Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1921-06-23
WOMAN HELD
FOR MURDER
KNOWN HERE.
Alleged Female Bluebeard at
Twin Falls in Grangville
for Border Days in 1919
Parents, Mr.. and Mrs. w. T.
Trueblood, Former Ranchers
in Vicinity of Ferdinand

Bound over to the district court OF
TWIN Falls county on charge OF
having murdered her fourth husband
Edward f. Meyer, at Twin Falls, last
fall the case of Mrs. LYDIA Southland
who was apprehendod in Honolulu,
T. H., after investigation had led
authorities to believe she had muir
dered four of her five husbands for
their life insurance, is attracting
more than ordinary interest here, for
Mrs. Southland and her parents, Mr..
and Mrs. w. j. Trueblood, once re-
sided in Idaho county.
The parents, who now are resi-
dents of the Twin Falls country, are
aiding the daughter in her defense
against the murder charge. The fam
ily at one time lived on a ranch in
the vicinity of Ferdinand and is
known to old-time residents of Idaho
county.
HERE FOR BORDER DAYS
Mrs. Southland had been in Grange
vile, and is said to have had friends
here Her last visit to Grapgevilie
was during Border days, in 1919. At
that time at least two of the hus-
bands of the alleged woman Bluebeard
lay beneath the sod, but no one here
suspected that she would be accused
of having poisoned them.
Mrs. Southland, who is now the wife
of Paul Southland, a petty officer in
the U. S. navy, was held to the dis
trict court on charge of murder by
Probate Judge Duvall, of Twin Falls,
last Friday.
Within two hours after she
had been appraised of the court g
decision she was joined here by Paul
Vincent Southland, her fifth husband,
wearing his uniform as a petty
officer in the u. S. navy,
with his wife throughout the remain
der of her present ordeal. Aside from
saying that he had come to be with
his wife and that he had full conf
dence in her innacence and ultimate
yindication, Southland declined to
make any statement, cat least until |
have conferred with my wife and her
attorneys" he added. Mrs. Southland Is
mother did not appear with her in
the court room Friday, but her father,
W. }. Trueblood, sat at her side dur
ing the entire hearing.
Action of the probate court came
after a morning of testimony adduced
to support the state s contention that
Meyer s death resulted from arsenic
poison administered by Mrs. Southaru.
TRACES OF ARSENIC
Testimony of four witnesses was in
troduced by Prosecuting Attorney
Frank. l.. Stephan. City Chemist E.
Il. Dooley of Salt Lake, testified in de-
tail as to the results of test made by
MN upon organs taken from the Meyer
oody when it was exhumed April 2,
lS2l. He said that he detected ar
senlc in all of the specimens taken,
including the hair, and that he found
IN all approximately one-fourth
grain Of the poison. He gave it as his
ioehef that the body contained kill
ing dose of arsenic, Notwithstanding !
me fact that in his purging, Meyer
had expelled considerable amounts of |
the poison. His analysis of poison
nypaper found in the rooms occu-
pied by the Meyers on Blue Lakes |
ranch showed four grains of arsenic |
IN one sheet and seven in another, he |
testified.
Dooley was preceded on the stand |
eY sexton l.. A. Snyder. who testi-
leu mat the Meyer grave had not
a.. uyen disturbed from date of burial I'M
~ me body was exhumed. Miss Geor-
sia Maxwell, superintendent of the
hospital where Meyer died, testified
~ having seen Mrs. Southland alone
WIN Meyer in his room on the day
preceding his death.
pEDMA NEEm