The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-25
misunderstood.

comparative newcomers, the Pickerings
were well regarded. They came from Bos-
ten. and were TO all appearances well
| bred, cultivated and fairly well-to-do.
dc was working for e salary, and as
they lived pretty well and kept their two
children Immediately dressed l suppose
they were always hard pressed for
money.
1T seems that Mrs Pickerings mother
was IN the habit of paying them long
visits at frequent intervals. and the
| daughter made no secret of the expecta-
tons she had Of financial help from her
n,cthers estate, However. at supper one
/ evening old Mrs. Pickering was suddenly
] taken i'll. Tbs doctor who was called de-
tected symptoms of poisoning. and
/ frankly stated his belief that she had been
! killed with arsenic or some kindred poi
son. Investigation quickly disclosed the
/ fact that the arsenic had been admin
! istered in the tea which the old lady had
taken at supper. and in spite OF their
( pTotestations and their previous good
standing in the community both Picker
/ ing and his wife were arrested and &C.
/ cused of the crime.
! The vial containing nearly half an
/ ounce OF arsenic was found corked and
| duly labeled on a shalt in the bathroom.
| The druggist. who was confronted with
/ his own trademark. promptly admitted
! having sold the poison 10 Ms Pickering.
4 who brought a note from her husband
/ saying that he wanted it for tho purpose
/ Of killing rats which infested his chicken
I house. The druggist said that he had
/ sold the drug without hesitation because
/ he had known the chickering's for nearly
d year and believed them TO be above sus-
picion or reproach.
Mrs. Pickering, when questioned. de-
( MED with vigor and insistence that she
/ had bought the poison, ard even when
1 the order. written and signed by her hus-
land, vas shown to her, she refused TO
admit the damaging accusation. or ale
cation of the druggist. She said that il
was not her husbands writing, that
neither he nor she had ever needed, asked
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 presecu-
tons belief that she was equally guilty
with her husband. He. however. 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 evil
cent 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 suily 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 chickering's house was marked by
ouaTrels, chickering's, vituperation and
even threats. 1t was also proved that
Mrs- Pickering expected 10 inherit con
siderable money from her mother, and
that the husband knew Il. The old lady
was a bit of Tartar and was cOntinu-
ally interfering in the family affairs OF
her son-in-law; she assumed the spiritual
membership. accused the young married
felix's of neglecting the religious training
or the two children and in other ways SO
conducted herself as to lend probability
to the theory that her murderers had both
mercenal and vinGictlve reason for
putting her out OF the way
My own observation OF the two ac-
cCsed people was that they were guilt.
They seemed equally devoted to the two
pretty children. but regarded one another
with a species of Mortified hatred that, to
my mind. clearly expressed the loathing
repulsion that must come to the part
ners in so wretched a crime. lie avoided
her glances and she never looked up while
his face was turned toward her. II their
respective tesnlotiRies, however each
tried to shield The other and yet these
utterly in evokirg any signs of tenderness
OF forgiveness from either.
well. to make long story short"
continued Judge Pfaff. we were trying
them separately and his case was drawing
to a close one day with every indication
that nc would be found guilty Along in
the afternoon [ noticed that Mrs. Picker
ing was terribly excited. At last she
called her attorney and whispered some
Instructions. lie frightened Up. went red
and pale by turns. and then came TO tell
nc in a whisper that they had. or would
have, another piece Of evidence. This an
npyed the prosecution, for we were all
convinced that nothing would save Pick
erins, but we managed to reach an agree
nent and her attorney promised 10 call
a my house thar night TO let me know
whether the new evidence amounted TO
anything. The prosecuting attorney
agreed TO meet rs at the same time and
W. adjourned for the day.
wei, sill. about 10 O'Clock that night
Mrs. PicNering's lawyer came all ex-
element. fairly bursting with his news.
Ee had a letter IL his pocket addressed
To the Police" and which proved TO be
nothing more or less than a long screed. /
written ana signed by the woman for
whose murder We were trying the Picker
ings. in which she confessed that she had
administered the poison TO herself. The
reasons. fully set forth. were. as I recall. /
that she had not any estate at all. bit
had led her children to believe that she
was rich for the selfish purpose Of max
ing sure of q home for herself in her
clio age. In a word. the old woman had
hoped that her reuuted wealth would have
on crcome her son-in-iav-'s dislike for her
and when she found out, or 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 bath
room shelf.
The defense soon overcame any OBJ
jections that We could raise 70 this
pcsthumous evidence by proving the gen
ulneness Of the signature and SO forth
tut VIC were sin ute puzzled TO hear
Pickering and his wife explain the contra
dsctory and unlikely testimony they had
gwen about the purchase Of the arsenic |
ATS Pickering. now anxious 10 ten the !
whole truth. said that her husband hated !
his mother-in-law 50 cordially that when
the doctor began 60 mention poison she
Mrs. Pickering, was seized with q sUs-
picion that her husband hcd really adj
piin.sterei il. The envelope addressed /
To the Police thrust into her hand By |
the dying woman convinced the wife that
reT husband was not Only guilty. but that !
her mother knew Il and meant 10 hand
him over 70 the ca,iows. She therefore !
secreted the te,l-taIe letter under TIE |
vainscoting and proceeded u deny every |
thing that might help 20 ineriniaate her !
husband.
And 70 show YOU how strangely other