The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-27
I -
She FACES
HER ACCUSER.
Mrs, Rathbun Listens to Harris
Testimony UnmOVsd.
ACCUSED OF KILLING HUSBAND.
Witness COnfsssss 10 Intimacy With the
Woman Who Is on TIlaI Declares
She Is jealous.
ACCUSED OF KILLING HUSBAND.

New Haven. April FIT am innocentl"
declared Mrs. Ann Maria Rathb1u. rurn-
ing 10 the four children who sat behind
her In the court room.
The jury had been impanelled. Judge
Elmer was ready 10 begin. ROBBED in
mourning. the woman who Is accused OF
poisoning her husband for love FOR an
other man and for Jealousy Of this other
Il4alaa=ls=e++t4=+- ether women, sat In her
place, ready 10 face down her accusers.
Mrs. Rathbn IL y years old. She mad
poor, and hard work has streaked her
hair with gray and put the hrst sign or
profile is delicate her eyes bright hazel,
her complexion soft and white.
-Four Of her children sat therex-W waiter.
big and %: Nellie, a rosy-cheekesi girl 90
20 who works I'm the button factory.
Percy, boy of Il, and mite Of girl,
barely ), Katie
Walter is here. mother whispered
Nellie. laying her hand tenderly on her
mothers shoulder.
And you'n always find me here; right
sturdily while the mother wept. and the
children wept. too.
Brakeman John +. Hart, .Rathbun's
the first witness He faced Mrs. Rath-
bun dchantiy, and she dried her tears
and looked az him with scorn while he
swore 10 his relations with her, Hart is
awaiting sentence for his offense. and isF
the states principal witness.
SAYS SHE WAS JEALOUS.
''Rathbun and | were insured for $500
each in favor of Mrs. Rathbun. said
Hart. She got angry at me because I
talked of tr%ansferrini % my insurance lss ran Y"
because she saw me In the company or
Annie ssaars, bookkeeper In the button
factory.
For seven years Mrs Rathbun and
were intimate. but she liked other men.
I have seen her with Wilbur j. keeler IN
the house; she told me she liked keeler.
Then Hart's testimony shifted 10 the
poisoned coffee, OF which both he and
Rathbun drank while out with their
train. The prosecution declares that Mrs.
Rathbun meant IL for Hart and put rat
poison I'm the coffee. Hart gave some 10
Rathbun. who died. Hart took SO much
that his system threw it of.
Mrs. Rathbun made the Coffee con-
tinued Hart, fixing his gaze on the Wo-
man he was accusing, IL stood on me ,.-
In my pain. Rathbun took tea In his, In
the morning | drank ssme on the train
ana II tasted .peppery. Rathbun LOOK =
sip and said Il WAS all right. Then !
drank cupful and was taken very III ,tie
| took sick later and died az y. m that
day. / got well at the hospital.
DID NOT SAVE TIE COFFEE.
Before going there ! came home first
! and told Mrs. Rathbun 20 save the coffee
because IL had sickened ns both. Instead
|
the pail
Coroner Mix told of his interview with
Mrs. Rathbun who said 20 him that she
had put nothing in the coffee but milk
and sugar. She confessed 10 him. the
coroner swore. about her regtiOns Win
Hart and told kim that she had written
20 his sister Mrs. Emma Harrison, about
his relations with other women. Mrs:
Harrison testified that she had burned
the letter
Mrs. Rathbun listened 10 EIart's state
ments without a tremnr. She only wept
when her children gathered about her,
proclaiming their fafth In her innoccuce.
The charge against Mrs. kathbun ~
| that she drugged with arsenic the ctfee
| which she prepared for Hart some time
between 9.3s y. IN. Dec. II and 4:3O u. m.
Dec. - Just before 9.30 her son drank
\ the coffee and was unharmed. Hart and
1 Rathbun left the house ar f30 "a. m. ana
! Hart carried the coffee At 5.15 they sat
4 i'm the caboose of their train and both
took some OF the coffee. Almost imme-
! diately both were seized with pains In the
| chest Hart left the train ten miles froni
New Haven very III, and Rathpun quit
| q few miles further on.
| Rathbun died at 3 y. m, Hart was sent
| 90 the hospital at / p. IN. Mrs Rathbun
| said that she had sweetened the coffee
! with sugar which her husband had
| brought home from a broken barrel in a.
| freight car. With this he had already
| sweetened some home made cherry wine,
| she said The wine was found afteNwar@
| 90 contain arsenic.