Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-04
Officers No Longer Silent
On the Wilson Case
Make Public Letters Giving
Reasons For Murder.
Believed Perpetrator Of the Deed
Is Now On High Seas.

Philadelphia July 3.-Realizing that
the man suspected of poisoning Dr.
William II. Wilson of this city by
sending him a bottle of poisoned ale
on Friday of last week is now we'll out
of the jurisdiction, the authorities TO-
day decided to abandon their policy
OF secrecy and made public the let
tiers in the case in the belief that IL
might aid them in their search. Inc
letters which have been referred to III
a general way several times snow tnat
the murderer of DR.. Wilson was Il man
of no ordinary intelligence. The first
is the decov letter sent to the Wilson
house 1t was mailed on June % at
A. NJ, from a station in West Phlia-
delphia. The text was typewriter on
a Ietterhead bearing the firm name oil
Peter Schemme & Son, cleverly word
ed and purported to seek the physi-
clans endorsement of 4 new ale.
The letter bore the signature OF Pc
ter Schemme & Sons and there was
postscript. All ale should be kept cool
and in n vertical position for rev
hours before using. There was also a
regular printed return blank for the
recipient 10 fill out. The bottle OF
POISONED ale was sent to DR.. Wilson on
Friday, June 26, and was drunk by
him on that night On the following
dav and before the public knew any
thing about the case other than that
the doctor had died mySteriously at
ter drinking a bottle of ale, an anony-
nous letter was mailed to Coroner Jer-
mon from Bristol. Pa. by the man
y. letter was
posted at $50 P. NJ. and reads in part:
Il want to write to you regarding the
death of William H. Wilson. This per-
son was malpractitioner and in some
way induced my wife, without my
knowledge, to become his patient. As
a result of his treatment she dled
few weeks ago. To protect her name,
did not give all the facts to my physl-
clan and she was buried with another
cause of death assigned.
.To rid the community of this whole
sale killer. | have removed him as
would d weed in the garden.
"Now that this service to the COM
munity is rendered and the death of
my dear wife avenged l am going to
quit this part of the world.
"This letter is true in every detall
and To prove that l am the person VINO
attended TO the matter. l will tell you
| that the ale contained cyanide and that
there We're two seals with the letter
So on the neck of the bottle. l had no
selfish motive in the matter. BY the
time YOU get this on Monday morning,
| | will he far away from home.
(SisneO
s.vn,,re worry trlllV
IAN OUTRAGED HUSBAND AND
FATHER"
Following this letter is one mailed
| on June 20 at 9 A. NJ at Back Bay
station Rcston,. and also addressed to
| the coroner. In it the writer says
"In NV last letter regarding DIR.
Wilson. | forgot to request you to give
| the matter to the newspapers. as IL
might he well to let the public know
| that there are some people who regard
this sort of thing in it's true hght'
| murder of the most cowardly sort
| This last letter is addressed, as was
| the first. to the coroner.
| That they were really mailed by the
man who sent the poison to DR.. Will
| son seems to be beyond a SHADOW OF
doubt. for none of the points referred
10 in the letters had been made pub
,o a. tho time these letters were re-
ceived and nothing at all was KNOW
/, of the case when the first letter Was
mailed from Bristol. Pa.
The police tonight admit that the
! man for whom they are looking in the
case is probably on the high seas
bound for England and they have sen
a description Of him to Scotland yard
| Tho ,nuuiciuality at SueDOS Aires i