Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-03-17
POISONED CANDY
IS SENT BY A MAN
Belief Prevails that Mrs. Dye b
Innocent.
AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING
New Theory That n Nan Not Only
sent the Candy, But Surrounded
Act with Suspicion Pointing
to Mrs. Dye.

Boone, Ia, March 14.-There is a
growing belief here that a man, and
not Mrs. Sherman Dye, sent the box OF
poisoned candy that caused the death
of Miss Rena Nelson at Pierre, S. D.
The federal authorities are investi-
eating the case, since Gov. Cummins
refused to grant requisition papers Tor
Mrs. Dyes prosecution in South Da-
kota, and it is probable that an arrest
will be made for violating the postal
laws.
1t is the new theory that a man not
only sent the candy, but surrounded
the act with circumstances that would
direct suspicion to Mrs. Dye.
Miss Nelson, who was a former resi-
dent of Boone, received Oh February
q a box of bon bons sent through the
mail. At the same time she received
a threatening letter, which she thought
was written by the same woman, who,
she says, threatened her once before,
Mrs. Dye.
She ate some of the candy before
opening the letter and was taken i'll.
She fingered ten days and died. The
candy was sent to the state chemist for
analysis and found to contain corrisive
sublimate.
Although the candy was received
February II, the address was written
on an envelope pasted on the box,
which envelope bore a Boone Qa.)
January 20" stamp, and an address,
Miss Rena Nelson, Pierra, S. D., Per-
sonal." The handwriting of this adj
dress, Miss Nelson declared in a letter
written to her aunt here the day after
she received the candy, Vas the same
as that in the accompanying threaten.
ing letter.
An important question in the case is,
Why was an envelope mailed from
Boone January % pasted on a box of
candy received February II, and to
whom was the envelope returned, SO
that it could have been pasted on the
box?
Mrs. Dye admits she wrote a letter to
Miss Nelson January 4, telling her she
was interfering with a husband and
wife. She also says she knows this
letter was returned to Boone.
When Mr.. Dye was told that Miss
Nelson accused his wife of sending the
poisoned candy, he said: my God!
can this be true?"
When his wife was arrested he broke
down and crife, making statements
which the officials refuse to make pub
lie.
Mystery is Complicated.
To further complicate the mystery
it is learned that the box of candy was
not mailed at Boone. The Boone post
office canceling stamps have wav lines,
The stamp on this package had a flag,
Miss Nelson worked in the office OF
the Boone county Telephone Co. about
a. year, leaving two years and a hall
ago to go to Pierre. When she was
here Dye was a clerk in the North
western railroads roundhouse, and il
is stated he was in the habit of often
talking with her. Mrs. Dye is an in
valid.
There are few in Boone who believe
Mrs. Dye guilty, After Miss Nelson
received the candy, Mrs. Dye arranged
with a friend to let her know if Miss
Nelson came again to Boone, because
she wanted to arrest her. 1t is argued
that she could not have done this if she
had already sent poison to the grid.
Miss Nelson, in a letter to her aunt
here. Miss Biggs, said:
when | went to the post Office this
morning | got a box of bon bons in
the mail and also a letter. 1t was
from that woman at Boone who wrote
that awful letter once before. If mac
read the letter first I never would have
eaten the candy, for, somehow, l. AN
afraid that candy was poisoned.
"Mr. Dye made love to me while
was at Boone. If he la married, il
seems to me somebody would have tolt
me. Mr.. Dye proposed and we be.
came engaged, though he said hi
couldn't marry me till he was making
more money.
81 can't believe he was married, anG
this is what | want you to find out fol-
me. I have not heard from him for 8
month, and do not know what is the
natter