The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-02-27
WonQn's Death
By ONn Hand
Says the coroier's Jury in the
Case Of Mrs. Ault. Who
Swallowed CarboIic Acid.

Mrs. Mary E. Ault, wife of Charles
Ault, glass worker employed at
the West Fork glass factory. died
shortly before s o'clock from carbollc
acid poisoning at their home over
Leonard Lewis's store on West Main
street near South Chestnut street.
The acid was taken during a quarre1
with her husband and she lived less
than half an hour afterward.
Tho circumstances were such that
the police arrested her husband and
placed him in Jail. where he remained
until taken before the coroner's jury
Sunday afternoon and liberated by
virtue of the verdict Of the jury. Il
According to the evidence given by
Mr.. Ault before the Jury consisting of
Charles l.. Hickman, E. w. Wells,
Charles H. Griffin. Henry Henize, Il. II.
Johnston and L. NJ Goodman. with
Justice G. II. Gordon acting coroner,
Ault and wife came up town Saturday
afternoon went to Broad Oaks where
they formerly resided. returned to the
business section of the city. did some
shopping, paid their grocery bill, pur-
chased pint of whiskey and went
home. Mrs. Ault drank some of the
whiskey as she was unwell and he
noticed she had taken large drink
and felt the effects of it. They ar
rived home about 1880 o'clock. He
remained at home awhile. then came
up street again. purchased quart of
whiskey and some beer and returned
home. There he noticed she had
taken more whiskey and they began
to quarrel. He threatened to go out
and smash the quart bottle of whis-
key. She got possession of SIS bill
stood in front of the fire and insisted
that she would burn 1t up II he went
out to destroy tho whiskey. Then
she ran into the front room and
drank the acid from an ounce vial
he purchased for her six weeks pre-
vious for medical purposes and in
knocking the bottle from her mouth
some of the acid came in contact
with her face. 1t was estimated that
she swallowed at least n half nm
ounce of the acid. He went down
stairs and asked Mr.. Lewis to come
| up stairs. The latter did not go and
Ault returned to thS woman and half
carrying her he led her down stairs
into the store room. She was
speechless and Lewis being informed
by the man that she had taken car
bolic acid aided him in taking her
/ back up stairs. Physicians were
then summoned but she was virtually
dead when they arrived. They at
| tempted to restore her but without
success and she was dead within less
than half an hour after she took the
acid.
The physicians who attended her
were Drs. Kornmann and Morgan.
The former was on the witness stand
and told of the dying condition IN
which he found her and stated that
she had swallowed fatal dose of the
acid.
Leonard Lewis, the merchant told
] the jury about hearing the couple
quarrel and that while he could not
hear what the woman was saying the
husband was quite abusive and called
her vile names. He also told of
Ault's leading the woman down stairs
and his aiding him in getting her
back up to thhe room.
Chief Scott testified about being
called to the scene and OF finding the
woman dying. He Identified the aci
vial, which he picked up of the
floor in her room.
Ralph Harris told the jury of his
going after the physicians. when re-
duested so to do. upon information
that the woman had swallowed pois-
on.
The jury returned this verdict:
Mary L. Ault came to her death
by carbolic acid poisoning by her
own hand"
Ault was then liberated.
Mrs. Ault's brother. James War
nick, of Alva. Doddridge county, ar
rived Sunday evening. He was ac-
companied by +. C. Moriarity. his
brotherin-law.
The Aults are from Pennsylvania
and came here from Mt. Vernon.