The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-03-06
Witnesses Testify in the
Mathews Case.
MRS. HAY FALLS IN FIT
Immediately After Having Given Direct
Testimony for the Prosecution.
Or. Turner Advances an Opinion
as to Divergent Results in
Chemical Tests.
IN ANDRIW JOINER.

By ANDREW JOINER
Greensboro, y. G, March L-Su-
~perior court met promptly at nine
'thirty this morning ana the taking OF
Testimony in the Mathews case was
begun by the introduction Of the col
ored cook and woman Of all work
Iaround the Mathews residence. named
Mile Watson. who testified as fol
lows:
"Dr. Mathews left the dining room
.iast before breakfast and went up
stairs. l never knew his wife was
sick. In ii short While Iieue Ben came
in the room crying. soon DR.. Mathews
came down. He told me to put break
fast Oh the table and go up stairs
and stay with his Wife, who was very
sick. He old me she had taken a big
dose OF ~Strychnine about il o'clock
last night. said she had got it out
Of his pocket. He said she had told
him that none Of his people liked he1.
and had gone to his office the day
before ana asked him what was the
easiest ana best thing to take to die,
still be conscious. | went II
stairs ana she was gasping awful. !
tried to straightcn the room up. !
was up there the night before. II
was in good order That morning the
room was all To pieces. n trunks
were unlocked and open, trays out,
bureau drawers pulled out. | felt Of
Mrs. Mathews face and hands and she
had no pulse, her feet and her hands
vsere cold. | could not arouse her. !
staid there until the doctor came from
breakfast. When he come he said he
was going to the drug store. / sug-
ccsted that ne send for another doc
49,. II. ,.,;J -, I,3.I Ia.y, iav
on her all night. When he returned,
/ heard him talking to some one down
stairs. When | went Town stairs
Captain Gippman was sitting in the
dining room. | asked him To go ne
stairs and see what vas tho matter.
lie went UP stairs and scut iit.le Ben
after Mrs. Hay. and he went himself
after DE-. Brooks, Mrs. Mathews died
that evening about six O'Clock and DIT.
Mathews was at the supper table eat
ing supper when she died.
Cross examined: Z had been there
as cook not quite d week. | rOOmed OF
the lot. He just told me n a his wife
had took a box of strychnine tablets
Of his pocket and swallowed them.
He never said n told him she had
took them. He said she was in very
much trouble and thought all his pco-
pie was against her. That she had
gone to his office the day before and
asked about What poison would kill her
easy. lie said she had got the strych-
nine out of his pocket when he came
ihomc about II o'clock that night"
Mrs. Hay Testifcs.
Mrs. A.. NJ. Hay: 4 had known MIS-.
Mathews and DR.. Mathews four years.
He had been my physician during that
time. Thanksgiving day Mrs. Math-
.gNEc ~ l11C- Il, my hnJICn and hr,lI Dlt
me a Thanksgiving dinner. She was
bright and cheerful. About 10 o'clock
next day, December 1st, her son Ben
came after me. | hurried to the
house. | met Captain Gippman in the
hall. | went up stairs. DR.. Mathews
was sitting on the bed by his wife
with d h~ypodermic syringe in one hand
and Il lighted cigarette in the other.
| asked him what on earth was the
matter. He said his Wife had taken
s~trychnine about 10 o'clock the night
before and he had been working ON
her all night. That she had taken
enough to Kill two people. He said he
die not want il to get public as it
would ruin his reputation and that Of
the family. | could not get him to
consent to send for d doctor. | sent
for one any how and Captain Gipp-
man a gone after DR.. Farrar. /
could not see hat DR.. Mathews was
doing anything to help his wife. She
was dying, it seemed to me. When
Doctor F|arrar arrived, Mathews was
in another room. | put hot water
bags and bottles about her. She was
lying perfectly still breathing hard
and could not be aroused. DR., Far
rar had not completed the examina-
ton when DR.. Brooks came. They
gave her some heart stinulant. Soon
Or. Turner cane and he had an cleo
tric battery put to her. After a while
Dr. Mathews came in the room II
wanted TO know how his wife was
getting ON. Receiving no encourage
ment he asked the doctors out Of
the room 50 he could have d few mo-
ments' prayer. They went out but /
refused to go. l told DR.. Mathews his
prayer would do no good. that his
wife could not hear him. Dr. Turner
at his time had zone to dinner. Dr..
Mathews came back later and tried
10 get me out Of the room, SO he coUI!
have a quiet prayer | refused again
and he said since he could not pr4v
in peace he would get in the bed yxitF
her. He craWled over and got on
tho bed and put his hand on hor
head and said. Poor little thing vo11
4"e most gone, but | can get another.
He made some kind Of a movement
under the bed clothes and made him
get up. Little Ben was standinr ~
the foot IF the bed and as hc Sg; III.
he said he had dropped sometime ont
81 ms pocket and he had Just found ii.
and gave little Ben a 4ivc-cent niece
Later. he came and told me some Ia
dies were down stairs aud wanted to
see me. / Went down stairs ana they
hdd not sent for me. When got
back Or. Farrar and | examined Mrs
Mathews on her wrist was q. ner
fectIy fresh punCture with slight ooz
'l paic blood on II. All the other