The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-03-27
Sensational Tfla :.

| WulGC pOWueI III oOuc luulk anu give
the stuff to Gwendolin to drink. :"
These were the words uttered on
the witness stand to-day at the trial
OF Mrs. May Fenton Haines, accused
OF taking the life Of her step.child.
The prisoner-the Woman In Black
with the chalk. white face-never
relaxed the statue-llke coun tenance,
as she looked straight In the eye Of
the utterer of the words that might
mean so much or nothing. The tes-
timony was given after analytical
chemists had told OF tie taking from
the body Of pretty Gwendolin Of
enough arsenic to kill eight persons.
The thoughts Of some Of the hundreds
Of spectators as they listened made
them Shudder.
1t was woman against woman.
The words quoted above were uttered
with many others that told a story
of tiendishne.s unimaginable IN q
woman, the details Of which were of
the ire.raising kind. They were
spoken under oath by Mrs. John
Palfrcy, sister -in-law OF the man who
sat alongside the alleged child.slayer
the father Of the baby the State
declares was murdered, the husband
OF the woman at whom the finger Of
accusation is pointed.
Mrs. Palfrey's home Is In New
Castle, Del. The woman is very
Aight.halred, is young, and she was
dressed Deatly In black silk and vel
vet. She started her testimony with
the statement that she was formerly
Mrs. Waiter b. Haines. The latter
was the brother Of Howard Haines,
hus band of the defendant. Walter
Haines Is dead.
The witness told Of visit to the
Iaines home, in Delanco, on March
"a last, seven days previous to tie
death Of little Gwendoliu. She called
to see her brother in.iaw, from whom
SHE wanted certain Information about
the Haines family. The story of
Mrs. Palfrey is one Of horrors. She
Swore:
when Mrs. Hams came tp the
door 10 answer TO my knock she
didn't want 10 admit me. l noticed
when She came 10 the door Mrs.
laiues had her hands wrapped 10
her apron. After l had had been
admitted l saw there were blood
spots on the apron Gwsudolin was
in the kitehe crying when 1 enter
ed. l asked Mrs Haines what
was the matter with the child and
she answered that Gwendolin mad
been in convulsioLs.
II told her 10 bring Gwendolin
into the dining room where we were
and Mrs. Halnes said If | would eX-
cusc her she would 10 get the
child. Mrs. Haines went Into the
kitchen leaving the door slightly
ajar aud as Gwendolin continued
10 crv bitterly l went the 10 the
door ant looked through the open
ing.
II saw Mrs. Haines strike the
child aad knock her 10 the floor.
Then Mrs. Haues kicked Gwendo-
lin in the face. opened the door
wide then and Mira. Haines turning
on me, called to me 10 shut the door.
l wouldn' t and told her not 10 strike
the child again or l would put the
authoritses upon her.
"Then Mrs. Haines went Tor me
and grabbed me by the hair and
pulled It right nicsly for me. l
grabbed her by the chin aud we
stood that way for an instant.
Finally We lett 60 o! ea;h other and
Mrs, Haines picked Gweldolin up
and started to wash her. The
child's nose couldn't see, it was
30 mashed and bloody.
ii demonstrated with Mrs. Haines
and she sad Gwendolin was dirtv
and she would break her or kill
her. She also said the child was
10 her possession and she would do
what she pleased With 1t. She said
her husband wcuid not take Gwen
dolin away though she couldn't
bear the child. Mrs. Ha;nes added
That she would rather have the gIrl
die than have any OF the relatives
Of sGwcndollns dead ,mo.her pet
her.
1t was here the witness told about
Mrs. Haines giving the white pow.
Ter in milk to Gwendol'n.
81 asked Mrs. Ha;ues what she
,avc the powder 10 the child for.
and she SAID for nervousness. A
short time a.terwaid Gwendollu
went into Il dose. | told Mrs.
.laires she must get a doctor Tor
iwendoliu aud that would return
n a few days when ] would put
he authorities on her # the chld's
coalition should not be better.
Hrs. Iiaines asked me not to say
about it. - there was no
lse IN making trouble.
A Polite burglar.
BridgcvilIe, DEL, March 26.
The little village of Green