The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-10-14
A TRAGIC DEATH.
Sad, Sudden and Sensational. MRS.
Bert Gregory Passes Away Af-
ter a Short, Severe Illness.

The death of Mrs. Bert Gregory at
her home near Monarch Mills last Sum
day at 11:45 a. m. caused quite sensa-
tion among the nc i'll people, who were
acquainted with the following facts and
circumstances:
Mr.. and Mrs. Bert Gregory were mar
ried Sept. 18th, 1904. Mrs. Gregory,
before her marriage was Miss Virginia
Estelle White, of Pacolet, s. @. Imme-
diately after marriage, this couple went
to housekeeping in one of the Monarch
Mill Company's houses, occupying only
one half, Mr.. and Mrs. Boyd Harris &C.
cupying the other half Of this house, and
according to the testimony of Mr.. and
Mrs. Harris this newly married
pair lived peaceably and happily togeth-
er. Tuesday night, Oct 4th, Mr.. and
Mrs. Gregory, Mr.. and Mrs. Harris
were in the dining room drinking coa
cola and eating bananas, and soon after
Mr.. Gregory insisted upon his wife taxi
ing n dose of calomei, as she had that
day complained OF having headarhe.s
She told him she did not'need it, bpt
to please him, she did take a casoa -ef
powder, three calomel powders having
heen obtained from their family physf-
two an hour later. An hour after tai
ing the first po wder, Mrs. Gregory went
into her bed room, followed by her hns-
band, and it was said that he put lie
two calomel powders together and gave
them to his wife. Very soon after
this she complained of feeling funny |rd
grew worse. her hands and limbs became
drawn and rigid, and she had one con-
vulson after another, each convulsion
being more violent. Their physici n
was Immediately summoned, and up' n
his arrival he pronounced it case of
poisoning, and began at once to admins
ter antidotas Mrs--n--o--v~peemea to
,vv urIter, at least of her pains, and u
convulsions we're checked by the use uf
chloral and other similar drugs to coun-
teract the poison in the system. Sic
never did recover consciousness; this,
however, was owing to use of these
druge. Mrs. Gregory was closely at.
tended by Drs. Jackson and w. l.. Lin.
der, who say that the immediate cause
of her death was pneumonia. A very
strong suspicion was aroused in the
minds of the people against Mr.. Bert
Gregory that he had poisoned his wife,
based, first, upon the assertion and treat.
ment of tge doctors, that Mrs. Gregory
was suffering from strychnne poison
and Oh Thursday brother of Mrs,
Gregory -nhiajnqd,G Gregory wsssa, ESTE q
and lodged in Jail, but was released Fri
day on $500 bond Magistrate w. w.
johnson was notified of the death of Mrs.
Gregory and on Sunday afternoon he
empanneled jury of inquest. The fol-
lowing men composed the jury: r.. D.
| Kitchens, foreman, I. NJ. Kirby, ]. II.
Wakefield, r. T. Parr, w. r. jolly,
l.. ID. Smith, J. J. Latham, r. N. Wat
son, j. w. Sanders, D. d. Belue, M. c..
Phillips, F. o, Nichols. In addition 10
the foregoing facts, H. M. Holmes. a
licensed pharmacist employed at the
drug store Of Pr !. F. g; Duke, testified
ne sold to Mr.. Bert Gregory one d,,.' year.
OF strychnine, also some yaseline. tbS,
Mr. Gregory had also bottle of turpen-
'lhe' and out of these he, Gregory, said
ne would make a salve to rub on b;e
rect; that his feet, like many mill peop,e
VINO stand on their feet great deal b.-
came sweaty and sore. and the prepara-
tion would prevent this and cure b..
ieeC' and that he had used this mixture
DeIore, and knew it was good.
V. f. Depass, Esq, conducted tho
examination of the witness for the State
and b. F. Townsend represented the ac.
cused. Drs. Linder and, Jackson were
the physicians present. by request of tte
acCing coroner, and performed the. au-
topsy, and gave it as their opinion. fas
we say above,) that the INN. .ediate cause
or her death was pneumonia. Acting
coroner johnson adjourned the Inquest
70 the 18th of October, at which time a
iufther investigation will be had. The
stomach, or rather the contents. of the
dead woman will then have been anal
lied. The remains of Mrs. Gregory
were intererred in the city cemetery.
Mr.. Bert Gregory has since been ar.
rested and placed in Jail under a CHARGE
OF murder. 1t is not within our prov
ince TO try this case, therefore we have
not said or intended anything calcu,ated