The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-02-28
OFFICIAL PLOT
Widow Of Prof. Vaughn Says Poison
Ws BPut In aody Afterward

WS OHuU III oVuy AAVoTWdEU
Paris, Mo-, Feb. 2S.-Mrs. Alma
Vaughn through her brother. Attorney
David NJ. Proctor of Kansas City
charges that il strychnine really has
been found in the viscera taken from
the body of her husband. Prof. ]. T
Vaughn, it was placed there after his
death by persons who had personal
reasons for such actions.
She has had no official notification
Of the result Of the analysis by the
state chemist. Paul Schweitzer. She
refuses to believe that poison of any
kind or in any quantity has been
found. Mrs. Vaughn bases this belief
on the fact that no poisonous drug
had ever been kept about their home.
either for medicinal uses or for dis
infectant.
A Plot or Mistake.
Unless the strychnine, if any has
been found, was placed in the body
after death, Mrs. Vaughn can account
for its presence on only one other
ground, and that is a mistake on the
part of the druggist.
BY request of Mrs. Vaughn, her
brother, Attorney David NJ. Proctor.
who is now at her home in Monroe
City, dictated the following statement
to correspondent this morning:
while Mrs. Vaughn was not given
an opportunity to testify concerning
the incidents connected with Prof.
Vaughn's death, before the grand jury
in Kirksville, which has since finally
adjourned with no results, she is now
and has been at all times ready aud
willing to cooperate in any legal and
proper way with the parties seeking
an Investigation into the cause or
causes of Professor Vaughn's death.
ITO that end, when the coroner's
inquest was held in Monroe City, she
voluntarily and at her own request
appeared before the coroner's jury
and there made full statement of the
facts and circumstances surrounding
Professor Vaughn's death.
Why She Believes 1t An Accident.
"AIrs. Vaughn believes now, as she
did then and as the coroner's jury
found by their verdict on the second
day of February, that Professor
Vaughn came to his death from natur-
al causes, and not by poison admin
istered either by himself or any one
else. She believes now, as then, that
Professor Vaughn did not take any
strvchnine or other poison intention
ally. and she bases her belief upon his
conduct the evening of his death in
several significant particulars, such
as his telling little Winifred when he
kissed her good night that he would
sleep by her that night.
"She believes now,as she did then,
Professor Vaughn did not at that time
take strychnine or any other poison
by accident, unless per chance
through mistake of druggist, and
she bases this belief upon the fact
that neither strychnine nor any other
deadly poison was ever at any time
kept in or about their home for ver-
min or any other purpose.
ITO the end of assisting IN any
legal or proper manner in determin-
ing the cause or causes of Professor
Vaughn's death, Mrs. Vaughn.
through her attorneys. agreed with
, the parties who exhumed the body
and held the autopsy that the viscera
should be guarded by the sheriff Of
Monroe county until two experienced
chemists and toxicolgists. one for
each side. could be secured and these
experts were not to be nearer Mis-
souri, in residence than Chicago and
in bona fide execution of this agree
ment was authorized to Immediately
proceed to Chicago on February for
the purpose of selecting an expert
cnced chemist and toxicologist. One
hour before the arrival of my train
learned of rumors that the parties
with whom the agreement had been
made had no thought or expectation
of ever at any time carrying it out.
, ! temporarily abandoned the trip,
awaiting further developments. On
the following evening the parties with
whom this agreement was made
secretly. and in absolute violation or
their agreement. hastened off to
Columbia. according to reports. with
the viscera.
Believed No Strychnine Would be
Found.
"NIrs Vaughn, although advised by
attorneys that writ of prohibition
would apply to prevent an analysis at
Columbia, both on account of the il
legality of the exhumation of the body
as we'll as the autopsy which was held
after the jury's verdict. and also a
violation of solemn agreement,
peremptorily refused to make appli-
cation for writ of prohibition be-
cause of her absolute confidence that
no strychnine would be found. Mrs.
Vaughn has not been informed as to
the exact result of the analysis, nor
has she been Informed as to whether
the party conducting it was and is a
toxicologist or anything other than a
chemist of the agricultural depart
ment of the State University of Mis-
souri,. Nor has she been informed as
to whether the viscera was analyzed
by this chemist alone or with the as
sistance of others, including students.