The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1913-09-19
HIsS ELLA HARFIELD'S DEATH
is BEING INVESTIGATED.
oJanide of Potassium Pound b. her
SIde-She also Let a Note.

Side-She Also Left Note.
Il developed last Sunday thai bot
tie. believed By physicians to contain
cyanide Of potassium. was found on
the bed Of Miss Ella Warfleld, Of
sykesyilIa, Carroll county, Hhen she
died at her home about eight weeks
40, yeI no eoronera inquest was
held. Dr. Daniel B. spreehef gave :
certificate OF death from acute in
digestion
/ Asked about the adYIsabIIity Of
holding N inquest, Dr. spreoher said.
= gave my certificate # the sugges-
ton Of Coroner orrin Alllar. but II Il
ny opinion thai II would have been
Hell TO have held an Inquest Immedi-
aIely after Miss Warfield's DEATH"
Concerning the bottle found on the
bedside md : note which wag lying
On the door Of the bedroom, Dr.
snrecher said:
The bottle vas taken to : pnysi-
clan, who declared thaI II contained
cyanide Of potassium. think there
l. room for difference of opinion In
such questions. and | IN not content
70 accept the phYsicIan.a statement -
true until an analytical chemist cor
roboratea Il. I did not take the bottle
u a chemist because ! knew that the
State uas sometimes slow IN paying
it bills and did not want to walt for
the money.
Coroner Mlllar was about 70 taste
} The contents Of the bottle aud | ad-
FIaed him to be cautious. ! thought It
might b poison IL IL veil 10 be eau
lIous. ron knoK. In such casea. do
not remember whether | told the cor
oner thai Il would be veil TO have the
liquid analyzed Or not. but h knew
al the facts In the case and ] wrote
the certificate = his suggestion.
I must refuse TO reveal the CON
tanta Of the note which vas found In
MIss WaHfield.a home unless there Il
= further investigation demanded b.
tie State authorities. ! do not con
aIder Il my dutY 10 give information
! of that character when ! was mt act
Ing In the capacity Of public
officer
Dr. sprecher aaid be vas called 70
Hiss Wzriield.s home about ii.20
o'clock 0n the night Of her death.
MIsa WzHIleid - dead. he sad. when
7 be arrived AZ the house and there wa
. much confusion among the occupants
! q the home, vho included Mra. Joseph
! !. Ward. Miss WarfieId.a sister. Miss
. Carrie Hrown. : trained nurse. and
four OF Hfe eolosed servants.
Tho certificate Of death. he declared
: raa written within to hours after
. Nlsa Warfield had breathed her last
He said Coroner Mlliaf visited the
aeene Of The death before the eertifi-
cato wa turned over 10 the under
taker.
Miss Narneld vas about 50 years
| I'd shs vas ; daughter of Iha late
Warren WarfeId The farm on
which lie LIVED contained several
hundred aeTeH. valued II about $4,000
TIE farm was about ta be sold the
nhyaieIan said % thai certain debts
nd bsaaeata could h paid The
property was owned b Mr. Henry
Jenkins. Who did f.. months ago.
rntli aha moved 10 sfkesyIlls about
fIss months 40 Miss Narfeid had
been making her home n Washington.
Relatives informed the physician thai
ahs had suffered from heart trouble.
although he said he had not been call
Il TO attend her since she vent 10
eEEesyIIl.
The body waz buried n the church
ard OF Il BgFnabas' Protestant Epia=
leanal Church, sykeByiIle. by Under
Iaker Jozeph L. Weer.
For tn last three days States At
Iarney I. o. Neant haH devoted most
d his time In actively investigating
n circumstances surrounding Miss
WarfieldlH death. lie has conferred
18th a number of persons In Sykes
sIlle, and yesterday, accompanied b.
Deputy Sheriff Walter y. Ritter. he
Hent % baltimore In N automobile
md. leaving hIs machine, took the
train 10 Port Deposit. There he CON
ferred nth Margaret Jackson, the
negro woman Who Is said to have dis
covered the bottle OF poison. after be
InK directed TO search for Il following
Miss Warfeld0 death.
Returning from PorI Deposit. Mr..
Weant vent TO the home Of Or. Frank
I. Brown. 9l7 sI. Paul street. Balti-
more. where hrs. Mary Josephine
Ward, sister Of Miss Warfleld and
MFa Mareellus Warfield. her mother.
aTe stopping. There h had long
conference with Mrs. Ward. the ma
! tHre Of which he has not made public.
There are two or three remaining
to be seen before the probe viii be
concluded After this II accomplish
Cd. Mr.. Weant VII make up his mind
a to whether the body of MIaa War
! field shall be exhumed 10 seek traces
OF the acid with which her life Is pre-
sumed 70 have been taken This will
not be reaorted 70 II It can be avoided.
The family Of Miss WarfieId has en-
gagged the law firm of bond & parke.
Of this city, TO look after their inter-
eala. The lawyers have Strengthened
out the tangle over the estate and the
farm which Miss WarfIeld purchased
p few months before her death for
$3.50, was sold or so. 30 on Monday.
4 BY her viii Miss Warfeld left her
entire estate 10 her mother, who Is 81
years old. She Il extremely feeble.
mentally and physically.
=.=4