The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-14

An enormous, amount Of testimony was
taken, and the question Of ptomaines en-
tered largely into this testimony. Pto-
mains are poisons which form naturally
In decomposing natter 1t was thought
at one time DR.. Buchanan would es-
cape; but the weight Of the testimony
was overwhelmingly convincing.
Mrs Mary Alice Fleming. on Aug. 30,
1895. was accused Of having murdered
her mother. Mrs. z. NJ. Bliss. The mo-
tive was TO obtain possession Of $500 By
way Of inheritance. 1t was said that
she intended to elope TO Europe with
Ferdinand Wilckes, with whom she was
in love She had a violent quarrel with
her mother over Wuckes and partial re-
venge was assigned as the motive Of the
crime.
Wnckes was a student Of chemistry
and was supposed TO have given Mrs
Fleming the poison which she admins
tered to her mother Alrs. Fleming was
found not guilty June q, 1856 The poi
son-arsenic-was given in bowl Of
clam chowder. The case attracted wide
spread attention owing to the great
amount Of expert testimony involved.
Dr. T. Thatcher Graves, Of Providence,
R. L, was accused in 1881 Of killing Mrs
J. 3. Barnaby by sending her through
the mail bottle of poison, put UP in a
package to resemble whisky. The wo-
man died horrible death and one Of her
friends, a Mrs WoreIl, who had tasted
some of the liquor, nearly expired also.
Graves and Mrs. Barnaby had long
been acquainted and with it was proved
that their relations were intimate. Mrs.
Barnaby, after few years tired Of the
man.. He n turn, desiring her money
only. attempted to rid himself Of her
by murder. Graves was found guilty by
jury in Denver, in which city the crime
was committed.
DR.. Graves ha dassisted Mrs. Barnaby
TO break her husbands viii and had OBJ
tanned for himself the handling Of her
money. The largest sum, $4,000, was re-
ceived q few days before the perpetra-
ton Of the murder.
DR.. Graves was to have received a new
trial, but on the morning of September
3, 1893. he committed suicide in Jail. He
is said to have died BY taking an over
dose Of morphine. BE did not acknowl-
edge his guilt in the letter whcih he left
in his cell
DR.. Henry c. T. Meyers trial is an
other notable case where a medical man
has figured IN a poison murder. DR..
Meyer was brought to New York from
Detroit on charge OF having poisoned
Ludwig Brandt on March 30. 1892. Arsenic
and anthony were used in the killing
Of tAis man, who had lived at No. S2C
East Thirteenth street.
The design Of the murderer was to OBJ
tain about $500, which was to come
from an Insurance company. Meyer
accomplices were his wife and Arnold
Kirfel. Kirfel afterward told Of his con-
nection with the case, which information
led 10 the trial Of DIT. Meyer for murder
The trial began december 4. 1888.
Instead of introducing a dead body into
the case as a substitute for one of the
conspirators, DR.. Meyer had killed one OF
his accomplices IN the attempted insur-
ance swindle. Brandt was thus the vic
tim of his own plot. DR.. Meyer was
tried and found guilty Of murder in the
second degree. Meyer and his accom-
plices We're supposed to have committed
a long list Of crimes Of like character.
One of the most curious cases o. mod
I ern poisoning was that perpetrated by
/ Mrs. Adelaide c. Botkin, viii sent a boz
/ box of poisoned candy through the mai
and killed Mrs. John +. Dunning and Mrs
Joshua D. Deane in Dover. Del, Mrs
Botkin was sentenced to life imprison
I ment for this crime.
Mrs. Botkin loaded chocolate bon-bon:
with arsenic. She was jealous of Mrs
Dunning, with whose husband she had
fallen in love. She sent the candy from
San Francisco, Cal, to Dover. Del. Mrs
| Deane, who died from ,ne same cause
which killed -4rs. DUnning, had not beer
an enemy of AIRS. BotSin. The murdel
was committed August !, 1893.
In Nay, 1893, Mrs. Matte Sham o.
/ Princeton was tried for the murder Of he
/ own son. whose death she was alleged t
have desired for the purpose OF obtaining
! insurance money. He died on April Il
/ 1893. The stomach of the victim was re
moved to conceal any evidence Of hi
having been poisoned
Suspicion pointed to the mother. She
was also suspected Of having poisoned
her husband a year earlier. Mrs. Sham
was acquitted on August q, 1893. On ex
animation it was found that the son ha,
/ died of mercurial poisoning. This Grim,
. must 20 Oh ItCRLu - 04AD u TIC MUS
mysterious murders known.
/ What promises to be q great poison
I mystery is the Ida Fosburgh case. now
entering upon its state Of preliminary
/ investigation
Besides these cases, we have man,
where food and water have been poisoned
! mysteriously. There are others wher,
poison has been administered by mistake
/ and through insane impulse. but this elas
! Of poisoning GOES not enter into this ST
ticle.
To the administration Of arsenic IS du'
! the largest percentage Of deaths TheI
/ comes mercury; then cyanide OF potash
/ Poisons such as Aolineux used are rare
BOTH ARE SUED
Breach OF Promise suits AEains
Husband and wife.