The Washington herald., 1911-01-09
INTEREST AROUSED
In SCHENK TRIAL
Woman Is Expected to Plead
Guilty at Wheeling.
CASE CALLED THIS MORNING
Counsel for Defense Admits Having
Made Little Progress Insanity
Plea Probable, but Dispositions
Taken Some Time Ago Have Not
Been Prepared for Presentation.

Wheeling, w. Va, Jan. &-There is
every indication that Laura Farnsworth
Schenk, accused of poisoning her wealthy
husband, John o. Schenk, will plead gull
ty when arraigned for trial before Judge
Lewis S. Jordan, in the Criminal Court,
tomorrow.
While counsel for the defense refuse to
say whether or not they will plead gull
ty, Prosecuting Attorney ]. b. Handlan
. says he will be greatly surprised if the
case is tried. He expects a plea of guilty
will be entered.
The defense does not seem to have made
any preparations for the case. They have
summoned only one witness, d. w. How
ard, a young man whose connection with
the case is unknown, and who says he is
not even acquainted with the Schenks or
anybody connected with the case.
Not even George Coleman, the expert
chemist and bacterioloSist, whom the de-
fense employed to make an extensive
series Of tests with arsenic poison, has
been summoned.
Counsel for Mrs. Schenk admit they
have not prepared any defense. The pros
ecutor commented to-day on their SEEM
ing Indifference. Two days before the
trial they had not secured the dispositions
that were taken at Marietta, Ohio, to
show hereditary insanity in the Farms
worth family, despite the fact the prose-
cutor had repeatedly asked for them.
Insanity Plea Probab
Mrs. Schenk's bizarre conduct preced-
ing her arrest; her assertions to her hus-
bands detective nurse. Miss Kline, while
he will o,ra lx-iyr af ha int
of death, that ..she would berthe happiest
woman alive when he was in his grave
coupled with her prodigality in lavish
ing money on men of her acquaintance.
have. according to her friends, decided
her attorneys to offer a plea of insanity.
1t is stated that efforts will be made
to show that Mrs. Schenk was mentally
unbalanced both at the time of her hus-
bands illness and for many years before
that event, and. while it is admitted that
such a course on the part of the defense
will neceSsitate a review of an exceed
ingly lurid past, it is thought that this
course is the only feasibly avenue Of es-
cape for their client, whose examination
before the grand jury brought out such
startlingly discriminating testimony.
The arrest of Mrs. Schenk brought to
light a grewSome family skeleton long
hidden from the prying public gaze by
one of West Virginia's oldest and wealth.
lest families Laura Farnsworth Schenk,
before her marriage, was a domestic in
the household Of John o. Schenk's father.
having been taken into the family after
her mother had taken refuge in the poor
house, leaving her daughter to fight her
way in the world with only her guod
looks for capital Her father had deserted
his family while the girl was in her in
fancy.
Schenk's infatuation for the girl began
twenty years ago, and though his family
exerted every effort to wean the young
man from his love- he continued his at
tentionS. The affair eliminated In
Schenk's marriage to the girl after q
threatened breach of promise suit.
Tried to Enter Society.
Schenk's infatuation for the girl, how
ever, appears to have been as strong as
ever at The time of his marriage, and,
that it suffered no diminution in all that
followed is amply borne out by his SUBJ
sequent conducf toward her. He elevated
her from her mental position to the head
of his household, lavished jewels upon
her, and attempted to introduce her
among his family's circle of acquaint-
ances. His attempt to gain admittance
for his wife into the exclusive social cir
cles OF Pittsburg and Wheeling proved
unavailing. and Mrs. Schenk was obliged
to content herself with entertainments to
the socially unelect
Last January Mr.. Schenk became mys-
teriously ill, and decided upon a Euro
rean trip alone. Shortly after his de-
parture his wife left her home and made
her appearance at Atlantic City, where she
n ran tod arf b., hAr
tious establishment and the lavishness
which marked her entertainment to a
bevy of male admirers. Rumors of her
eScapades came to the ears of her hus-
bands relatives and resulted in the hasty
return of Mr.. Schenk from Europe.
Shortly after his return he was again
taken mysteriously ill and was confined
to his bed in the Schenk mansion, his
wife and nurse, Miss Evans attending
him. Mr.. Schenk, who had been In ro-
bust health up to the time of his jan
uary illness, now developed a malady
that bafi1ed the attendant physicians. A
examination failed to reveal any
physical affection upon which to hang q |
cause for his illness. though Schenk con- |
tinued to fail until his death was expect
ed hourly.
No Theory in Case.
The family physician, DR.. Frank lie |
Moyne Hupp. exhausted every clew as |
to the cause of the mans illness, and in |
despair asked Miss Evans IL she had no. |
ticed anything that might lead to an |
explanation of the strange case. The |
nurse could think Of nothing. and Dr. |
Hupp advised the attendance Of another |
physician in consultation.
While preparations were being made for |
this event, little Virginia Schenk, lis
twelve -year-old daughter drank a glass of |
water used in the sick room, and imme-i
diately fell ill. This circumstance, to-
gether with the mysterious character Of |
illness suggested to DR.. Hupp
ind the nurse the possibility of the pres
ence of poison in the sickroom drink
ng water. At the consultation, the WIS.,
ting physician and DR.. Hupp each man
aged to secrete a sample of the suspect
ID water, which was sent to Johns Hop
xins University and the West Virginia
University for analysis. The result in
,ach oase showed the presence of arsenic.
Under the plea that the sick man was
IN the point Of death. another nurse was
introduced into the Schenk sickroom. a |
Miss Kline. who was Q detective. Her OBJ
,ervations confirmed the suspicious of
schenk's relatives and physicians, and he