Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-02-28
EASED MOTHER
end BY POISON
LOVELY DAUGHTER IS CHARGED
WITH THE CRIMINAL ACT
or MERCY.
PRAYED FOR Death
Patient Was Suffering From tneurabie
caneer-Bichioride Of Mercury Was
Found On Stomach.

New York. Feb. 2S-Were Mrs
Binges days Of torturing invaiiiisn
shortened by poison administered bl
sympathetic hand-an act of merci
that the patient daily begged from hsl
daughter. doctor and friend.
This is the question that has fasten
cd suspicion ON Mrs. Btnge's loyingl,
devoted daughter. Mrs. Lottie Wallau
and placed before her the prospect o
a trial for murder. This question. In
volying the oft-discassed theory ol
euthansia. appears TO be the only mo
tive for the alleged crime that can be
advanced. While the dead woman
possessed wealth estimated at several
million dollars the authorities admit
that mercenary motives for murder
are lacking.
The peculiar circumstances and
facts surrounding the case promises
10 make 1t one OF the most celebrated
with which the courts of New York
have had to deal In long time. While
ID lacks the sensational features to
rivet the attention OF the public al
large. the Developments up to the
present timo would indicate that Il
contains elements that will be closely
watched by the legal and medical
professions throughout the country.
A Woman Of Wealth.
The Wallau and Binge families are
related to several Of New York's well
known families. Julius Binge. the
husband of Mrs. Binge, died about six
years ago. He was a broker In the
New York Customs House. as well as
lawyer. He was an expert on Gus
toms duties and filed many claims for
Oyercharges. 1t is said that these
overcharges amounted to nearly ST.
0O0,0 900, and that he received $1,000.
600 for his services. His chief case
was on the importation Of hat bands.
The government held that they were
manufactured articles. while Mr..
Binge successfully maintained that
they be admitted as ribbons. upon
which a much lower duty was collect
able.
Mrs. Lottie Wallau, daughter of the
dead woman, is the wife of Leopold
Wallau. a we'll known importer of
bronzes The family. including Mrs
Binge and the 2O-yearold son Of Mr.
and Mrs. Wallau. lived in a handsome
home at 6S East Eightieth street.
The Charge Against Mrs. WaIlau.
Mrs. Binge died on Feb G, three
weeks after she had undergone an
operation for cancer. Suspicion fell
upon Mrs. Wallau and following the
receipt of an analysis Of the contents
Of the dead woman's stomach, Coro-
ner Acritelli directed her arrest. On
Feb, II Mrs. Wallau was arraigned
before the coroner, charged with MUIR
der In the first degree In having
caused the death of her mother by
the use of poison. Chemists who had
examined the kidneys and liver OF
Mrs. Binge reported that they had
found considerable quantities of bi-
chloride of mercury present. Mrs.
wallau was consequently held without
bail to await the result Of the inquest.
which was held on Wednesday Of last
week. At the inquest Miss Devino.
the trained who first called the Dis
trict attorneys attention to the case,
testified that she had suspected poison
and that she had found some poison
tablets secreted under papers in the
patients room. Other testimony tend
ed to show that the poison might have
been administered to Mrs. Binge in
champagne.
The Unique Theory.
The theory of euthansia is the only
motive so far advanced in connection
with the alleged crime. 1t was only
a few months ago that prominent
philanthropist advocated the passage
of a law giving people authority to
cut short the life of a person who
was suffering from painful and
mortal disease or injury. From a
humanitarian standpoint, the proposi-
tion was generally indorsed. Almost
the sole objection to 1t was raised on
the bround that 1t would be abused
and a jury of medical experts would
have to be summoned in each case