The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-16
TRIAL MAY SOLVE
POISON MYSTERY

and her family physician, DR.. James
r. Hull of Monroe City, are soon to
| be placed on trial. The case of the
widow is on the court docket for next
Monday, but it is understood strong
efforts will be made to have the trial
delayed, probably until the fall term
of court.
| Prof Vaughn, who was instructor
in American history at the State Nor
NAL school, died October IA last at
his Kirksville home under peculiar
| circumstances. He had been in per-
feet health and attended church in
| the evening. At ten O'Clock Prof.
Vaughn left the church after he had
! informed one of his friends that he
had some work to do at home and
could not stay in church any longer
| Half an hour later a message was
received at the church that Prof
Vaughn was in commissions and fiji
teen minutes later the news was
brought that he was dead. Although
the circumstances surrounding the
professors sudden death were pecu-
liar, only a few persons considered
the case suspicious and these were
inclined to believe that Prof. Vaughn
had accidentally taken poison.
The body of Prof Vaughn was
buried at Monroe City, the home of
his widow, who did not display much
grief over her bereavement. Ten
days after Vaughn's death Mr. John
r. Kirk, wife of the president of the
| State Normal whose guest Mrs.
Vaughn was after the funeral of her
| husband, heard her guest play Men
delssohn's Wedding March on the pi-
ano in her parlor. She was greatly
shocked and considered Mrs. Vaughn's
action suspicious enough to speak to
her husband about it. President Kirk
communicated with Prof. Vaughn's
brothers and they began quiet in
vestigation. After they had gather
ed some material they placed the
matter before the coroner, who took
official cognizance of the matter and
ordered an investigation. In spite of
the protests of Mrs. Vaughn and her
attorneys the body of Prof. Vaughn
was exhumed and the viscera were
81 nv Cob
of the Missouri State University, for
analysis.
When DR.. Schweizer reported that
he had found 1856 of a grain, or
nearly a whole grain of strychnine
| in the stomach and liver Of Prof.
Vaughn, the coroner's jury gave a
verdict in conformity with the find
ings and the grand jury indicted Mrs.
Vaughn and DR.. ]. r. Hull, of Mon
roe City, for the murder of DR..
Vaughn. Both were arrested and
placed under heavy bond for their
appearance for trial which was set
for May 16.
Mrs. Vaughn, who is 50 years old
and quite attractive and vivacious, is
the daughter of James M. Proctor, a
wealthy bank director and the niece
of DR.. Proctor, president of the Mon
roe City, Mo-, Bank She Is reputed
wealthy in her own right ana has
many wealthy and influential rela-
tives in various parts of the state
She became acquainted with Vaughn
when she was a pupil in the Paris,
Mo-, high school, of which Vaughn
was at that time the principal. They
were married shortly after she had
completed her course, although her
relatives opposed the marriage to a
man fifteen years her senior. They
seemed to live happily and had one
child, little girl now almost seven
years old.
1t is the general belief that, if Mrs.
Vaughn had in some way caused the
death of her husband, her motive
was not to obtain possession of his
estate, which is said to be consider
able 1t is expected that the trial
will throw some startling light upon
the relations which are supposed to
have existed between Mrs. Vaughn
and DR.. Hull, for several years the
family physician of the Vaughns. DR..
Hull is fifty years old and has wife
and married daughters. 1t is under
stood that the State will try to prove
that Dr. Hull met Mrs. Vaughn Sc
cretly in Quincy several times and
carried on a rather intimate CORES
pondence with her.
Neither Mrs. Vaughn nor DR.. Hull
showed any disposition to evade SER
vice with the papers issued against
them and it is considered a strong
argument in their favor. 1t is an ac-
tual fact that Mrs. Vaughn voluntar-'
lily came from Monroe City to Kinks
vile to accept service. She as we'll
as DR.. Hull deny that they were in
any way responsible for the death OF
Prof. Vaughn or that they had the
slightest motive for removing him.
Mrs. Vaughn has made the statement
that her late husband had been in