Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-04
submitted it to " bicromate test which
showed large quantity of strychnine

1t was then determined that the girl
must have done it, but upon her re-
turning the next morning, undoubtedly
with the expectation of finding them
all dead, she did not betray the least
surprise that they were alive, and
neither was she Immediately charged
with the crime. Instead Mrs. Sar-
gent made up fairy tale about a
dream she had had that night in
which the family came to their death
marked that it was funny that Mrs.
Sargent should dream that, but never
by so much as the quiyer of an eye
lash betrayed her connection with
the events of the evening before. She
was also told that the family could
not find the small box of strychnine
which had been purchased for the pur-
pose of poisoning rats. She was ask
ed to help search for it, which she
readily did, at the same time saying
that the poison must be found. Mrs.
Sargent left the room but remained
in such a position that she could see
the girls movements. Mrs. Sargent
saw her raise her dress and take
something from underneath it, proba-
bly, from her stocking.
The girl called to a color
ed girl who was also work
ing in the Sargent household to help
her which she refused to do. EN-
erald called to Mrs. Sargent to search
the cupboard, which had been thoroly
gone over before, there being at this
time nothing on the shelves but pa
pers. There the box was found, but
investigation revealed the fact that in
stead of its containing strychnine, pow
dered plaster of Paris had been sub
stituted. The girl was charged with
placing the drug in the cheese but she
stoutly denied it and asked Mrs. Sar-
gent how she could think that it was
she that did it, at the same time ask
ing if people who died by strychnine
poisoning, died with their eyes open.
Mr.. Sargent finally took the girl in
hand and she confessed that she had
placed the poison in the jar of cheese.
She gave no reason for the deed, and
at the same time evidenced the great
est affection for her benefactor. who
had also given the girl new dress
when she discharged her the evening
before.
~ pCO1lS " DO q SuoC VI oSPi oNAIy
without realizing sense of wrong or
what it means either to herself or to
others. She is bright girl, much
older than her years would indicate,
ana until charged with the theft of the
clothing belonging to Mrs. Wilkin, had
never been detected in wrong doing.
Mrs. Sargent had the greatest conf
dence in the girl, who had glibly talk
ed of right and wrong as applied to
herself, with her mistress. and is
dumbfounded that she should have
been the instigator of the deed.
Sent to the Reform School.
Complaint was made to Judge Sloan
this morning that Emerald is incorrig-
able by her mother, Mrs. Jennie Ham
ilton. After hearing the evidence the
court decided that she is fit SUBJ
ject for incarceration in the reform
ingly ordered her sent there until
she arrives at the age of is years.
Sheriff SHUTS left this morning with
the girl.
Additional Facts.
Carey Wilkin, court reporter for
Judge Sloan, says that Emerald took
some kind of a sharp instrument and
drew it across the top of highly
polished dining room table for no
reason at all. He also says that she
deliberately broke a silver backed
comb, took an umbrella and several
other articles of wearing apparel, the
majority of which have been found
where the girl had secreted them.