The Washington times., 1910-11-13

n '
Wv f3.-Back and fOrt.
across a cemeru hOOr1-
cell in the tower Of the Ohio COUNTY
Jail there paced today Laura Farms
worth Schenk, wife Of one Of West
Virginia'S millionaires- Last SAB
bath she trod the soft capeted
floors Of a mansion in a section
where the wealthy of Wheeling live.
A few years ago she was a servant
girl Sometimes this morning tae
woman went TO the window Of he
cell and gazad across the city block
in the direction of the North Wheel
ing Hospital There a physician
bent over the cot of John O
Schenk, millionaire meat packer.
and said.
you are going TO pull through,
John. 1t viii be an uphill fight
every paH Of your system has been
Tavaged by arsenic you know. but
you viii get well after awhile"
John Schenk, weak, emaciated. a
wreck Of his former physical and
mental self, half smiled as though he
were glad, and then again as thouea
he did not care
Tragedy Has Been Recorded.
For whatever be the outcome Of
his illness, a tragedy has been writ
ten in the life Of John o. Schenk and
his loved ones within the past week.
The man himself was pulled back just
as the gates Of eternity were held
ajar for his entrance; the wife he has
worshiped, over the protests and ad-
verse comments Of friends and rela-
tives, has been charged with the helm
Gus Borgian crime Of administering
arsenic, drop by drop, to the man who
elevated her from the position of a
menial to the queen Of a magnificent
home; the children Of that union are
in the hands Of a brother, who has
never forgiven John Schenk for mar
rying a domestic, and the doors are
closed and the shutters drawn at
Schenk's residence on the island.
The idle. curious throng there every
day say:
That's where she lived. Why would
she want 10 poison him If he has given
her all that?-'
Believe Schenk VIII Live.
BY tomorrow It viii De reasonably as
sured that the millionaire packer viii
live. in which event his wife IS entitled
10 bail A committal trial So far as the
defense IS concerned. probably viii be
waived. Prosecutor HandIan viii intro
duce Just enough evidence TO possibly
secure the commitment OF Mrs. Schenk
on charge OF attempting 70 XIII by
slow poison
The authorities await today the re-
turn 10 Wheeling OF Dr Ackerman. OF
this city, who was one Of the physicians
first called 10 treat John o. Schenk's
mysterious malady.
It is understood that DR.. Ackerman's
diagnosis displeased Mrs Schenk, and
he was dismissed.
DR.. Frank L Kupp. the doctor who
discovered that Schenk'S vitality was
being drained by the slow administra-
ton Of arsenic. told STrs. Schenk that
her husband suffered from malaria
He said nothing more until the water
SChenk had been drinking was anaIyzed
and found 10 contain poison. The de-
tectves came. the millionaire was re-
moved from his home 10 a hospital. over
the emphatic protests Of the wife. and
last Wednesday night, when Airs. Scheuk
again demanded that her husband be
returned to their residence, her arrest
came.
May Implicate Others.
Prosecutor Handlan intimated today
that other arrests might follow, but
carefully withheld ali names Il IS un-
derstOOd that the prosecution does not
believes that Mrs. Schenk, a former do
nestle, poorly educated. ard without
knowledge Of chemistry, could adminis-
ter deadly poison in such subtle manner.
For three months Schenk seemed dying
a gradual death Before this he had
enjoyed perfect health.
The prosecution claims 10 be able 10
make complete story, one fact con-
meeting with the other in tur 4O-... -e
and tragedy Of the Schenks- Schenk
became i'll shortly after he returned