Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-07-11

Frederick Gies Held as Poi
soner of Or. Wilson.
TIE EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM

Pottcc Claim Desire 20 Aven1e Ocatn
OF Wife at Hands OF MalnractitIcner
Was Cause Of Crime - Mystery
About Her Death.
Philadelphia. July 6. - Frederick
Gies. foreman of department In the
press rooms of the Curtis Publishing
company, Of this city. was taken into
custody by the police as suspect in
connection with the murder of DR.. Will
liam H. Wilson, who died on June 26
after drinking a bottle OF poisoned ale
which had been sent to him through
q local express office. A direct charge
has not been preferred against Giles.
who denies any knowledge OF the muir
der, but in their investigation Of the
crime the police found circumstances
In the life of Giles and his family that
Tailed so closely with the marked
points and incidents in the history OF
the Wilson murder that they felt
bound to act.
In seeking for the murderer. they
looked for a man who desired to
avenge the death OF his wife at the
hands of the malpractitioner. They
learned that Gies' wife died recently.
and. according to Edward Haas. fell
low employee Of Giles, at whose home
Mrs. Giles died. ALSO Reese street. she
had been attended by DIR. Wilson. Just
what the cause OF death was Is not
certain because OF complications which
presented themselves. In fact there
are several stories regarding this mat
ter, and IL the information secured by
the police is correct every means was
used to throw the authorities on the
track In an effort to hide the true
cause and time of death.
! On the day that DR.. Wilson received
from the murderer decoy letter In
which 1t was stated that q bottle of
sample ale was being sent to him. os-
tensibly from the brewery OF Peter
Schemm 4 Son, notice of the death Of
Mrs. Gies, whose full name was Mrs.
Elizabeth Wilson Alexander Giles, APP
peared in the Philadelphia newspa-
pers. She was buried from the home
OF her brother-in-law, William G. Pat
terson, in West Philadelphia. on that
date. The death notice stated that she
had died on June 10. and Thomas Ora
ham. the undertaken who inferred the
body, declared that death occurred on
that day, and that the cause. as he
understood It, was Bright's disease. II
this were the case. 1t would eliminate
Giles as possible suspect, because
the murderer is known to have pur-
chased two initial letters at the Key
stone Type foundry on June Is, which
he called for q couple Of days later,
and which were subsequently used to
stamp the seals on the bottle Of poi
soned ale, but the police allege that
Haas told them that Mrs Gies died
at his home on June 6, and that Mrs.
Haas corroborated him In this state
ment.
More than this. Mrs. Sarah Hliiott,
an undertaken, at 1927 North Mascher
street, had been called In to take
charge OF the body Of Mrs. Giles, which
she did. subsequently turning 1t over
to Graham. Mrs. Elliott. regarding the
date Of death. told the police that Il
was early In June. She would not de-
clare positively that it was juno 8. but
said 1t was certainly long before June
10. In addition to this, 1t IL alleged,
she told the police that on June s she
was called upon to bury an infant
child of Mrs. Gies'.
Giles. in appearance. answers the de-
scriptions received by the police Of
the man who sent the package of poi
soned ale to DIR. Wilson. Also the man
who purchased the initial letter at the
Keystone Type foundry. He Is q
printer. and the police say he was en-
gagged in a small way in the printing
business In Bristol. whence the hrst
letter bearing on and explaining the
murder was mailed to Coroner Jer-
mon. 1t was also learned. the police
say. that he was fond OF chemistry %
. study. sM~as~lsvllFflf