The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-21
CASE IS UP
FOR TRIAL

is on the calendar OF the criminal
court for next Monday. The case had
originally been set for March 28th,
but was postponed until May % by
agreement of counsel. The case,
which presents many interesting and
unusual features, has attracted con-
siderable interest throughout the
state and also in several other states
where the defendants had previously
lived.
According to the records and in
formation unearthed by the prosecu-
ton William J. Erder, a post office
clerk at st. Louis was married at
Clayton, a suburb of this city, on
April 26, 1909, to Mrs. Dora Eliza
beth Fuller Doxey, now charged with
murder, who at that time was the
lawful wife of DR.. Loren B. Doxey.
The records at Clayton show that Err
der, whose age was SO years, had
married a woman whose name was
given as Dora E. Dodd of Des Moines,
Iowa 1t is expected to show that
Dora E. Dodd was in reality Mrs.
Doxey
A short time after their marriage
Mrs. Doxey persuaded Erder to trans
fer to her $2,700 of life insurance:
of which his mother and sister were
the original beneficiaries. Although
at the time of his wedding a healthy
and robust man, Erder became i'll a
few days after his marriage and died
on July 10, 1909. The physician
called in by Mrs. Doxey signed GER
tificate stating that Erder had died
of tuberculosis. Immediately after
the death of her alleged husband Mrs.
Doxey packed up all her household
furniture and three days later ship
ped it to her real husband, DR.. Loren
B. Doxey, practicing his profession at
Columbus, Neb. Before Mrs. Doxey
herself started for Columbus, she ap-
peared in the probate court and, MAX
ing an affidavit that she was the wild
ow of VIM. J. Erder, obtained $500
insurance upon the life of Erder's
sister Elizabeth, who had died short
ly after Erder's marriage.
Miss Kate Erder, another sister of
VIM. J. Erder, suspecting that her
brother had not died a natural death,
began to make an investigation,
which soon confirmed her suspicious.
She ascertained that the furniture
had been shipped to DR.. Doxey at Co.
lumbus, Neb. She went to Columbus
and found that the alleged widow of
her brother William was living there
as the wife of DR.. Doxey. To gain
time and detain the woman until a
careful investigation could be made
here, Miss Erder had Mrs. Doxey ar
rested on the charge of bigamy. OF
course, the charge fell flat, as the
Doxeys were able to prove, when
their case came up in December Of
last year, that they had been lawful
ly married at Burlington, Iowa, on
August 80, 1906. But Miss Erder
gained her object of OBTAINING the
couple until she was ready to make
more serious charges against them
She returned to st. Louis and. pre-
vailed upon the police authorities to
have her brothers body exhumed and
his viscera subjected to a chemical
analysis by experts. The analysis es-
tablished the presence of arsenic in
the vital organs of the deceased and,
upon that finding the coroner's jury
gave a verdict that VIM. ]. Erder had
come to his death by arsenic admin
stored by his alleged wife and that
DR.. Loren B. ,Doxey had guilty know
ledge of the fact. Both were indict-
ed for murder and the governor of
Nebraska was asked for the extra
dition of the indicted couple.
During her confinement in Jail,
Mrs. Doxey broke down and it was
found that she had been a victim of
the morphine habit for many years.
BY judicious treatment she was cured
of the habit and restored to health.
Her husband was not permitted to
treat her during her illness or to be
alone with her even for a moment. i
Both have repeatedly denied their
guilt and asserted their confidence
of being able to prove their inno-
cence.
Mrs. Doxey was born in Aledo,
H., in 1880, the daughter of Col.
Jefferson Fuller of that city. She
was only sixteen years old when she
became the wife of Robert L. Down
ing, shoe merchant of Joy, Ill. On
account of her relations to DR.. Dox-
ey Mr.. Downing obtained a divorce
from her in 1905. She resumed her
maiden name and returned to her
home. 1t is known that she enter
tanned relations with two men imme-
diately after that and it is believed
that she married both. One of them,
named Dodd or Dodge, is said to.
have died six months after the mar