Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-11-10
seNsArloNs.AT gpwoRrH.
WOMAN ACCUSED OF; POISONING.
HER HUSBAND.

Charles Nance, by strychnine poi
soning at their home in Epworth OIL
Thursday, October 49,
A Dubuque paper gives the follow
ing account of the sensation:
The arrest of Mrs. Nance at hel
home in Epworth Saturday evenin,
by Sheriff Dunn was the sensation
of years in the little town. The
sudden death of Mr. Nance a week
ago last Thursday, followed by the
refusal of the attending physician
to sign the death certificate and the
calling of Coroner Ryan investi
gate the death set the town to talk
ing. The mans sudden death was
enough in itself to startle the com
munity, but the mystery surround
ing it developed some ugly gossip
and ever since the coroner took
charge of the case there has beef
much suppressed rumor regarding
the death, its cause and its motive.
strychnine In Stomach.
"The stomach of the dead mar
was sent to the state chemist at the
university at Iowa City for analysis
and when Coroner Ryan received the
report of the chemist the coroners
jury empaneled in the case was
again convened and acting on the re-
port of the chemist the jury return
ed verdict that the deceased died
as the result of strychnine poisoning
and recommended that Mrs. Nance
be held to, await the action of the
grand jury. In accordance with the
jury's verdict, Coroner Ryan issued
a warrant for the arrest of Mrs.
Nance and Sheriff Dunn went to Ep-
worth Saturday afternoon and made
the arrest.
Had Complained OF Illness.
Nance had conducted a barber shop
in Farley for the past two years, but
resided in Epworth, three miles from
Farley, and went home every night.
In the same house with the Nance
family lived the family of Mrs.
Nances's brother,an a man named
Taylor. On Monday preceding Nance's
death he complained of feeling un-
well and for that reason did not go
home, but remained in Farley. The
next day he continued to complain
of being i'll and that evening went
home. He remained at his home in
Epworth Wednesday because he was
not feeling well enoguh to go to
work DIR. Mcneil was called at mid
night to administer to him.. Thurs
day morning Mrs. Nance went down
town and remained for about three
quarters of an hour.
Suffers Violent convuIsion.
About an. hour and a half after
Mrs. Nance's return home her hus-
band was taken violently sick and
suffered CONFUSION. DR.. MeNiell
was summoned, but by the time he
arrived Nance had partly recovered
from the attack. He told the physi-
clan of his sickness and said he
feared he was dying. The doctor
asked him to describe his attack. He
said he felt pains In the. region of
the stomach, and began. to shake
violently, then was seized with a
conyulsion. While he was describing
the symptoms, he stated that he
felt them coming on again. AS he
talked. he was again seized with a
violent CONFUSION, from which he
did not recover, and passed away
shortly afterward.
4 Stomach Sent to Chemist.
DIR. McNeill refused to issue a
death certificate and notified Coro-
ner Ryan. The coroner went to Ep-
worth and called in two other ply
sicians. The postmortem and inquiry
developed such circumstances thai
the coroner continued the inquest and
having the dead mans stomach re,
moved he sent 1t to the state chem
list for an analysis of its contents.
The chemical test made at the
state university confirmed the dag
nosis of the physicians that death
was the result of strychnine poison
ing. The other facts and circum
stances surrounding the death as
developed at the inquiry at the time
the coroner took charge-of the case
prompted the coroner's jury in re
commencing that Mrs. Nance b
held pending further investigation b,
the grand jury.
Came From Jones County.
TIE Names have been residents Q
Epworth for a number of years, hay
ing come there from Jones county
Nance was about the same age a
his wife and they were married whel
both were quite young. The eldes
daughter is married and resides il
Jones county with her husband an
one child. Another daughter RI
sides with her married sister. Th
other two daughters reside at tn
home in Epworth, the youngest b.
ing about IA years old.
Not Surprised At Arrest.
When Sheriff Dunn called at tn
Nance home and informed Mr.
Nance she was under arrest and mus
accompany him to Dubuque, sh
showed no evidence Of surprise. b.
at once clothed herself preparation
to the journey, asked no question
and made no comment.
MRS. ALFRED GIBSON.