New-York tribune., 1911-03-01
Driven Insane by Death OF Sister,
Miss Lewis Uses Cyanide
Solution.
GOOD PHILADELPHIA FAMILY
Only Two Left Alive of Circle OF
Six-Girl Was Devoted to
! Sister, Who Died in
Hospital.
Nv Telegraph 10 The Tribune !


Jeanette Lewis, twenty-six years Old
killed her mother and her nine-year-old
nephew TODAY by giving them water con-
tanning cyanide OF potassium.
When she saw they were dead she took
a fatal draft of the poison and died
almost instantly.
The tragedy was enacted at the nome
of Miss Lewiss brother-in-law Edward
At,dlcn al No. A. West Phil-Ellena street,
IA the Pelham section of Germantown.
With the death Of lns wife last night ana
the triple tragedy at his home to-day
there arc now four rresons for him TO
mourn. The dead are.
MDLEN. Mrs Edward thirty seven years I'D; Sldi
died in The Germantown Hospital last nlgh'
following an operation for Gallstones
LEWIS Miss Jeanette. twenty-sX years od'
her sister.
LEWIS Mrs Edward. sixty-hve years old. her
mother.
MiDLFN Edward jr, nine years Ola. son oi
Edward Miden.
9f the family of six alive Yesterday only
Two are left to-dar-Edward Midlen and
his eight-months-old infant. The child has
been i'm the care OF a trained nurse since
Mrs. Midlen was taken TO the hospital, sew
eral weeks ago.
Girls were COtfc9e oTaOuaeSS'
The Lewis family originally came from
the South and are descended from old
Colonial families Miss Lewis and her Sis
ter graduated from college in the South
and the family was one OF culture and re-
Gnemcnt. Mr. Midlen IS manager OF the
Gorham Silver Company here.
Miss Lewis was devoted TO her married
sister. and during r'le la1ter's illness in
the Germantown Hospital she was daily
al Mrs. Midlen's bedside. When the ply
sicianS in attendance Upon Mrs. Midlen
announced. several days ag". that an
operation would be necessary TO save her
life Miss Lewis was almost prostrated
with anxiety and worry.
The operation was performed, and il was
thought al first that Mrs. Midlen would
live. Yesterday sho suffered n relapse and
Gied early last evening.
when word was sent 10 the Midlen home
Miss Lewis became almost unmanageable
in her grief Her brFheT-in-law. himself
struggling under the burden Of his sorrow,
sought in vain TO soothe her. Miss Lewis
refused to 90 10 her room last night ana
through the hours until daylight she
walked about the house wailing: My sis
ter Is dead! She is dead!'
After the family had eaten breakfast this
morning Miss Lewis went - the telephone
and called drug store at Germantown
avenue and Phil Elena street. She asked
for Dr. G. D. Lowe. the proprietor
According 20 Dr. Lowe. the young woman
represented herself as Florence Snyder, the
trained nurse in charge OF :he infant. She
said that she wanted ounce of cyanide
Of potassium and would send for 1t. When
asked the reason she replied that she
wanted the poison for medicinal purposes.
Dr. Love. unused 10 such orders for a
deadly poison. hung up the receiver. hut
later called the lIidlen home up on the
telephone and asked for the nurse Miss
Lewis answered the call and replied that
she was the nurse. She said that tho
cyanide Of potassium was needed and that
she would send messenger for it at once
with note.
Sent Nurse After Poison.
shortly afterward Miss Lewis wrote a
hurried note and asked Miss Snyder 10
take il 10 the drug store. The nurse, ig-
norant of the contents of the message. did
as she was requested. When she called at
the store the druggist delivered to her the
poison In its crystal form wrapped in pa
per Miss Snyder returned TO the Midlen
1lome and gave the poison to Miss Lewis.
To dissolve the drug it would have been
necessary to soak it in water for long
time or else to puverize it.
II IS believed that when Miss Lewis re-
,ceived the drug she must have gone into
some room unobserved and then crushed
the crystals. into a powder. Undetected
she then emptied the pulverized poison into
q glass of water.
BY some artifce she induced the nine
.year-old boy to take sip of the drugged
water Then she gave it TO her mother
and watched her take a drink Of the po-
tion. The boy and his grandmother slipped
10 the floor unconscious.
When she realized that the powerful drug
had had its effect Miss Lewis put the glass
10 her mouth and almost drained 1t of the
,yemaining contents.
It was evidently only few minutes later
that Mr.. Midlen entered the room and made
the discovery The three bodies lay on the
floor. lie summoned Miss Snyder, the
nurse. and together they carried the pros
.trate forms upstairs.
Mr.. Midlen, not realizing that the three
were dead. rushed TO the drug store and
cried out 10 DR.. Lowe that three members
0t his idflllY Hdu ldlHttu. JlS "ShOu '4iS
druggist to return 10 the house with him.
The two hurried back TO the house and DR..
Lowe, upon seeing the bodies. realized that
1heyxiad been poisoned.
lie Immediately directed that Or. Alberty
u. Ferguson be sent for. Meanwhile the
druggist worked over the unconscious forms,
lut he knew that his efforts were unavail-
ing. Or. Ferguson confirmed the diagnosis
made by the druggist. The physician said
that death had been practically instantane-
oUs.
The physician found the glass from which
In, three victims had taken the poison.
Only a few drops OF the solution remained,
but there was sufficient 10 indicate 10 the
1rysician the nature Of its contents.
The police are investigating the story or
4 seryan- who says that the older woman
and her grandson were found dying in the
bathroom by servant, while Miss Lewis
was found dead I'm her room. The servant
told conflicting stories. In one of them she
said that she tried to prevent Peach" IS
the boy was called from drinking from a
glass that contained the poison. but that
his grandmother cried: NO; let him have
a. Let him have "a" one theory is that
The tao women. worried because Of the
death of Mrs Midlen, agreed 10 commit
suiciIe and decided TO kill the boy also
EDMOND CLEMENTS RECITAL.
Edmond Clement the French tenor. gave
his second song recital of the season yes
tordsv afternoon in Carnegie Hall Mr.
.,f..l-.s.. f,t5 ,,,a1. He a limited one. but