The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-31

remote to be OF any value to the authori-
ties.
There are two points the authorities are
trying TO clear up. One' is, who admins
tered the poison? The second, what was
tho motive? Hart's life was insured for
$500 and Rathbun's for $500 Both policies
were payable TO Mrs. Rathbun.
Hart made her the beneficiary in the
event OF his being injured while perform
ing his duties as a brakeman on the
New York. New Haven and Hartford rail-
road. and TO pay for the nursing, and
perhaps, for the funeral.
The police are also wording on the the
ory that perhaps the arsenic was intended
for Hart and that Rathbun was an acci-
dental victim. The motive here. the po-
lice argue. would be jealousy on the part
of some person. They are now searching
for this person. and 1t 10 intimated that
il is woman.
BOTH MEN MADE ILL.
Hart and Rathbun were brakemen on
the same freight train and left their home
No, 40 Chestnut street. at half past four
O'Clock on the morning of December Il.
Each carried dinner pail. In Hart's
there was coffee and in Rathbun's tea.
At the dinner hour Hart tasted his coffee,
and, handing IL 10 Rathbun, remarked IL
seemed TO have pepper In IL.
Rathbun took sip and became Ill, as
did Hart, who reached home before Rath-
bun, aid, according TO Mrs. Rathbun.
said
"Bill will be home soon. He ought to be
sick by this time.
Rathbun reached home at eight o'clock
that morning. DIR. Henry ISlenke was
called by the Rathbuns' son Percy, four
teen years old Hart seemed 10 be the more
Ill of the two. He was taken to q hospi-
tai. but the contents OF his stomach failed
to show any arsenic.
stathbun became worse and died at
half past three in the afternoon. DR..
Klenke is positive that he instructed
Mrs. Rathbun to save the coffee from
which she had filled Hart's pail Not
withstandng this Mrs Rathbun threw
out the coffee. From this point state
ments are contradictory.
MUTUAL DENOMINATIONS.
The day before his death Rathbun
sweetened cherry wine he had made with
sugar he had obtained from n broken bar
rel at one of the railroad stations.
To the four quarts OF wine he used all
the sugar a pound, except four or five
teaspoonfuls, and these Mrs. Rathbun
says she put in the coffee, against the use
OF which Hart says he demonstrated. Mrs.
Rathbun says that Hart was particular
that morning TO tell her how he wanted
the coffee made. This Hart denies.
Coroner Mix and Detectives Mc0rath
and Ward refuse to discuss the case or
the work they are doing. but air are
working diligently to unravcl the con-
fiicting statements of the two prisoners.
Mrs. Rathbun's mother died Of arsenic
poisoning fifteen years ago, The poison
the coroner decided, was self-adminis-
tered One OF the Rathbun children.
Willie, died five years ago OF the same
kind OF poison. Mrs. Rathbun said her
son had found rat poison I'm an ash bar
rel. where ii had been thrown by a SER
want girl.
Mrs. Rathbun Is thinty-nine years old.
She has been the mother OF twelve chill
dren, four Of whom are living. Walter,
the oldest, Is twenty-five years Old and
clerk I'm the postoffice In this city. Nell
lie is eighteen, Percy fourteen, and Es-
sie nine. The children have not been
permitted 10 see their mother since her
n m uaak