The St. Louis Republic., 1903-08-02
Woman Swoons When Taken in
Custody and Is Unable to BE
Taken to Jail.
SPECIAL DEPUTY GUARDS HER.
Shock of Her Sons Death Pros
trates Mrs. Checksfield and 1t
Is Feared That She Can
not Recover.
BIZ a STAFF CORRESPONDENT.

Bunker Hill. ILL.,. Aug. 1.-Disgusted wit
the dilatory tactics employed by those Il
charge of the Coroner's inquest. James "
Checksfield. the father of the boy who Il
| supposed to have died from the effects o
eating poisoned candy. swore out a war
rant tonight for the arrest OF Mrs. Id;
Cutler who. the boy said in a dying state
ment to his father and mother, gave hin
the candy.
The warrant was placed in the hands Of
Henry c. Herbst. City Marshal. who ar
rested Mrs Cutler at her home shortly aft
er 8 o'clock.
When the officer entered the house Mrs
Cutler tainted and went from one spell
+ Inconsistencies into another Doctor Mil
ton was summoned and. after examining tn
prisoner. stated that she was unable to b'
removed to the jail.
Barney McCann was sworn in as Deput!
Marshal and will guard the prisoner unit
the physician consents to her removal.
JURY RETURNS
SEALED VERDICT.
The Jury which was conducting the In
euiry found a verdict shortly after o'clock
this evening" but owing to the absence oi
the Coroner the finding was rendered sealed
and will not be opened until that official
reaches here either tomorrow or Monday.
The Coroner has not been present since
the first day Of the inquest and this fact
has interfered to considerable extent with
the efficiency of the inquiry.
TAKES TESTIMONY u
IN SICK CHAMBER.
The Coroner's jury convened again shortly
after o'clock tonight. Owing to Mrs.
Checksfield's physical condition 1t was i'm
possible to get her as a witness. and the
Coroner's jury visited the Checksfield house
in order to secure her testimony.
Lying on the couch that may perhaps be
her deathbed, her voice scarcely audible
even in the intense stiffness Of the sick
room. Mrs. Checksfeld slowly and with
d.ficulty described what took place on the
evening her boy died.
As she reached that part where she told
Of her little sons last words, she succ1mbed
to an attack Of faintness. and 1t was with
difficulty that she was revived.
Mrs. Checksfleld testified she saw her son
returning from the milk depot, and that
her attention was attracted by the little
fellows splitting. She described the efforts
made by herself and husband to give their
son something to take away the bitter
taste of which he complained, and the con-
vulslons which preceded his DEATH Mrs.
Checksfield also substantiated her husbands
statement that when Ewart returned home
from the milk depot Wednesday, he said:
Mrs. Cutler gave me some candy, and
It was bitter"
NONE OF THE.
PUBL1c'S BUSINESS.
After taking Mrs. Checksfeld's testimony
the Jurors adjourned to the City Hail..
where they began to ballot for verdict
C. c. Robinson. Coroner of Macoupin
County, who left Bunker Hill Thursday,
was communicated with over the telephone
tonight. He is at home in Hagaman. and
from his conversation the outcome of the
inquest has little interest for him.
When asked why he left the inquiry when
he had hardly began he replied that IT was
none of the publics business He said that
he was called home and went.
Robinson also stated that he had visited
Springfield hut that his business had moth
ing to do with the Checksfield case.
Certain citizens. including the Mayor and
seyeral Aldermen, have expressed them
setves as dissatisfied with the secrecy and
mystery with which the inquiry has been
surrounded.
MRS. CHECksFIElID
Is CRITICALLY ILL.
1t is feared that Mrs Checksfleld may die
as a result of the nervous shock following
the poisoning and death of her little son.
She has been an invalid for several years
and the primary object in the family's COM
inr to Bunker Hill was for the benefit she
might derive from the change In climate.
Last night she was very low and 1t was
feared that she would not live until morn
ing To-day she was slightly improved. but
her physician still considers her condition
critical.
But little else than the poisoning case Is
talked of here. Suspicion, which las point
ed to n certain woman as the one who gave
the child the "doct6red'' candy. has been
by such evidence as has man.
aged to leak through the strict censorship
by the Coroner's Jury Those
who are familiar with the case say that the
only missing link In the chain of evidence is
O motive.
The story told by Checksf1eld regarding
the antemortem statement of his little son
is generally believed. but even the parents
of the dead boy cannot assign any reason
for murder
Little Ewart had made himself general
favorite with the people of Bunker Hill
since his father moved to this place. Just
month ago. He was manly boy. It Is said.
and one who was kept much at home Ev-
cry night and morning he went to the de-
pot Of the Union Dairy Company for the
famfly.s supply Of milk.
On his way to and from the depot he
passed the Cottage Hotel, and he and the
proprietor hat' become warm friends. owing
to a mutual fondness Of dogs.
1t was his custom to stop at the hotel on
his way home to have romp with litter
OF puppies. On the day he died It was re-
marked that he sped past the hotel without
even glancing at his little playmates.
FATHER NEARLY
FRUSTRATED.
MI. Ghecksfleld Is nearly prostrated by
his sons violent death. He said yesterday
hs had no doubt that II was poison. which