New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-05
MRS. VERM|LYA TAKES
POISON WHEN DINING
Near Death After Police Nurse
Gives White Pepper Containing
Rat Exterminator to Her.
INCIDENT IMPORTANT CLEW
Chicago Police Say if Woman's
Larder Contained Such Pow
erful Drug Deaths of
Nine Are Explained.

Chicago. Nov Airs. Louise Ncr'
milya. who yesterday was lmcd in
warrant charging murder as a sequel 10
the deaths of a policeman, Arthur Bis
sonette, and egh' other persons who IN
the last eighteen years lived under her
roof. wa5 watched closely tonight by
physicians, who feared her death at any
time.
An incident in her dining to-day which
the police and physicians assert was an
attempt by her to commit suicide by
means OF poison mixed with pepper was
the cause.
When eggs were served to the woman
by the police nurses who were watching
he pending her recovery from an illness
she objected to the black pepper with
which they were to be seasoned.
In the pantry there is some white
pepper in talcum box she told
nurse. I'D prefer some of that if
might have it,
The nurse, by the odor Of the light
colored substance I'm the box, determined
il was pepper, and permitted Mrs. YER
milya to have some of it. Soon after
ward the woman became i'll, and at
D. m. death seemed near. Doctors were
called and the contents of her stomach
taken for analysis.
Antidotes May Save Life.
Under antidotes she recovered from
the effects Of the supposed poison-for
the police were convinced she had mixed
rat poison with the pepper-though
she remained weak from the severity OF
thu measures of the physicians to pre-
vent death.
The pepper" was taken to druggist
who after an examination, told the po-
lice he believed the condlment was mixed
with an arsenica rat poison. The rest
of the compound i'm the box was sent to
a city chemist.
DR.. +. \. Van Arsdale. the physician
who attended Mrs. Vermilya during her
recent illness, and who prescribed for
the policeman Bssonnette, before the
mans death, tonight for the first time
furnished direct connection between
the widow and the last Of the nine
deaths that have occurred beneath her
roof during the last eighteen years. DR..
Van ArsGae made the assertions after
he had made preliminary examinations
of the contents Of a can supposed TO con-
tain pepper and which, used TO season
food ordered by the woman to-day,
brought on "A sharp illness that at . pm.
| kthf 81
grave condition for hours afterward.
The physician said:
Mrs Louise Vermllya. who was arrested
Yesterday on charges Of having murdered
/ Policeman Bissonnette by poisoning hiin.
made an attempt TO-DAY 20 commit su'clds
bV taking a mineral poison II 4 my pc
| lief that arsenic was given to BissonneNe
day by day. even whi,e was urauas
Tim and finally he received enough 70
I overcome all attempts BY myself ana con-
sultinp physicians to stimulate him and
was killed without our knowing What lns
| = treated Bjssonnctte, and the symptoms
clearly We're Of gasto-enierlus;, 80 iar a1
reactions showed No yea ot d""hl.
! poisoning OF course, occurred To me- and
! IL would be dotecteI only 30 chemleai lrst
| N administered IN small quantities. caiied
! i'm another physician and he concurred IN
! the diagnosis. IL, -
! and started him on "A diet of milk. This,
! we found. irritated his stomach In the same
/ wav and We changed To matted milk usu-
! aIiv much more soothing and even thst
e,ye The same results. Then he was taken
! to the hospital by his friends or relatives.
and died. / then thought 1t was acute gas
' Asked for White Pepper.
! To-day Mrs. Nermilya, whom also ~.
! tended had eggs and matted miik Tor
/ luncheon She objected to the black pepper
! served with the eggs. and ~hich. oelns
stored I'm a pepper shaker belonging TO the
Woman, had been examined by nurses ana
found 10 De all right She told the nurse
there was some white pepper In talculu
; Lox which she had converted INTO pepper
shaker. and the nurse. smelling II TO MAKE
sure II was pepper. gave II to Mrs. Yer.
milva on noting it's customary pungent
odor. -.
Soon the patient became sick ana l Was
I nection with the case my attention natu-
| rally was called to symptoms showing thdt
| a mineral poison, an irritant. had been
taken / took the so-ealled pepper TO