Evening star., 1911-01-12
Testimony for State in Trial
of Mrs. SChenk.
ALLEGED POISONING CASE
Incidents of Sickroom as Basis of
Investigation.
FORTUNE TELLER'S PREDICTION
Evidence Adduced to Show That De.
fendant Expressed Wish for
Husbands Death.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Husbands Death.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
WHEELING, w. Va, January 1c.-Ju-
bilant al what they termed scoring heav-
ily'' yesterday. the attorneys for Mrs.
Laura Farnsworth Schenk, who is on
trial for the alleged poisoning of her hus-
band. John 0. Schenk. appeared in court
today wreathed in smiles. and with re-
newed confidence in their ultimate sue
cess in securing ar acquittal OF their
client.
Wait" said Prosecuting Attorney ]. B.
Handlan. just before the trial was re-
sumed this morning. The sensations are
yet to come in this case; wait"
Nurse on Witness Stand.
Miss Ella ]. Evans. the nurse attending
Schenk was the first witness called this
morning She told of Mrs. Schenk's leav-
ing the house one evening to consult a
fortune teller. Mrs. Schenk told her on
her return that two fortune tellers said
John had to die, but did not fix the date
Friday. october II, Mrs. Schenk gave her
had been. opened saying, II opened this
SO you would not cut your fingers.
Patient Had Vomiting Spells.
Mrs schenk told her to go out walking
one afternoon, she said, and when she
came back Schenk was vomiting and was
seriously Ill. She told how the patient
vomited each time after partaking OF the
lithia water. Mrs Schenk came into her
husbands room during the night and
watched the nurse while she gave the
patient medicine. When she gave John
some maltine cascara Mrs. Schenk SAID
You didn't do that right. You didn't
shake that medicine before giving 1t to
him.
She told Mrs. Schenk this medicine
didn't require shaking. She had given II
to patients many times before MRS:
Schenk told her to- look on the bottle ana
there the nurse found label, Shake
WELL The nurse said she took drink
of the Ballardvale water, became SICK
and vomited. schenk was not given any any
gave her orders. she said, never to leave
the patients room.
Wanted Her Husbands Keys.
The nurse told of Mrs. Schenk going
into the bathroom at the hospital, where
| the medicines were kept, and remaining
| twenty minutes. After that the medicines
were kept in the diet kitchen. Just before
Schenk was sent to the hospital MISS
Evans said Mrs. Schenk remarked: Il
see through this This Is just scheme
Of the schenk's to get MIN out 0, my my
hands You get his keys out or ms
pockets and send them to me-
Mrs. Schenk told her to do this the
minute the breath was out OF Johns body
because Albert Schenk would be there
before she could get across the bridge
from the Schenk home on the island. Mrs.
Schenk said the fortune teller told her
John wouldn't live until Christmas.
II do not care much for John Schenk,
anyhow He is boy. l like society, ne
don't" witness said Mrs. Schenk remark
ed. When witness told Mrs. Schenk she
would be treated right when her husband
died, Mrs Schenk said: mo | won't. You
don't know those Dutch devils like !
do
didn't feel terrible at what the fortune
teller said. she replied: NO, there could
be worse things happen than that"
Defense then began cross-examination.
Under Cross Examination.
Miss Evans testimony was badly
shaken by Attorney j. ]. P. O'Brien on
cross-examination. She admitted that in
stead of being bedfast all the time
Schenk was up and about. had spent
much OF his time on the porch at North
Wheeling Hospital, and had taken auto
rides She said she thought Mrs. Schenk
believed the fortune tellers. She said she
went out riding With Mrs. Schenk every
day for a while.
Mrs. Schenk, witness said. had told
the fortune teller Schenk had bad
stoma ch and kidney trouble. and the clair
yoyant had told Mrs. Schenk the doctors
that he would eventually die and that his
death would occur before Christmas. Wit
ness admitted having cut herself several
times while opening bottles OF water, and
that Mrs. Schenk had seen her do this
Mrs Schenk aided you in opening
several bottles?" the attorney inquired.
Yes
she volunteered to open a bottle on
the 25th so you would not cut your
finger?
she did.
Adjournment was taken at noon to ] 80
O. clock, when cross-eXamination OF Miss
Evans was renewed.
Judge Expedites the Case.
With all Judge l.. S. Jordan's desire to
get the case to the jury by Saturday
night. it is not expected that such
thing can be done. To expedite mat
ters as much as possible, however,
the court sessions have been heightened,
and this morning court convened at .
o'clock instead of $50. as heretofore. An
other half hour is added to the daily ses-
sion by convening after recess at 80 in
stead of o'clock.
The crowd which has caused SO much
trouble on the previous days Of the trial
has been brought into subsection by the
sheriff and his deputies. who have roped
of the corridor leading to the courtroom.
and only those holding credentials
are permitted to pass through an inn
provised turnstile, after all the seats In
the court no0m haze been occupied