The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-19
BUTTE News.
DEATH IN THE B0N-BONS
The Police Believe They Have a
Poison Mystery.
ONE WOMAN is ARRESTED
Miss c. Fl. Anderson Is the Supposed
Victim-Found the Connections in
Her Room-Threats Had
Been Made.

1t is not very often that Butte is
the latest in the way of the sensational.
San Francisco and New York have had
their poison mysteries, and if all pres
ent indications do not belle the facts
Butte will get third place From all
it has been possible to learn thus far.
there seems little doubt that an attempt
at poisoning not wholly unlike the Bot
kin and Cornish poisoning cases, has
been discovered within the last few
days. If the facts, when the matter is
thoroughly cleared up, bear out the
present belief of the authorities, an
attempt to murder just as dastardly
and with plot just as hellish as in either
of the celebrated cases mentioned has
been made. AS in the Botkin case the
hand of the Would-be murderer was
hidden within a daintily tinseled box
of bon-bonS. It would seem that read
ing of that notorious case prompted the
guilty party, or parties, in the case. The
two plots differ, however, in that love
cut no figure in the motive for the pres
ent attempt which, instead, appears
to have been either desire for gain
or revenge, or possibly both. Then the
oned, was not sent by mail, and lastly
the internal plot was not successful,
a kind providence seemingly having in
tervened to save the life of the intended
victim by arousing her suspicion.
The authorities are working with en-
ergy on the case, and already one per-
son is under arrest, who, though she
may have no hand in the hellish
scheme, is believed by the law officers
to be possessed of knowledge which
may prove valuable to the state. AS
yet it is not absolutely certain the
candy was poisoned, but a physician
who examined it expressed the belief
that it was, and it is now in the hands
of chemist for analysis, and report
will be made to County Attorney Con-
molly. Until this report is made it is
not certain murder was attempted, but
from what is known the authorities
are firmly convinced it was.
The intended victim was Miss c. H.
Anderson, woman about 40 years of
age. She knows mine as well as
any man and can go up and down lad
der of a shaft with the best of them.
She is much of a business woman and
during her residence in Butte had en-
gagged in many transactions and under
takings of more or less magnitude
some of which have naturally brought
her enemies. These say she does not
pay her debts and it may be threaten
ing letters she has received and the
mysterious box of candy was only in
tended to harass and annoy her This
will doubtless prove to be the case if
it should turn out there is no poison
in the candy sent TO her room. Miss
Anderson and the authorities concur
in the belief that a design far more
sinister than to annoy or to brighten
is hidden beneath the perfumed cover
ing of the box of bon hons. They think
1T would be proven by the chemists an
alysis. If it is, Miss Anderson can
think of no reason why any one should
wish to take her life unless it was to
get her out of the way in order to get
possession of her mining claims, of
which she has number that are re-
garded as valuable.
On Friday Miss Anderson appeared
at the city Jail and handed Jailer Boyle
half-pound box of bon-bons 1t was
a neat little affair, covered with pink
glazed paper and tinsel, and Jailer
Boyle, who had known the lady a long
time and had dealings with her
thought he was being compimented till
Miss Anderson informed him she be-
lleVed the contents of the box were poi
soned and that an attempt on her life
had been made. Jailer Boyle opened
the box. 1t was tWo-thirds full of the
ordinary mixed bon bons, which We're |
covered with some kind of a powered |
coating. The bottom of the box was
covered with the same powder, as |
though it had been sprinkled over the |
candy after 1t had been put in the box |
On the top of the candy was a little |
slip of paper bearing the name Miss |
c. H. Anderson" typewriter. The |
only marks on the box We're the words
bon bons," in gilt letters, on the top.