Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-05
ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE
Mrs. Louise vermiIya Takes
Mineral Poison.
WAS MIXED WITH PEPPER
Woman Asked for Condiment to Put
on Eggs at Luncheon.
HER CONDITION IS SERIOUS
Physician Who Attended Bissonette
Now Believes Arsenic Was
Mixed in His Food.
WAS MIXED WITH PEPPER
HER CONDITION IS SERIOUS

CHICAGO, November Airs Louise
Vermilya, against whom a warrant has
been issued on charges Of having MUIR
dered Policeman Bissonette by poisoning
him. made an attempt today to commit
suicide by taking a mineral poison.
1T is my belief that Bissonette was
given arsenic day by day. even while
was treating him, and finally he was CIV
en- enough to overcome all attempts by
myself and consulting physicians to slim
ulate him and killed without our knowing
what the trouble was"
The foregoing statement issued tonight
by DIR. F. A. Van Arsdale. the physi-
clan who attended Mrs vermilya during
her recent Illness and who prescribed for
the policeman before the latter's death,
for the first time furnished a direct con-
nection between the widow and the last
Of the nine deaths that have occurred be-
meath her roof during the last eighteen
years.
DR.. Van Arsdale made the assertions
after he had made preliminary examine
lions of the contents Of q talcum box
supposed to contain pepper. and which.
used to season some food ordered by the
woman today. brought on q sharp illness
that at pm. threatened death. and
which left her in a grave condition for
hours afterward.
Statement Of Physician.
The physician explained:
II treated Bissonette and the symp-
| toms clearly were Of CASTRO enteritis. SO
! far as reactions showed. No idea Of
| arsenical poisoning. Of course. occurred
to me. and II would be detected only by
chemical test II administered in small
quantities. l called in another physician
and he concurred In the diagnosis.
I'VE found his food disagreeing with
him and started him on q diet Of milk
This. We found. irritatec his stomach in
the same way and we changed to matted
| milk. usually much more soothing, and
even that gave the same results. Then
he was taken to the hospital by his
friends or relatives and died. I then
thought 1t was acute gastritiA
To-day Mrs. Vermilya, whom I also
attended. was given eggs and matted milk
for luncheon. She objected to the black
pepper served with the eggs. and which
ing to the woman, had been examined by
nurses and found to be all right. She
told the nurse there was some white
pepper in a talcum box which she had
converted into pepper shaker. and the
nurse. smelling 1t to make sure It was
pepper, gave 1t to Mrs. Vermilya upon
noting Its customary pungent odor.
0QOW6O 4I8CSS Oh A10eu1Cs
soon the patient became sick and 1
was sent for. Having read Of arsenic in
connection with the case. my attention
naturally was called to symptoms show
ing that a mineral poison. an irritant. had
been taken. I took the so-called pepper
to q drug store and made q solution test
Of It. also OF arsenical salts. Both acted
the same, and hurried back and washed
out her stomach. The contents of the
stomach and OF the pepper can were
sent to DIR. Webster, who aided Toxicol-
ogist Haines in the examination Of Bis
sonette's viscera.
Il was sure the poison was a min
eral salt but not entirely sure 1t was
arsenic. Later DR.. Webster informed
me the tests were positive. showing
the contents Of Mrs Vermilya's stom-
ach and in the pepper can.
This called to my mind the symp-
toms of Bissonette. and much that
seemed peculiar about his case then
now looks clear. What I then thought
was an individual resentment Of his
system to particular foods-there be-
ing nothing to call ones attention to
any thought of deliberately admins
tering poison-now indicates to my
mind that arsenic was being mixed in
all the food We gave him. Mrs. Yer
milya nursed Bissonette and was his
constant attendant. will leave to
any one his own conclusions as to who
in view Of the days Incidents"
The physician said that while he had
given the woman severe treatment to
counterfeit the effect OF the poison there
still was possibility Of death because OF
the absorption Of poison before the treat
ment was applied. and because Of her
weakened condition due to previous ILL.,
ness.