The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1902-12-03
POISONED HIS WIFE.
Charge Against Y. B. Boyd, OF
Crystal Springs, Miss.
The Attending Physician Says Mrs. Boyd
Died From Poison-The Husband
Bought Rough ON Rats.

Crystal Springs. Miss, Nov. S0.-
Crystal Springs is in the midst Of q
poisoning case. and the evidence as
given by the coroner's jury duplicates
Y. B. Boyd.
For some time past Mr.. Boyd had,
1t is alleged, been showing consider"
able attention to Mrs. Susie Artman,
the young wife of a German baker.
This, it is said, became quite obnox-
ious to Boyd's wife, who repeatedly
chided with Boyd to discontinue his
attentions to Artman's wife-even go
ing SO far on several occasions to
threaten suicide in case he did not.
Coroners Inquest.
Shortly after the death Of Mrs.
Boyd, Judge Stay impaneled coro-
ner's jury. The first witness called
was Dr. j. M. Dampeer, who testified
that he was summoned last Monday
to see Mrs. Boyd and did not suspect
poison at that time, but supposed the
patient had cramp collie; administered
three-quarter grains OF kodine and left
patient On next morning he found
her suffering with sick stomach and
vomiting, and then, from symptoms,
he suspected chemical poisoning. en-
"Wednesday morning same symptoms.
On Thursday the symptoms of poison
vanished and reappeared on Friday.
On Friday DR.. Dampeer had DR.. Jones
in consultation, who had not been in
formed of his suspicious.
DR.. Jones testified that the symp-
toms showed metallic poisoning. DR..
Dampeer on the last night asked pa
tient had she taken any poison and
she said she had not. She stated
to her physician that the medicine
she. had taken had changed color and
instead of being the color of pepsin
that it had turned blue in color and
that it had a brackish taste. DR..
Dampeer said that deceased said she
was sure on this Friday visit that
poison had been put in her meui-
cine.
Knew She Was Poisoned.
Here Boyd interrupted by stating
that he knew his wife was poisoned
and that she was necessarily alarmed
over the affairs of next door (referring
to Artman's wife). Boyd said MS
wife had at times taken his razor
and pistol and had threatened suicide.
Mrs. Boyd told DR.. Dampeer that she
had told Boyd on several occasions
that she had intended suicide, but
that it was not intended On Sat
urday evening DR.. Dampeer asked all
out of the patients room except Nora
Mcdonald, cousin of Mrs. Boyd, who
was staying here and attending public
school.
Dying Statement.
DR.. Dampeer told Mrs. Boyd that
she was going to die, and told her
that her husband was under suspicion
of administering poison to her, and
if he was not guilty for her in her
last moments to SO state it and exon
crate him.
Her dying declaration was:
'The Lord is my witness I have
taken nothing except what you have
given me, and l believe that he (Y.
B. BoyD) has given it,
Tempted With an Orange.
Nora Mcdonald, who lives with her
cousin, Mrs. Boyd, testified that on one
day last week Boyd brought an orange
in the house with a hole cut in one
end of it and asked his wife to suck
it. She refused to do so; then Boyd
asked Nora to taste it. She looked
at it and said that looking in the
hole she saw it looked blue and re-
fused to suck it. She claims that
Boyd spent most of one Sunday in
company with Artman and his wife,
and that he refused to go walking
with her on last Sunday, but stayed
ing with Mrs. Altman
Mrs. Boyd stated to Nora Mcdonald
that she believed something had been
put in her medicine.
Mrs. Boyd, just before her death,
said to witness that either Boyd or
Mrs. Artman had given her the poison.
On Friday morning Mrs. Boyd told
witness that she thought she had re-
ceived another dose of poison.
DR.. Jones, on the stand, said that
Mrs Boyd looked like she had taken
corrosive poison.
Bought Rough ON Rats.
w. A. Terry was next sworn, and
he deposed that on last Saturday a
week ago he had sold at the City
Drug Company a box of rough on rats
to Y. b. Boyd.
Boyd denied this, saying that he
had bought nothing except a bottle of
Quakers' tonic and pulverized alum.
w. B. McC1uey, manager of the City
Drug Company, also swore that box
of rough on rats had been sold to
Boyd on Saturday night week, and
that the same was registered there.