The evening world., 1903-03-11
DEAD WOMAN HAD
TAKEN DRUGS.
Mrs. Lillian Manson, on Trial
Charged with Poisoning Mrs.
Julia Wilson, May Benefit by
Admission of Ora Wilson.
Special to The Evening World,

PUTNAM, Conn, March ll.-Nrs. Ju-
liza A.. Wilson. with whose murder Mrs,
LILLIAN Manson stands charged, was ad-
dicted to drugs. This was brought out
by the evidence of her own son. Ora Will
son. who for two hours was a target for
the sharp questions OF lawyers for the
State and defense In the trial Of the
case against Mrs. Manson.
In addition Ora said his mother had
been a frequent user of patent medl-
ines.
Lawyer Samuel B.. Harvey. who is de-
Tending Mrs. Manson. named over a
score of remedies well known, many of
them containing alcohol. The witness
admitted that his mother used to take
the most of them at one time or an
other. On one occasion he knew her to
buy a quart OF p~aregoric. She used a
lot of this drug. he said. He had never
known her to take laudanum.
PIa of Defense.
It will be the point of the defense Of
Mrs. Manson, on trial for her life, to
prove that Mrs. Wilson was a frequent
user of drugs. 1t will be claimed that
there Is no reason to believe hat she
did not taxi into her system large guam
titles of arsenic. The experts found
that her system was saturated with
the poison which. II is claimed by the
State was administered by Mrs. Man
son.
The son. Ora, was not a strong wit
ness for the State. He could not bring
out clearly the date on which his
mother died.
His memory appeared most defective
in many points. The principal point IN
his testimony was concerning a visit OF
his mother to the home OF old John
Young. mother OF Mrs, Manson. His
mother took supper there and came
home complaining. She was very Ill.
At this time 1t was shown Mrs. Manson
had been at her fathers and some rat
poison had been missed from It's ae.
customed place.
The State will claim that at this time
the evidence shows Mrs, Manson made
her hrst attempt to poison Mrs. Wilson.
New Witnesses In Case.
Some new evidence of importance In
the case has been discovered by the
State. The principal witness is Mrs,
Jane Johnson. of Willimantic. She Is
to testify that George Wilson, son OF
the dead woman, and Mrs. Manson came
TO her house together two days before
Mrs. Wilson's death. and that while
there Mrs. Manson predicted that Mrs
Wilson would not live two days. Then,
the witness says. she went into another
room and began mixing some medicine.
Mrs. Lucy b. Wilson and Fred ].
Williams. OF Wiilimantlc, proprietress
and clerk respectively of a drug store.
will testify that two days before
Mrs. Wilson's death a woman answer
ing Mrs. Manson's description came 10
the store and bought an ounce OF ar
seniC.
A fourth new witness. Mrs. Mary e.
Mrs. Wilson during her last Illness, Ia
70 testify that while she was at the
Wilson home. Mrs, Manson and George
Wilson were there together. She says
that Mrs. Wilson wanted Mrs. Manson
10 go. Mrs. FennimoTe took some OF
the medicine which Mrs. Manson mixed
In the house and 1t made her III. Shs
says that Mrs, Manson told her not 10
say anything about IL.
These @ witnesses will be held
back until the last by the prosecution
Ora Wilson was called TO the stand
again to-day after court opened.
Mrs Manson appeared cheerful when
she came to court his forenoon. She
was accompanied by her husband and
two little children.