The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-10-14
HELD FOR WIFE POISONING.
J, J. Kunkel Of Lawrence in Jail
Without Bond.
HE IS A WEALTHY MERCHAN I
Suspected Also of Numerous Other MUIR
ders-Two Wives, n Son, Stepdaugh-
ter and n Father-In-Law His Alleged
Victims.

LAWRENCE, Kan, Oct. 10.-J. j. Kun
KEEL was arrested here yesterday on a
coroner's warrant charging him with
poisoning his wife, who died ten days
ago. He was sent to Jail without bail
to await preliminary hearing next
Friday.
Mrs. Kunl1el was the second wife of
the man accused of killing her She
had one daughter, Is years old, and
Kunl1el had three children. The union
of the two families did not prove to
be happy one. About six weeks ago
Birdie Cummingore, Mrs. Kunkel's
daughter, died in great agony, after
the attending physician had pro-
nounced her out Of danger. When the
doctor returned for his next call he
found her dead. There was glass of
matted milk which Mrs. Kunkel told
the doctor she had taken and immedi-
ately began vomiting. The doctor took
the milk homo with him and kept it
until it was presented before the cor
oner's jury the past week.
Mrs. Kunkel told the neighbors that
she suspected her husband of murder
ing her daughter and in quarrel
once she accused him of the crime and
threatened to have him arrested. He
passed it off by saying that she was
insane. In few days she became i'll
and summoned physician. She told
several neighbors her suspicious and
said that unless she could soon get
away her husband would poison her
also.
During her illness KHakel attended
her himself, and would not allow any
one to enter her room. A few times
the neighbors went in when he was
away, and to them she said that she
was being poisoned as her daughter
had been, and cxacted promise that
after she was dead an autopsy should
be held. She rallied and thought she
was going to get well. She sold off a
part of the furniture she had before
her marriage to Kunkel and was pre-
pairing to go to Excelsior Springs,
when she was taken worse one after
noon and died that night, without any
physician being called. During the
evening she vomited constantly and
the two colored women in attendance
begged Kunlel to get help. He told
them she was all right and went to
bed. In an hour they woke him and
told him that she was dead.
The stomachs of the two women
were analysed and found to contain
arsenic. Kunkel has been merchant
in this city for twenty-five years and
has had good many friends. For the
past three years, however, he has been
under suspicion by his neighbors for
poisoning other members of his fam
lily. His father-in-law is cited as the
first victim. The old man made his
home with the Kunlzels, and it is al
legged that, becoming tired of it, Kun
KEEL gave him dose of medicine that
caused his death within few hours.
The first Mrs. Kunkel died with con-
vulsions. There was much talk at the
time that Kunl1el poisoned her, and
the fact that he collected $4,000 insur-
ance on her life added to the belief
that he had hand in getting her out
of the way. Four children were left.
Freddie, the youngest, was the next
one to take sick. His life was also in
sured, and he died under suspicious
circumstances.