The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-10-28
WOMAN ACCUSED or POISONING HER
HUSBAND is ON TRIAL
CASE ATTACTS MUCH ATTENTION
Correspondents From all Over the Country
are Present and Reports are Daily
Sent City Papers.

Mrs. Laura Stannard is on trial this
week at Ontonagon accused OF poison.
ing her husband. Chas. Stannard.
Many Crystal Falls people know the
woman and almost all OF our English
speaking people know the Stannard
family. one OF the Oldest in the upper
peninsula. Will Stannard, brother
OF the deceased. was for several terms
q representative in the state legislatu q
from this district
The trial is being held before Judge
Flanagan and IL mas been case in
which many law points have been ar
gued and in which Judge Flannigan
has been called upon to render some
mighty fine drawn ont opinions.
The prosecuting attorney of Ontona.
gon county, Mr.. Brown. is being assis-
ted by two other attorneys Mrs
Stannard Is being defended by p. II.
O'brien. OF Laurium who was last
spring elected to succeed Judge Street
or on the circuit beuch. and by Mr..
O'Brien's partner. Mr.. Legender
Mrs. Stannard was Chenowyth.
also one of the pioneer families OF the
copper country and one very prominent
at the present time.
The story OF the case is that MIR.
Stannard died last March under cir
cumstances that indicated death by
poisoning and DIR. Larnard, the family
physician refused to issue burial GER
tifcate but referred the case to the
coroner who held AN inquest at which
some damaging testimony was adduced
The coroner ordered IA autopsy and
took the stomach and intestines to Ann
Arbor for examination for poison.
The result of the investigation at
Ann Arbor was that strychnine poison
Was found and at the inquest following
q domestic gave testimony To the point
that Mrs. Stannard put powder in
her husband coffee on the fatal morn
ing under the claim that il would cure
him OF drunkenness.
Mrs. Stannarh was arrested and kept
in the Ontonagon county jail until the
present time. The two children stand
steadfastedly by their mother and their
testimony has been a great assistance
TO ner.
So far the testimony shows that Mr..
aud Mrs. Stannsrd did not live happily
together that Mr. Stannard drank
freely and that when he was drinking
he was abusive to his wife but that at
other times he was very considerate
and the home life was apparently
happy.
Financial reyerses came upon them
and Mrs. Stannard kept boarders 10
help along. She is acknowledged 10
have been hard working woman and
Mr.. Stannard an industrious man ex-
cepting during his periodical drunks.
He was on one of his drunKs at the
time OF his death ana had attended
caucus the night previous.
The servant testified that Mr.. Stan |
nard complained OF his coffee having
bitter taste that she poured II out
70 get.another oupIand when the dregs
were reached there appeared granules
which Mr.. Stannard pronounced
poison.
The testimony as to the finding of |
plHison la the intestines was given by
Yr Vaughn OF the University CT Mich
igan.
The two children OF Mrs. Stannard
were called by the prosecution and
they swore that their father was in the
nabit Of taking tablets and tnat he ex-
pressed the wish that he were dead.
that the defense will be sui
eide.
Mrs. Stannard took the stand late
afternoon and her action as
a witness tended to aid her Ease very
much. She denied telling the servant
that she put powder into her hus-
band = coffee; denied having ever had
or seen strychnine in her life. Her I
Iross dissemination was severe but IL |
allied 70 shake her testimony in any I
particular.
The defense put in more evidence
'ecding 10 show that the deceased sui I
;iqed and the case was closed Thurs 4
10y. IL 10 supposed that the case was
yiven 70 the jury yesterday. 7
IL.
The Relief Club will meet at the
lome of Mrs. Srndden next Wednea.