offer any testimony.