Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1906-06-01
TIE WOOD POISONING CASE.

The people of Lordsburg we're great
ly surprised and shocked last Friday
afternoon to learn that James L. Bar.
Der had been arrested charged with
attempting to poison the Rev. N. d.
Wood. Barber was examined before
Judge McGrath Saturday afternoon,
and committed to jail In default Of
5000 bail to await the action OF the
grand jury.
The facts OF the case are as follows:
Mr.. Wood spent Sunday, May 9Th, at
Hachlta, returning Monday. His fam
lily was at Portales, New Mexico, Wis.
iting Mrs. Woods father. Mr.. Wood
found that some one had been in his
house while be was gone, but an ex-
animation of the house showed moth
ing missing. He cooked a beefsteak
for his supper, but when be went to
eat it he found it was so bitter he
could not swallow il. He tried two or
three times, thinking he was bilious,
and then tried some bread and jam.
This he also found bitter. Finally be
cooked some bacon he had in the
house, and opened a box Of sealed
crackers he had just bought, which
tasted all right. He suspected moth
ing, thinking the taste of the food was
caused by his physical condition. In
a time he felt the effects of the poison,
and then suspected something was
the matter, aud hurried to DR.. Crock.
err, who found him 10 a bad condition,
but was able to pull him through. An
examination Of the house showed
there was a large amount OF strychnine
10 the salt, in the jam, and in some
breakfast-food.
The question then was: Who had
committed this crime? The Sherlock
Holmes system Of deduction was used,
and it was found that there were
but two persons who had an object 10
removing him. One was a woman who
was very bitter against him, because
of the work be had done as a minister
of the gospel, and had expressed wish
es that be would die, and had talked
very bitterly against him. This clue
was run down, and it was found that
it was impossible to have been this
woman. The tracks that had been
made by the person who had entered
the house were those Of a man, and
the stride was that of a large man.
1t was known that ]. T. Barber was
greatly enamored of Mrs. Wood, and
it was found out from her, after she
returned to Lordsburg, last week, that
he had wanted her to elope with him,
and had threatened to Kill her and
himself. If she told her husband Of his
proposals, and had her we'll scared up.
This gave an object for him to commit
the deed and the same object has been
the cause OF thousands Of deaths dur
ing the worlds history. The lacking
evidence was to connect him with the
poison. While he was at work Friday
his house was searched, on the au.
thority Of a search warrant, and some
full bottles of strychnine and one
about one.third full was found 10 his
house, and the bottles bore evidence
that they had been boughtin Douglas.
On this evidence the arrest and com
mItmeDt was made.
Mr.. Barber strenuously denies being
guilty. and while under the circums-
tances the evidence was sufficient to
justify Judge McGrath 10 holding him
to await the action Of the grand juTy,it
is doubtful If a jury would convict him
Of the crime, on the evidence at hand.
The case is one Of circumstantial
evidence, and such a case has to be
very complete before a jury will con-
Wet. Deputy Sheriff McGrath realized
this and telegraphed District Attorney
Turner, asking him to come over and
attend the hearing, wanting the ex-
perlenced legal knowledge a district
attorney is supposed to have, to help
in getting out the evidence. Mr.. Tur-
ner, as is usual with him, did not
want to travel so far, when there was
no fund to pay travelling expenses, re-
fused TO come, and so the hearing was
held With no prosecuting attorney. w.
B. Walton, one of the prominent at
tornies of Silver City, happened to be
In town, aud was retained by Mr.. Bar
Der to help him out, He let the ex-
animation 20 on, to zee what evidence
there was against Barber, and intends
to apply to Judge Parker, by habeas
corpus proceedings, for an examina'
ton, aud has 40 doubt but Barber
will be either released, or his bail
greatly reduced.