The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-25
COMPELLED TO
SWALLOW ACID
Foul Murder of Mrs. Jessie
0vert0n CuIbertS0n at VIM
CenneS, Indiana.
VICTIM BOUND AND GAGGED
RELATIVES OF DEAD WOMAN
KNOW THE MgsCREANT.

Vincennes, Ind, March 25.-Mrs. Jes-
STA Overton Culbertson, who was found
in a dying condition last night as re-
suit of the use of carbolic acid, died
today.
She was found in the shed at the home
of her husbands father and mother,
Joshua Brazleton and wife, bound and
gagged. Her arm and head were bruised
as if she had struggled with a robber.
After being carried into the house she
said:
"A man and a woman dragged me out
of the closet into the shed and forced me
to swallow something"
Then she became unconscious and con-
tinued so until her death.
The woman's husband, Russell GILBERT
son, is a boOkkeeper at Lawrenceville,
Ill He declares he is confident that his
wife was murdered by persons whose
identity he knows, but he would give no
further information except to the po-
lice.
Threatening Letters.
Mrs. Culbertson lately had received sew
eral letters threatening that if she did
not give up her husband she would be
killed. The handwriting has been iden-
titled as that of q woman who was a
friend of the CulbeTtsons before the hus-
band was married. In the pocket of Mrs.
Culbertson's apron the last of the letters
was found. II bore only the word Good
bye" and contained a crOss-boEes mark.
The Culbertsons were married last Jan
uary. The wife came here several years
ago from Texas as a trained nurse
Last Monday. when Mrs. CulbertsOn
went to the railroad station to buy a
ticket for Lawrenceville, Ill, where she
visited her husband, she discovered she
was being watched by short, heavy
man of middle age. who hurried to d
telephone as soon as he learned her des-
tination.
Knew House Was Watched.
Members of the Brazleton family say
they knew the house was being watched,
and that they notified the police and took
every preclution not to leave Mrs. Cul-
supposed she was in the kitchen while
the tragedy was being enacted in the
shed.
The entire police force is investigating
the case, but so far no trace of the muir
derers has been found.
All doubt that Mrs. Culbertson was muir
dered and did not commit suicide seems
now to have been removed. Several
that they saw ? man and a woman loiter-
ing about the Brazleton home.
No Thought of Suicide.
Edna Culbertson. asked if she thought
there was possibility of her sister-in-
law having committed suicide, said:
Ny God, how can you suggest that2
If you had been with her during the
past week. as L nave. you WOULD KNOW
as well as 1 that she was murdered. If
you will find the woman / accuse you
will be convinced that it was murder
This woman followed Mr. Culbertson
everywhere ne went. In my home one
night before Jessie and Russell were mar
ried the woman | accuse swore in my
presence that if Russell did not marty
her and married Jessie instead
she would kill her. Many letters, the
handwriting of which is the same as of
the letters Jessie received. were written
Since the letters came We tried not to
let Jessie be alone a moment All her
anxiety was that Russell and not she
should be killed"
The police have the name of the wO-
man. who is said 10 have been some
time ago at Paris. Ky. The husband of
the dead woman will not discuss the muir
der except to say ne is certain the woman
accused is guilty.