The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-06
POLICE PROMISE
MANY ARRESTS IN
MURDER MYSTERY
Inquiry Into PrOvost's Death
from Poisoned Beer AS
sumes Serious Aspect.
DOUBT THROWN ON MRS.
WEBB'S STORY BY FACTS
Analysis of Stomach Delayed
Pending Detectives In
vestigatiOn.

PATTERSON, Oct. 6.-In an effort to-
sound the depths of what they believe
to be the most unusual murder mystery
which has ever come to them for solu-
ton the police of this city are care
fully comparing the story told by Mrs.
Mary Webb in the General Hospital
with the circumstances as they have
learned them which surrounded the
sudden death OF Edward Provost, at 40
Butler street yesterday.
On the surface it appears that Pro-
vost was poisoned by some bottled beer
he drank a few minutes before his
death Mrs. Webb, who lived with him
at the Butler street house, showed the
same symptoms of strychnine poisoning
after drinking. the beer, and her life
was despaired of when she was taken
to the hospital, where she is recovering
today. 1t is the explanation of this
presence of the poison in the beer, the
last two bottles of case which hau
been consumed in the house, that the
police are StthiilS. Ohti tiiSy 'iS'>
finished their examination County Ply
sician Armstrong will authorize nc
analysis of the contents of the, dead
mans stomach of the beer left in the
bottles. Detectives working on the case
and other police authorities refuse to
commit themselves to any statement.
When seen today DR.. Armstrong said:
"The case bears strong resemblance
to cold -blooded murder The symp-
toms of the man and woman point to
strychnine poisoning, and the remain
der of beer in the bottles shows a
trace of it. The fact that the other
bottles in the box were used without
i'll results shows that the poison could
not have come from the cleaning or
manufacturing processes used in beer
Physicians at the General Hospital
have pronounced Mrs Webb, the house,
keeper, who partook of the beer with
Provost, to be out of danger and ready
to leave there Detective Titus ,ques-
toned the woman for an hour or more,
but would not talk with the reporters
when he left. 1t was rumored that IN
answering his questions Mrs. Webb
contra1icted herself many times.
Doubt was thrown on Mrs. Webb's
tale when the reporters talked with
her cousin, Mrs. Jennie Hayden, of 155
Pine street. When told that Mrs. Webb
had said she spent the entire afternoon
and part of the evening at her home
hSrs. Hayden grew indignant, and did
not hesitate to vent her feelings.
when that woman said she spent
the whole of Monday afternoon witt
me she told a deliberate lie," said Mrs
Hayden. "She came here at 80 that
morning and remained until 12:40. 1t
was unusual for her to call, but she
said she had to meet some woman
friend before the latter returned to her
work in d nearby mill. Whether she
saw the woman, do not know
II visited Mrs Webb at the hospital
today and asked her 10 tell me about
the case All / could get out of her
was that she had gone home at
o'clock, prepared SUP YER for Provost
and drank the beer. told her she had
no business to say she had spent the
afternoon at my home and asked her
why she had dragged me in the case.
She was silent at first and then adj
mitted she had told lie
when she was at my house she
seemed to be in her usual happy go
lucky spirits, but made no mention of
Provost / never saw Webb whom she
married three years ago, and never
Z heard of any disagreement between
them. Her maiden name was Mary
Scanlon.''
From what can be learned at present
the police are completely az sea for
possible motive. Provost was 60 years
of age. 1t was learned that when he
was at Hawthorne a number of women
had preceded Mrs. Webb as his house,
keeper. 1t is also said ne was elected
from house before moving to the But
Ter street horne.
Whether someone jealous Of Mrs.
Webb poisoned the beer is a matter Of
speculation. The police seem unable to
find Webb, the housekeeper's husband,
but when last heard from he was living
in Hawthorne. the place where the beer
was bottled.
One of the headquarters men said
that the farther the investigation goes
the more serious becomes the aspect OF
the case. and 1t promises 10 rival in
mystery the famous Philadelphia pol
soned- beer case of some time ago.
zone thing is sure, you may look for
sensational developments and wholesale
arrests in the matter today he con-
cluded