New-York tribune., 1911-01-15
CHARGES $1,000 OFFER
TO KILL J. 0. SCHENK
Detective-NurSe Says wife OF
Millionaire Packer Made II
to Her on Auto Ride.
FAILED TO GET "THE STUFF"
Wife Quoted as Saying: Il VIII
Wear a Double Veil, So They
Can't See Me Laugh
ing Behind It.

ing Behind 1t"
Wheeling, w. Va. Jan. A.-Testimony 10
the effect that Mrs. Laura Farnsworth
schenk had offered her $1,000 TO administer
q poisonous pill 10 John O. Schenk "hle
he lay painfully III at the North Wheehhg
Hospital last November was given to-day
by Elinor Zorekler. a detective-nurse' VINO
had heretofore appeared in the public print
as Mrs Klein, a professional nurse
The attempt TO induce the nurse 10
sive the poison 70 Schenk. witness tesu-
fed. was made while the two were riding
.r Mrs. schenk's automobile. Mrs. schenk,
declared Miss ZorekIer. said TO her. John
treats me like dog. When Miss Evans
Canother nurse in the Schenk case) calls
up from the hospital and tells me that my
husband is dead will be the happiest per-
son in the world. ! feel at times like
could kill that man"
why don't you? asked. She turned
around and said. Wei, you do It for me-
That is another thing I told her.
What will you take to give him pilT
che asked.
II will take 5000 I replied. need
money awfuly bad. I have my mother and
q child 10 keep
Good Lord" replied Mrs. Schenk, I
haven't five thousand. but will give you
one thousand If you will make 1t that
II told her that II was very risky busi-
ness for that small amount, but 1 finally
agreed If she would give me a paper in
writing showing that she was TO pay me
the money as soon as she came into her
widows rights
Objected to Written Promise.
Mrs. Schenk promised TO give me the
money. but objected to giving me any writ
ten promise She said that would be dan
eerous. She also said that she would get
the stuff and would bring 1t up 10 the
hospital the next morning. She wanted me
either 10 give II TO Mr.. Schenk or put it in
his medicine. which would be placed beside
his bed so he could take IT himself
How could you stand anything like
that?' I asked her You would know that
you and I killed him
I will never be happy until that man is
dead she said. If he dies 1 will wear
double veil so they can't see me laughing
behind it.
I'VE agreed on the plan. and she said:
AS soon as John is dead call me before
you Go. the Schenks. If Albert Schenk
knew about this he would be up 10 the
hospital before l could cross the bridge.
And see that you get Johns keys for me-
Mrs. Schenk did not come 20 the hospital
the next morning. which was November ..
at the time she said she would l called
her up and asked her why she did not
bring the stuff She said she did not care
20 talk about II over the phone and that
she would be up later. When she came we
went into vacant room. l asked her why
she had not brought the pill, and she said
she was afraid TO. that she had tried 70
get the STUFF though. but couldn't. She
said she was afraid because, If John died
suddenly. Albert Schenk and Dr. Haskins.
Johns brother-in-law. would have the
stomach examined right away. Then
would be suspected
The plan TO poison Schenk, the witness
declared was then dropped by Mrs
Schenk. whom she did not see for some
time The next time they took an automo-
bile ride together Miss Zoeckler testified
she tried TO learn from Mrs. Schenk If she
had not already administered the arsenic.
Tossed Head and Said 'Poof!"
Il said TO her, I am going to ask you
personal question, and you don't need TO
answer unless you want 10. My experience
as a nurse teaches me that there is some
thing wrong with John. 1t looks like pol
soning TO me. Haven't you been giving
him arsenic?' She did not did not say
anything 10 that. She only tossed her head
and said 'poof! "
Witness freely admitted that she had
been brought here and put on as a nurse
in order 10 work htrself into the conf
dences Of Mrs Schenk and finally trap
her in an attempt TO take the life of her
husband, or TO obtain an admission that
such was her purpose
The morning session OF court adjourned
without further testimony from the wit
ness, and as no sessions are held on Sat
urday afternoons the direct cross-eXam-
ination will be resumed Monday morning.
There is little doubt that the defence Will
go after the witness in cross-eXamination
in an attempt TO discredit her testimony,
which is the most\ damaging yet given.
Aside from the testimony Of the de-
tective nurse little was brought out at the
trial to-day, although the state showed
that Mrs. Schenk had ordered SO over
ccat from NJ. Sonneborn for Dan L. Phil
lips. who testified yesterday that he had
taken many night rides with Mrs. Schenk
in her automobile.
BY Harry Smith, a clerk in McAlister's
Island pharmacy. the state sought 10 prove
that there was no arsenic in the water de-
liyered 10 the Schenk home, and no lead
poison in the maltine and cascara which
were prepared for Mr.. schenk on a pre-
scription Of DR. Hupp, at least when they
left the drug store.
Or. Thornton, the pathologist whose tes-
timony has been a feature in the states
case. was again on the stand, but a close
examination. well a rigid croSs-ex-
animation, failed TO elicit anything new
Of Importance. Prosecuting Attorney Hand
Ian says that DR. Thornton will be called
10 the stand again on Monday, when the
hypothetical question. embracing all the
facts thus far adduced, will be propounded.
Albert Lasch, one OF the Jurors, was in
formed to-day that a little stranger had
come 10 his home during the night, and
desired to go 10 his new possession as soon
as possible, but the law would not permit
II.