The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-01-04
Mrs. Julius Wells of Swan
ton Accused of Double
Child Murder
ARREST MADE AFTER
SECRET INQUEST
She Was the Mother Of Ten
Children, Five of Whom
Are Now Living

st. Adams Jan. 4.-Mrs. Julius Well.
iof Swanton, who was arrested yes
terday by Sheriff George c. Holmes al
her home, on the charge of numbering
two OF her children, took the arrest
calmly saying, If anyone thinks q
mother would murder her own children,
| am willing to have the matter investi-
gated
| A secret inquest was conducted at
the Grand Avenue hotel in Swanton
Friday by States Attorney Gaylord +.
Ladd of Richford and Attorney General
Rufus f. Brown of Burlington, hear
ing being held before Assistant Judge
Ellis w. Foster of Swanton. Five or
six witnesses were summoned, among
the number H. w. Morgan, of the Wood
Morgan detective agency in Boston.
Mrs. Wells is about 30 years old. The
Wells family moved to Swanton three
or four years ago from Milton, and Mr..
Wells is employed in the lime kilns. OF
ten children born to them five are liv-
ing. Two died in Milton, il is said,
under somewhat peculiar circumstances;
only the children who died were i'll at
that time. Later another was some
what indisposed, but apparently not from
the same cause as the two. None Of
the other members OF the family was
ill.,
When two children died in Swanton
Dec. 3 and {, two others were also ill.
1t was then supposed they had eaten
food accidentally brought in contact with
poison which Mrs Wells had about the
house to kill rats. To determine the
cause absolutely, the stomach was re-
moved from one of the bodies and later
the bodies were exhumed for examna-
tion, the finding resulting ! the arrest
of Mrs. Wells.
A total insurance OF SS2.}4 was car
ried on the lives Of the dead children |
IN the Metropolitan company, the mother
being the beneficiary. The mother is
said to be somewhat peculiar acting and
has been said at times probably not
to be in her right mind.
Probably there will be no further in
quest. until report is received from the
analysis of tho stomachs and intestines
# the dead children from the state lab
,ratory of hygiene. Ii is not likely to
,c resumed for week or ten days un-
ess there are further developments. 1t
) known that arsenic was found in the
'odies but the quantity is not deter
mined. Probably the quantity was large
there are no other suspects at present.
Woman Makes Statement
When seen at the jail to-day Mrs.
Wells said: '.I'm not guilty Of the
rime and I'm not afraid OF any pun
,hment. do not think any woman
Tho has been the mother of ten chill
rem would do anything like that"
Mrs. Wells was born in Milton, where
er parents, Mr.. and Mrs Enos Ladue.
till reside. She has one sister and
our brothers, one of the brothers being
soldier in the United States army
rontier. Several of own family :
ave visited her in the Jail, but her
OF secured counsel
The woman said that she had suffered !;
'riously, both physically and mentally. :
fused by too frequent childbirth and
y spinal meningitis. She said that !.
er head had not troubled her for two
ears. She said that the two children. :
no died recently we're insured for $50 !
I'd that she turned over the money
her husband, to whom she had been
arried seventeen years and that it took Z
/ but ten dollars of the insurance :
oney to pay for the burial of the (
ildren. The balance the husband 3
,pt, she said. OF her present children, =
70 are boys and three girls. :