The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-24
D PLEAD HYPN()I|SN
This viii be the Defense of
Viola HorloCker
WHO TRIED TO MURDER
Her Employers Wife With
Poison in Candy.
WHO TRIED TO MURDER

New York, Sept. 23.-The Journal says:
Miss Horlocker, pretty girl, charged
with murder, sets up the extraordinary
defence that she committed the crime un-
der hypnotic influence.
She will be tried next week for the at
tempted murder of Mrs. C. F. Morey, her
employers wife, by poisoning. The trial
will take place at Hastings, Neb., where
the accused was a reigning belle. The
motive is believed to have been jealousy
The defence is hypnotism. The young
woman admits the crime, but says that
for days before it she was under the in
fluence of a will stronger than her own.
Miss Horlocker adopted the method
that has come into vogue since Mrs. Bot
kin sent her rival a box of poisoned
candy. The girl bought 500 grains of
arsenic from a Hastings druggist. She
said she intended to poison rats. A box
Of homemade candy was left at Mrs.
Morey's door. On the back of the card
was scribbled. ''Nrs. Morey, some home
made sweets" Mrs. Mercy and four
guests ate the candy. She and one of
/ [
was found that enough arsenic had been
mixed with the candy to kill twenty per-
EoG-
Miss Horlocker was christened Viola Hor-
locker, but her sisters called her ollie
from the first. That was in the mountain
town of oulder, Colo, nearly twenty
eight years ago
Her father was wealthy miner, whose
fortune evaporated as many fortunes do
in the rarefied atmosphere of the mining
towns There were four sisters. One Of
them married Mr.. George Phillips and
went to live in Iowa. Zorla, another sis
ter. became a singer and came to New
York and sang in the churches and at
concerts and receptions.
Mrs. Horlocker moved to Hastings
Neb., with her three daughters. Viloa,
Bertha and Annita
Viola was the oldest. and as such it de-
volved upon her TO exc out the slender
family income She studied law little
and learned stenography. and so fitted
herself for lawyers clerk She entered
the Office of Morey & Tibbetts. 1t was
the best position of the kind in Hastings.
Both members Of the firm were distin-
guished lawyers Charles Mercy had been
city attorney for years.
The senior member Of the firm was
handsome. an excellent pleader and
man of magnetic and social gifts. The
junior member was not so well favored
as to face and figure He. was a quiet
man and more able as counsel than plead
er. The senior member liked the new
clerk from the first. The junior member J
did not Miss Horlocker returned the
feeling Of her employer in kind
She was intelligent. She knew the law
very well for woman. She had agree
able manners and she made a handsome +
picture as she sat az her desk by the
west window. where the afternoon sun !
light caressed the bronze OF her hair
and the rose Of her cheek and the snow
OF her fingers Even Judge Tibbetrs had /
10 admit this though he always quail /
fed It by adding that he temperament /
was a trif1e imDerious.
she never lets anything stand in her
way II she wants a thing" he said.
The Misses Hor!0cker soon became poru- !
ldE al Alte~tLfts~ anu MISS I444e " - --tT
most admired ~ the trio. Social barriers .
are not so high in the west as in the
east They do not sepera,e the working
from the leisure classes. nor the employer
from the enlploye. 50 IL came about cas-
lily in Democratic Hastings that Miss
HorIocker became the friend and con-
dante Of ar and Mrs. Mo-ey. ana that
he social position vas equal 20 theirs .
Latteriy her health was not good. and .
she had Withdrawn somewhat from So
e.ety. SIN she was easily the most pop
ular girl 81 Hastings until last April
Mss Horiocker was A enthusiastic b.
cycsist- AT-s 2io-cy vas not. i hap
peEe5 that NJ Mercy. who was also a.
enthusiastic cyclist. should b. the Young
y ornan-s escort IN tire cycling parties
that sped over the 9rarias a5ou, Hast
i-gs,
Sometimes Nr- N0-ey saun;e-ed home
war5 with his clerk after aay IN csurt.
he said he liked IN tax % some 1ne sho .
understood his profession and his ains.
Sometime Re iszaea a loaz While Oh che
H0riocker gate. ard sometimes sat for q
long while On the Horascker veranaa-
But always told rny EIse" Sad ~
Morsy. in profuse explanation atterEa-1.