Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-07-16
MRS. SOUTHARD
GERM CARRIER
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went to Honolulu with him when he
was transferred a short time later.
This is the unusual matrimonial
history of Mrs. Southland that the
state has dug up-in impersonal
facts, uncolored by the charges of
the prosecution:
MARCH II, 1912-Married Rob
ert Dooley. Dooley's brother Ed
came to hive with them. On May
8, brothers took out insurance policy
for $4,000, naming LYDIA beneficiary.
On August 9, 1915, Ed died and LYDIA
received face of policy. Next day
Robert and LYDIA applied for joint
$4,000 policy, to be paid to survivor.
On Oct. l, month and a half later
Robert died. Certificate showed
scarlet fever as cause. On Nov. Is
Lyda's daughter died. Scarlet fever
was given as the cause.
JUNE, 1917-Married William G.
McHaffie applied for $4,000 insur-
ance policy, payable to LYDIA. Six
teen months later he died. LYDIA re-
ported flu and black diphtheria as
cause. McHaffie's policy lapsed just
before his death
MARCH 19,1919-Married Harlan
c. Lewis. On June IA Lewis applied
for $4,000 insurance policy. Twenty
six days later he died. The doctors
certificate said cause was acute gas
tro-enterritis. LYDIA collected the
policy.
AUGUST 10. 1920-Married Ed
ward F. Meyer Next day Meyer
took out a policy for $4,000 and
made will bequeathing $4,000
worth of property to LYDIA. Twenty
eight days later he died after an III
ness of few days. Typhoid fever
was given as the cause in doctors
certificates. Two attempts were
made to collect the $4,000 policy
but the money was held up.
NOVEMBER 26, 1920.-Married
Paul Vincent Southland, her present
husband, at Los Angeles. Tele-
graphic advices from Honolulu
where Mrs. Southland was arrested,
say Southland stated he had applied
for $4,000 insurance policy, but
that his application for 50 large a
poncy was rejected.
States Statement.
This is the unbiased record. This
is what Prosecutor Frank l.. Steph-
en- has to add to it:
"We do not credit Mrs. Souhard's
claim that she thinks she IS typhoid
carrier, and that it was this that. may
have caused her husbands deaths.
Regardless of what doctors certifi-
Gates showed, we have found proof
of arsenic poisoning. What is more,
all the men revealed the same symp-
toms, and they were not the symp-
toms of typhoid.
"We will claim that arsenic was
obtained by an extracting process
from fly-paper. And the evidence
will show that quantities of fly-pa-
per were found hidden near where
two of the men died"
Bodies Exhumed
After the state investigation was
begun, the bodies were exhumed and
scientific analyses made.
LYDIA approaches the climaXing
chapter in her strange matrimonial
serial cheerfully. Whatever her in
ner thoughts may be, she views the
coming ordeal with outward clam. !
Physically she shows the strain, of !
course, but she greets callers and
jailers with a smile.
Against the amazing chain of cir
cun1stantial evidence that the state
has drawn up, Mrs. Southland thus
far has submitted only her claim of
having doctors certificates as proof
of the cause of her husbands deaths.
She has made only one public state
ment. That was given out through
her attorneys and declared her inno-
cence.