The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
4 Columbia Sensation.
Mrs Gradaick Poisoned Fer
Husband

About three weeks ago Me Grad
dick died 10 Columb:a coder sasoie;ous
circumstances, it bsiog thoagas tia f.;s
wife hsd administered poison to s:m
Ap investigation was begun by the
coroner and the police. sod ooas;aced
ID to Wednesday pigas. Masoa I, wheo
a verdict was readersd by ,ac jury thst
J.W. Graddick cane to his death by
arsenic poisoning. adoioissessd 10 the
opinion Of this jury by bis wife, Mrs
Belle GraddicS.
The analysis of the stomach resulted
IN showing arsenic 10 abundance by all
tests, and the chemist declared .bas
much more than enough to produce
dea.h was found Arsenic mirrors
made from the arsenic found we're pre-
seotel.
The bottle. from which witness
declared Mrs G1addick had beea seen
TO pour something into her husbands
ccGse. fouod between the brick aud
wooden .ork Of the fireplace where this
witness said Mrs Graddlck had conceal
ed it after pouring some Of its contents
in the coffee, was produced It COZ
tanned some gray looking aaid The
chemist had aaalyzsd some Of tie
contents and declared TIA. il wes
arsenic 10 solution.
Another witness swoEe that Mrs
Graddick bad come 20 her sne ;old he7
sac would give $50 to get something
to put her husband TO sleep SO that he
would aever wake up again.
The surgeon Who made the post
morsem aud the attending paysic'sa
uahesi;s;ingly asserted that al! the
sympsoms Of arsenical poisoning we're
IN evidence both just prior to sod
after death.
The case has aroused much Interest
In Columbia. aud the Investigation hss
been quite thorough. The maa's ston :
ach was anal5zed, aod the physician
and all attendants closely examined.
The State says: The coroner's To-
vess;gation was resumed at the court
house last oiehs Though the officers
had kept what inform alton they had
strictly to themselves the public interest
IN the case was so great that the court
vas packed The crowd jammed the
epace within the bar and crowded up
very close to the jury box-as close as
they could get Most of the witnesses
talked in low tones aud it was Difficult,
TO hear what they we're saying The
very f,ss witness testimony foresadow-
ed what vas to come ADD from that time
or the Interest steadily grew In
Intensity until the 6oaI wispess-the
obemiss-was called. Then the nerves
Of the Jurors aod audience alike we're
strained TO the highest pitch. The first
few words uttered by the witness
announced what the verdict would be.
{. .Arseaic-more than enough TO kill"
was bis announcement, aud there was a
crapicg of necks aad a jostliag move
mens Of the crowd as be stopped to
open up large case contalolog the
results of tie tests made The jury
after that was not many moments in
re,urning with the verdict.
Constable Hammond was given the
warraos for Mrs Graddick's arrest.
he caue about balf past IL 10 her
parents house. She cane to the door
and Invited bin 10. BE told her his
business aod she asked him to step Into
the ball while sba dressed He did so.
She vas caln aud pleasant; said pc1b
ing whatever about the case and seemed
perfectly ct ease. Soon she came to
the officer aod said sne was ready,
She was>-a, once ,aseu to the Jail aud
turned oVer TO Jai!e- Coleman Mr
Hammond says she 9as perfectly
composed sad talked pleasantly 90 the
way to toe jail. No tears we're shed OF
weakness displayed The same 'hiag
was true of ae7 cocducs after entering
the jail.
Mrs Graddiek has al aioog stously
maintained her inpocene.
Her tr:a, for ourder will take place
At the nex; tern of toe court here. now
rapidly approaching. unless con'inu-
aoce is asked AID obtained
To illustrate aow little people know