The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-11-05
Mrs Louise Vermilya, Under
Arrest on Suspicion of Be
ing Wholesale Murderer,
May Escape Trial,
DOCTOR TELLS or
BISSONETTE CASE
Policemen, MatronS and
Trained Nurses Save Their
Lives by Leaving White
Pepper Out of Food.
s. Associated rress.

sy Associated Press.
~HICAGo.. Nov. Mrs. Loulse
Nermilya, who was arrested yes
ierdsy on charges Of having mur-
dcrcd Policeman Bissouctte by
poisoning him. made a daring attempt
TODAY TO commit suicide by taking a
mineral poison
at is my belief that BiSsoncttc was
given arsenic dny-hy day. even while
was treating him. and finally he was
given enough TO overcome all attempts
bv myself and consulting physicians 10
stimulate him. and killed without our
knowing what thc trouble was.
The above statements. issued toniEht
by Dr /. 4 Van Arsdale. che pbysi'
elan who attended Mrs. Ncrmilya dur
ing her recent Illness and who pre-
,cribcd fer tho policeman before the
latter : death. for tho FIRST time fur
uishod a direct connection between the
widow and the last Of the nine deaths
tia, have occurred beneath her roof
during tho last eighteen years:
Dr. Van Arsdalc made assertions at
tor be had made preliminary cNafnina.
ions OF the contents of Il can supposed
80 contain pepper and which was used
10 season some food ordered by thc
woman today which brought on sharp
illness that at ) =. IN. threatened death
aud which left her ~ grave condl-
ton for hours aitereard.
Physician Was Duped.
The ph, siciau explained:
- treated Bissonettc and the svmp'
toms clearly we're Of CASTRO cutcntls. $"
far as reactions showed. No idea Of ar
scGical poisoning. OF course. occurred 20
nc. I called ~ another physician and
he concurrcd in the diagnosis.
1--WE found hrs food disagroolng with
him and started him on dict ot milk.
This. &c found. irritaicd his stomach IN
the same wav aud ne changed to matted
mll, usually much more soothing, and
even thn. gave the same results. Then
hc waS taken IN rho hospital. where he
died. | then thought It was acute gas
trtis
..Todsy Mrs Ncrmilys, whom also
attended. was given eggs aud matted
milk for luncheon. She objected to the
black pcppcr served with the eggs, aud
which. bciug stirred in pepper shaker
belonging "a the woman. Ind hcon OK
auincd hv nurses and found To bc Hll
right She told tho nurse there was
sonic white pepper In a talcun, box
which she had converted into pepper
shaker. and the nurse gave IT TO Mrs
Vcrmilva upon noting its customary
pungent cdor,
Soon the patient became sick aud
I WIS cent for. I took tho so-caIlc5
pepper 10 drug store aud made So
luiiua iost of IL. also Of arsenical salts.
10th acted tho same. aud burned back
aud washed OFT her stomach. The con
tents of tho stomach and Of tho pepper
can were sent 10 Dr. Webster. who
aided Tovicooqist lIaynrs in tho exam
4
Arsenic Beyond Doubt.
Il va, sure the poison was a mineral
salt. but rot entirely sure II WAS ar
scuic. Later pT. Webster informed me
tho tests were positive, showing abun
jsnt quantities of arsenic both IN ih'
contents OF Mrs. NcrmIlNa 5 stomach
and IN the pepper can.
"This called to my mind the Symp
toms of Rissoucttc and much tha
seemed peculiar about his chsc thcn
now looks clear. What | then thought
vas an individual resentment of M
system 10 particular foods. now ndl
Gates 20 my mind that arsenic was ho
ing mixed in all the food We gave him
=" Mrs. NcrmilYs mrs"d Bissonett'
aud war his constant aitcudHnt; ! vii
leave Ia anyone hts oNn conclusions u
ia who administered the arscmr, AM
especially in vicN Of the days Incl
dents
The physician said thar while nc ha'
givcb thc woman severe treatment Z
counicract the effect of tho poison
there still was possibility of dcat
hceausc of the absorption Of poison bc
fore the treatment was applied and b.
eause of her weakened condition due I
previous Illness
Mrs. VcTmlvs' :. attempt al suicid
discloscs the fact that only fatc--an
distastc Of eight persons for whit
pspuer--prcVcnicd tho possible addition
~ eight more names 90 the long list o
deaths that have taken place beneat
the Ncrmilva ro0f under circumstance
now held 80 be suspicious.