Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-11-16
MRS. VERMILYA IN
INNOCENCE PLEA
Chicago Woman Gives First
Interview Since Police
Surveillance.
HOME HOSPITAL is CLAIM
Asserts Deaths Due to Husband In
Viting Sick kinfolk-Au CO.
medicines.

NAICdSO- NOV lo.-hTS. Louise YER
milya submitted to an interview yes
terday for the first time since she was
/ put under police surveillance. more
than two weeks ago. She said she
wanted a chance TO say that she was
altogether innocent of the crimes
many pointed questions put to her
without hesitation.
She seemed so weak from her i'll
ness that she could scarcely move her
head. Her replies to the first ques-
! tions asked her were spoken in a whis-
per so low that those about her bed
side in the county jail hospital could
not distinguish her words AS she
talked her voice grew stronger and her
face flushed slightly. Those in charge
of her say that she has lost 40 pounds
since Arthur Bisonette died. She gave
her age as AZ, but she could have pass
ed for 60 yesterday.
If she is not much improved tonight
| Captain Harding will ask Coroner Hoff
man to postpone the inquest set for
| Friday morning.
| CALLS DEATHS CONDOLENCES.
! Mrs Vermilya has no explanation
for the series of deaths in her house
| She called them condolences, though
| she did say that the Vermilya family
was afflicted with heart trouble and
| that her husband, Charles Vermilya,
always was anxious to take care of
members of his family who became i'll
so that an unusual number of people
/ in danDar of death n house
as to a hospital
How do you account for Arthur Bis
onette's death?" Mrs. Vermilya was
asked.
Il don't account for it. don't under
stand it." Mrs. VeTmilya answered.
Did you ever become i'll yourself af-
ter eating meals at your table,"
| NO" Mrs Vermilya said. Il never
did. We all ate together there, but
never became ill. Boysen did become
| i'll after eating a meal in my house at
the time my BOY died, but that was be-
cause he had been induIging in alcohol
the night before.
DUE TO ILLEGAL OPERATION"
Mrs. Lillian Vermilya died at my
house of blood poisoning. She came
there in a dying condition. The doctor
said she might live two hours She
hung on for three or four days. She
had no child. Her death was due TO an
Illegal operation that was performed
before she came to my house.
I'VE have talked in the family about
how many of US died in October We
said october seemed a fatal month for
US. But | never poisoned any one. l
have tried to do people good rather
than harm"
Were you engaged to marry Arthur
BisOnette?"
Yes" Mrs. Vermilya answered
simply.
did you know he was engaged to
marry Lydia Rivard when he took her
TO your house last summer"
mo, never knew that He did not
say anything about it, and she said
nothing. | had no idea that he expect
ed to marry any one but me-
Have you any money invested in
Charles Boysen's business?"
NO, but ! loaned Boysen $3.50 to 20
to Europe with. He never paid It back
He became angry every time that
e.
let it go. If he is making charges
against me now it is, perhaps, because
he does not wish to pay the debt he
owes me.
TALKS OF OWN POISONING.
How did it happen, Mrs. Vermilya,
that you took poison yourself a week
ago Saturday,"
q don't know. I asked for a box Of
pepper and 1 got box Of roach pow
der. / knew the box in the kitchen,
but did not recognize it. did not in
tend TO commit suicide"
Did any one ever die of poisoning
in your house, Mrs. Vermilya?"
Not that / know Of" she answered.
Didn't your first husband die az the
result of drinking cider from a cop
per kettle?"
That's what we thought afterward, /
but we never knew"