The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-10
Mother in-LaW Misunderstood


nearances well bred. cultivated and fair
ly well-to-do He was working Tor
salary and as they lived pretty well
and kept their two children lmmacu-
lately dressed l suppose they were al
ways hard pressed for money.
1T seems that Mrs. Pickering motn-
er was in the habit of paying them long
visits at frequent intervals. and the
daughter made no secret Of the ex-
pectations she had of financial help from
her mothers estate. However at SUP
Der. one evening old Mrs Pickering was
suddenly taken ill., The doctor who
was called detected symptoms of polS-
oning and frankly stated his belet that
she had been killed with arsenic or some
kindred poison. Investigation quickly
disclosed the fact that the arsenic mad
been administered in the tea which the
old lady had taken at supper and IN
spite of their protesta tons and their
previous good standing in the commun-
ity both Pickering and his wife were ar
rested and accused of the crime.
1.-THE vial containing nearly half an
ounce of arsenic was found corked ami
duly labeled on shelf in the hath
room. The druggist, who was confront
ed with his own trademark promptly
admitted having sold the poison to Mrs
Pickering who brought a note from her
husband saying that he wanted II Tor
the purpose of killing the rats which in
tested hts chicken house. The druggist
said that he had sold the drug without
hesitation because he had known the
Pickerings for nearly a year and be-
lieved them to be above suspicion or re-
proach.
Mrs. Pickering. when questioned, de-
MED with vigor and insistence that she
had bought the poison. and even when
the order written and signed by her
husband, shown to her, she refused
to admit the damaging accusation, or
allegation of the druggist. She said that
1t was not her husbands writing, that
neither he nor she had ever needed, ask
ed for or bought any arsenic. and that
the druggist was simply mistaken. OF
course that line of action on the part
of Mrs. Pickering only intensified the
Prosecutions belief that she was equal
~ guilty with her husband. He, how
ever. yet further invited suspicion by
admitting that he had not only written
the order, but had sent another woman,
whom he would not name, to buy it
The evident explanation of this unlikely
yarn was that Pickering wanted to
shield his wife from any suggestion of
completely and preferred to bear the full
odium and consequences of the crime
rather than compromise his wife and
6ully the fair names of his children.
THE most convincing portions of the
evidence were, however, supplied by the
neighbors, who gave testimony to the
effect that every visit of the mOther-in-
law to Pickering's house was marked
by quarrels, chickering's, Vituperation
and even threats 1t was ALSO proved
that Mrs. Pickering expected to inherit
and that the husband knew it. The ola
lady was bit Of a Tartar and was con-
tinually interfering in the family af
fairs of her son-in-law; she assumed
the spiritual membership, accused the
young married folks of neglecting the
religious training of the two children
and in other ways so conducted herself
as to lend probability to the theory that
her murderers had both mercenary
and a vindictive reason for putting her
out Of the way.
My own observation of the two ac-
cused people was that they were guilty
They seemed equally devoted to the two
pretty children, but regarded one an.
other with a species of Mortified hatred
that, to my mind clearly expressed this
loathing repulsion that must come to
the partners in so wretched crime He
avoided her glances and she never look
ed up while his face was turned toward
her. In their respective testimonies,
however, each tried to shield the other
and yet these palpa BILE evidences of self
sacrifice failed utterly in evoking any
signs of tenderness or forgiveness from
either
We'll. to make a long story short"
continued Judge Pfaf we were trying
them separately and his case was draw
ing to close one day with every indi-
cation. that he would be found guilty.
Along IN the afternoon. I noticed that
Mrs. Pickering was terribly excited At
last she called her attorney and whis-
pered Some instructions He frightened
then came to tell me in whisper that
they had. or would have. another piece
OF evidence. This annoyed the prOsecu-
ton, Tor we were all convinced that
nothing would save Pickering but we
managed to reach an agreement and her
attorney promiced to call at my house
that night to let me know whether the
new evidence amounted to anything
The prosecuting attorney agreed tomeet
us at the same time and we adjourned
for the day.
We'll, sir. about 10 O'Clock that night
Mrs Pickering's lawyer came all excite
ment fairly bursting with his news He
had a letter in his pocket addressed TO
the Police, and which proved to be
nothing more nor less than long
screed. written and signed bv the uro,o
an for whise murder we were irving the
chickering's. in which she confessed that
she had administered the poison to her
self The reasons, fully set forth. were
as 1 recall, that she had not anv estate
at all, but had led her children +o he
heVe that she was rich for the selfish
purpose of making sure of A home for
herself in her old ace. In a word tba
old woman had hoped that her ren,,tad
wealth would have overcome her SON
in-laWs dislike for her and when she
found out. on the day of her death. that
he would not tolerate her in the house
she had simply used the arsenic which
she found on the bathroom shelf
The defense soon overcame any oh
Jections that we could raise to this Dosr-
humous evidence by proving the cen
uineness of the Signature and so forth
but we were still cute puzzled to hear
PICKERING and his wife explain the CON
Trajectory and unlikely testimony they
had given about the purchase of The
arsenic Mrs, Pickering. now anxious
to tell the whole truth. said that her
husband hated his mother-in-law So
cordially that when the doctor began ~
mention poison she, Mrs. Piekerino
was seized with suspicion that her
had uf7 r7,f, to-
THE envelope addressed TO me L,..ics,
thrust into her hand by the diving vvones7
convinced the wife that her husband v-as
not only guilty. but that her mother kne[y
it and meant to hand him over to tbe