Evening star., 1909-02-04
=0N TRIAL AS UXOR|C|DE
Rich Planter Accused of Poi
soning His Wife.
DEAD WOMAN BEAUTIFUL
Took Strychnine in Despondent Mo-
ment, Is Defense.
DIED SAYING LORDS PRAYER
State Says Husband Loved Another.
South Carolina Tragedy to Be
Told in Court
DIED SAYING LORDS PRAYER

UNION. s. c. February 4.-W. T. Jones,
wealthy planter of this county. is on
trial here, charged with numbering his
wife, a beautiful woman by poisoning
her with strychna.
The trial will be bitterly fought by the
state and the defense, and is bound to be
most sensational. Nevertheless. jury
was obtained in forty-ive minutes yes
terday.
Jones, progressive and successful
planter, owns plantations containing 5000
acres. About forty-two years old, he is
q giant. physically.
Students of heredity must be interested
in the trial. 1t is matter of public rec
ord that few years before the death of
his father, Tyrrel Jones' the legislature
passed special act making him his
fathers legitimate heir.
Married Beautiful Girl.
When she was only sixteen years old
Jones began to pay attention to a beauti-
fu girl, Marion Porter, who lived near
him. They married. A son, an only child.
Harry was born to them; he is twelve
years old.
The union proved most unhappy one.
Neighbors. in affidavits in this case, tell
allcge Jones subjected his wife in recent
years.
Soon before midnight of Sunday. July
: =. 1907, Jones hurriedly called to his
home Dr. j. I. Jeter. his family physician.
who lived not far away. DR.. Jeter testi-
fed at the coroners inquest that he found
Mrs. Jones in the commissions of strych-
nine poisoning. She died.
The defense will he that. Respondent
e .l,o
: The state alleges that Jones poisoned
his wife. wishing to be rid of her.
Near him lived young woman to
whom. it is common report. he gave many
handsome presents.
: AS to the strength of the evidence
against Jones, suffice it to say that his
able lawyers carried the question of ad-
mitting him to bail to the supreme court.
where bail was denied him. But. even
there the judges disagreed; the two as
sociate justices denied the application.
Chief Justice Pope dissenting.
Physician Testifes.
DR.. Jeter was the fist witness for the
state He testified that the night of
July Jones called him to his house,
saying his wife was in convulsions. Has
tening there. Dr. Jeter found Mrs. Jones
in bed: her body was rigid, symptom
of poisoning by strychnia: her pupils
were dilated-
Brokenly she was repeating the Lord s
Prayer and asking Gods forgiveness for
, her sins She was suffering intensely.
and begged the doctor to pour cold water
over her.
After Mrs. Jones' death DR.. Jeter went
home to fetch his wife to minister to the
dead. Returning to the Jones house, he
saw for the first time bottle labeled
"Strychnia'' on the bureau in the room
where Mrs. Jones lay dead.
The strychnia was in capsules. DR.
Jeter said that when so taken the poison
is fatal quickly.
Still answering Circuit Solicitor T. s.
Sease of Spartanburg. DIR. Jeter said
that when he told Jones his wife was
dead he answered:
It's all right. Go and get some ladies
TO attend to her"
Several hours later Jones asked Dr.
Jeter il inquest would be held and
he told him there would be an inquest
On cross-examination the doctor said
Jones asked him to hurry to his house,
and told him that Mrs. Jones had been
greatly depressed in spirits since her sis
ter Mrs. Whitock of Jonesville s. c..
had gone home.