The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-11-12
WOMAN JAILED On
POISON CHARGE
LIVES IN LUXURY
Mrs. Laura Farnsworth schenk, Ac-
cused Of Trying To Kill Millisnaire
Husband, DecOrates Cell With
Tapestries.
Police Suspicion Points To Doctor
and Salesman-Schenk Has Re-
lapse and Nay Die.

WHEELING, w. Va, Nov. IA
net is being woven about a doctor and
a salesman in the mystery of the pois.
oning Of John Schenk. miifionaire
pork packer OF this city. Mrs. Laura
Farnesworth Schenk, the mIllionaire's
wife. Is still locked up In the county
jail here charged with the crime of
trying to kill her husband with pois-
on.
Schenk suffered relapse during
Friday night and his death is now
expected.
The prosecution believes that II
would have been impossible for any
one, totally ignorant OF the Chemistry
or drugs to have administered the ar-
senic In the subtle manner I'm which
1t was given to Schenl..
Therefore, suspicion fastens on a
doctor.
The prosecution says that 1t must
have been some one who was schonlsd
as to what quantity Of the arsenic
would kill slowly but surely.
Seeking motive. the prosecution
claims To have found It in a young
man, well known in the high life OF
the city-the exact antithesis of the
commonplace millionaire pork packer
who twelve years ago redeemed from
| AFFECT poverty the woman who IL now
In jail under charge or trying to MUIR
4 der him.
II was when the best medical skin
OF this city failed to relieve the mil
lioRaire, thought to be suffering from
stomach disease, that one OF the
physicians who attended him became
suspicious and had a lithia water, that
the pork packer had been drinking,
tested for poison.
| Mrs. Schenk, locked up In a cell In
one Of the towers of the county jail,
lacks none of the comforts or the
mansion to which Schenk took her
from the kitchen OF one OF his faith
er's neighbors where she was en-
ployed before he married her. The
iron bars are concealed by damRsk
tapestries taken from her home In
the fashionable island home. II is n
coy corner. She sleeps on an en-
4 broidered couch. She has a mahog-
any card table and plays solitary
throughout the day. Called from her
home to the Jail at midnight, she has
tily gathered together the appurten-
ances of her dressing table, perfumes,
powders. combs and brushes.
! She had her best clothes brought TO
the Jail and Is dressed as she might
be at home for an afternoons recep-
ton.
Her meals are brought to her from
the city's leading cafe and they cost
50 each. The local papers call her
THE splendid prisoner"
The accusation that the state has
brought against Mrs Schenk is based
upon the prosecutions charge that
there was an intrigue between Mrs
Schenk and the young man; that the
plot TO poison Schenk was to be the
final step in social invasion; that
the chauffeur of the Schenk automo-
bile had been asked to drive the
machine into a ditch when Schenk
rode in IT. that a promise OF 1000
was made to a nurse II she would
give Schenk a poisoned pill; that she
was promised another $1,000 II abe
would find the key TO the strong box
that contained Schenk's papers: and
that poison was found in the lithia
water that had been prescribed for
him.
The prosecution claims to be able
to make a complete story, one fact
connecting with the other in the
other in the romance and tragedy of
the Schenks.
Schenk became Ill shortly after he
returned from his trip around the
world He received treatment at his
home. but failed to recover.
Dr. Hupp. who attended him, threat
ened to give up the case unless he
was given full charge. The physicians
isuspions had been aroused. He or
dered the millionaire sent to the hos
pital. At once Schenk began TO get
we'll
Against the protests of DR.. Hupp,
Schenk was taken back home and
Immediately had a relapse. Dr. Hupp
consulted with Schenk's brothers and
told them his suspicious. The lithia
water that he had been given was
sent to Johns Hopkins University for
analysis. The poison was found.
Again Schenk was taken to the
Continued Rage Nine.l