The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-03-14
AGAIN IN JAIL.

Mrs. Graddick Charged With
the Murder Of Her Husband.
The Chemist Found Plenty of Arsenic
in the Dead Mans Stomach-Chain
of Circumstantial Evidence.
Columbia Evening Record, March Sth.
Mrs Belle Graddick is again in jail
charged with the murder Of her hus-
band through arsenic poisoning.
The verdict of the coroner's jury to
that effect was arrived at in very
few minutes after the testimony was
in.
The greatest interest centered in
the chemists report which was re-
served for the last. The witnesses
preceding him, however, laid the
foundation and his testimony capped
the whole, leaving it to be dicided by
the court who committed the crime.
The chain of circumstantial evidence
against the wife is strong, and con-
firms in general way the neighbor-
hood gossip in connection with the
case.
First, Matte Fisher, the colored
cook, testified that Mrs. Graddick
put something from a bottle in her
husbands coffee. She told where
the bottle could be found, and it was
found under the FIRE place by MIR. j..
NJ. Moore. The bottle contained
arsenic in solution as the chemical
ANALYSIS showed. Il is small two
ounce vial which originally contained
opium, or it was so labeled. It was
purchased from Druggist Zemp. in
Camden, as the label shows. But
where the arsenic was bought is an
other question and it will be hard to
solved.
DR.. Earle, who attended Graddick,
said he had grip. But when he was
called to see him the last time he
saw evidences of what might be
arsenic poisoning. Some of the same
symptoms would be produced by
other diseases among them-cholera
morbus. But his suspicious were
aroused, but as he could prove moth
ing be kept his mouth shut, until an
investigation could be made. DIR.
Guerry performed the postmortem
and found the vital organs in a nor
NAL condition generally, but there
was some discoloration of the flesh
and some splotches on the body
which are characteristic of arsenic
poisoning though TIE same may ap'
pear from other cases.
More testimony tending to show
that the wife had designs on her hus'
bands life was given by Mrs. Con
stantine who referred to Mrs. Grad
dicks statement that she would like
to be a widow and told how Matte
Fisher talked to her about poisor
being put in the coffee by Mrs
Grad dick. An old colored woman
Emma Thomas, told that Mrs. Grad
sick said she would give $50 to &c
hold of something to put Graddicl
to sleep and keep him asleep.
DR.. Owings gave the results OF tb
various analysis be had made sho"
ing unmistakably that arsenic wa
not only in the stomach but IN tn
tissues. He showed the jury the al
senic he had found which he sal
was more than sufficient to produc
death.
The court house was crowded bu
with few exceptions all the witnesse
talked as if they were in the las
stages of consumption and nobod
could hear what they said so tha
the morbid curiosity to hear senss
tions developed was in degree di'
appointed. Only the stenographe
Z
and those in the immediate vlclnlt
of witnesses could hear what wa
said. 1t was expected that Polio
, man Black would give some startlln
( developements as result Of his il
, vestigation, but his testimony sho7
ed that he knew little more than tt
rumors floating around the neighbo
hood.
!, Immediately after the announc
, ment of the verdict Officer Han
mond was sent to arrest Mrs. Graz
dick. She did not seem surprised