The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-01-10
SCAENK TRIAL
is UNDER WAY
OppOsing Counsel State Case
70 Jury.
CONSPIRACY IS CHARGED

Attorney For Woman Accused OF
Poisoning Millionaire Husband De-
elares sretherln-LsW Back OF Plot
to sepsrais couple-state Makes
Emphatic Denial and Says Wheel
ing Meat Packer Victim Of Wife's
Greed For Gold.
Wheeling. w. Va. Jan. 10.-"Laura
Schenk is the victim Of a conspiracy
and ,hc head Of that conspiracy has
been Albert Schenk. brother of John
o. Schenk,' said j. p. p O'Brien in
his opening statement to the jury In
the famous poisoning Gaze now on
trial in the criminal court This
weak woman has been bounded by
Albert Schenk, and her arrest for a
crime of which she is not guilty was
at the instigation Of her hrother-in-
law. Ever since Laura Schenk and
her husband were united in marriage
Albert Schenk has endeavored to
part them. On more than one occa-
sicn he has forced her to leave the
Schenk meat store when she stopped
to see her husband
1--WE know-that Mrs. Schenk is not
guilty of the crime for waich she Is
being tried. It Is true. we admit
that poison was administered to John
O. Schenli. but his wife knew nothing
CT it. II was given him. but Mrs
Schenk's hand was not the one that
gave it
Mrs Schenk was comrellcd to &c
out into the world and earn her own
living when she was eight years OF
age. When a Mrl of bat &c she fel
in love with John o. Schenk and the
couple were married in Chicago. but
It was a year after that that John o
Schenk let his people know that he
had married Laura Fansworth."
In his opening address 20 the Jury
j. b. Handlan, prosecuting attorney
said that the state would prove thai
Mrs. Schenk administered arsenic tC
her husband and sugar of lead, ant
that the motive she had for killing
him was that she might secure al
the money he had. 1--WE will alsC
prove" he said, that she made al
agreement with an attendant of Mr.
Schenk whereby she was to pay thi:
attendant a certain sum of money II
the attendant would administer g
certain poison pill sufficient to have
killed him Immediately.
"The defense will claim that this
woman is the victim OF 2 base con
sriracy. but such is not the ossG The
state Of West Virginia Is back Of the
prosecution and as TIE authorized
agent CT the state. have been TIE one
i'm charge T. any mistakes have beer
made ! alone all responsible.
"The defense will say tat Mrs
Schenk Is insane but tAis is rrepos
ferrous. Fer Is years shc has lived II
this city and never once has she
shown signs Of insanity. So desper
ate was she that she did rot hesitate
10 poison her husband, place polsor
in such places that It might hav,
been the cause of the death of attend
ants of Mr.. Scheuk and even her owl
two children.
The state will prove that a yea
ago John o. Schenk was a man O
more than ordinary physique, but to
day is the wreck of a man. his Vita
having been eaten away by the pc.
son that was given him by his wife
Albert Schenk, whom Mr.. O'Briei
charges with being the head of thu
conspiracy, IS himself a millionaire
andN several years ago was a candi
date for the United States senate
against Senator n. b. Scott.
Holds Selden Patent Invalid.
New York Jan. TO- The United
States circuit court of appeals re
versed the decision of Judge Hough
rendered in September, 1909, il
which he upheld the validity Of tn,
Selden automobile patent. This pat
ent is en- the basic principle Of tn,
appli ,ation Of power to motor vehi
cles and the decision is farreachinl
In its effect.