Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-03-21
SHE PROTESTS
HER INNOCENCE
Widow OF Admiral Eaton In
sists She Will Clear Her.
self of Charge.
POISON IN STOMACH
District Attorney Declares
That Arsenic Killed Naval
Hero--FamiIy Life.

bingham, Mass, March 21 - Rear
Admiral Joseph G. Eaton, U. s. N, re-
tired, died of poisoning, and his widow
is charged with murder. She was ar
rested, arraigned pleaded not guilty
and held for trial March %. She is
now in Plymouth Jail.
When she came here, accompanied
by deputy sheriffs, 1t was supposed
that the widow would ~be q witness
at the inquiry, and the fact that she
was a prisoner was not known until
announcement was made by District
Attorney A. f. Barker.
In formal statement the district
attorney stated that Professor Whit
ney of Harvard Medical school, who
had made chemical analysis OF the
contents Of the admiral's stomach fol-
lowing the autopsy, had reported the
discovery of poison, leading to the con-
clusion that the admiral had not died
4 natural death.
The arrest Of Mrs Eaton Is the out
| come Of secret investigation by the
police into not only the circumstances
Of his death. but regarding the family
life Of the Eatons.
Admiral Eaton died suddenly on the
morning Of March 8. He was sixty
six years old. but according to his
| friends had been In good health. Two
days later the body was buried at
Dracut, his old home. There was no
! service at the grave, and besides the
undertaken and newspaper men only
the widow and her daughter by an
| other marriage witnessed the inter
ment. There were no military honors.
| District Attorneys Statement.
| District< ttorney Barker in announc-
| ing the arrest made the following
statement:
MRS Eaton is under arrest charged
with the murder of her husband, Rear
| Admiral Joseph Giles Eaton.
| Admiral Eaton did not die a nat
ural death This fact was communi-
| Gated to me on March 10 by Professor
Whitney in preliminary verbal report
and has been known to the police
working oy the case since that time
Death was due to arsenical poisoning
Peculiar features which are involved
have prevented the authorities from
communicating them to the public.
| eve have been unable thus far to
ascertain where the poison was pro
cured. Mrs. Eaton was taken into
custody at her home at Assfnnlppi by
| Deputy Sheriff j. r. Condon."
Mrs. Eaton was removed to the court
! house here, and soon afterward was
taken before Judge Pratt. who had
presided at the inquest. anG formally
arraIgned. She was attended by her
| counsel. Francis J. Geogan.
DR.. F. NJ Kennison. who has drug
store In the south end Of Boston. said
that after call by Mrs. Ralph M.
| Keyes. one Of Rear Admiral Eaton's
stepdaughters, his poison sale records
were searched by the police.
| Mrs. Keyes came to me to be treat
ed for cold" DR.. Kennison said. but
when saw the crowd outside-report-
FRS afterward learned who had fol-
| lowed her from Norwell-I advised
| her to see some other physician.
"Then men. who said they were state
| police officers, came in and searched
my records of poison sales.
"This was Mrs. Keyes second call
at my store. The first WAS about q
| month ago."
| Sisters Cut Off In Will.
Stories about will recently made
BY Rear Admiral Eaton, in which he
cancelled a beQuest to Mrs. Keyes, were
In circulation. Judge George w. Kel-
| Iy. who was Rear Admiral Eaton 8
counsel, declares he knows Of no such
will. Miss Dorothy Ainsworth be-
Iieves that a will which cuts her and
her sister off exists
The rear admiral had seen thirty
nine years service In the navy. He
commanded the transport Resolute at
| Santiago and received medal OF hon
| or for his share In that battle. He
was born at Greenville, Ala, and was
| twice married.
The present Mrs. Eaton was the ad-
mirals second wife and was formerly
the wife of D. A. Ainsworth, once a
clerk In the United States senate. Her
father was George Harrison and the
flmily home was at Alexandria, Va.
Sle Is forty years old.
The investigation Of the admiral's
death developed that her married life
has not been altogether happy and her
explanation that her husband had died
from an attack Of indigestion did not
satisfy the medical examiner, who
after comforting with the family ply
sician. delayed the preparation Of the
body for burial until post mortem
had been made.
Mrs. Eaton has two daughters by her
frst marriage, Mrs. June Ainsworth
Ueyes Of Boston and Dorothy Aims
worth, who lived with her.