South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-23
INDIANA WOMAN
STAYS THREE BY
ARSENIC, CHARGE
Chemists Report Reveals Poi
son Clue i'm First Hus-
bands Death.

GREENFIELD. Ind. March %
Traces of arsenic were found today
i'm the body of Robert Gibson. first
husband of Clara carl. who already
stands accused of numbering her
second husband and his father.
This disclosure, one Of the most
amazing in the sensational case Of
Clara carl. Indiana "buebeard wife. ."
was made public here today by a re
port of chemists who eXumed Glib
sons body at Nelsonviie, O.
Bodies of the two Carls, father
and son. was started recently after
authorities claimed the deaths Of
three men are from similar causes
Each case was diagnosed by physi-
clans during their illness as kidney
and liver trouble.
Pros. Waldo C. Cling hopes to
prove at the trial that Mrs. Carl
is modern woman bluebeard.
Cling viii charge that Mrs. Carl
killed her two husbands and father
in-Iaw with slow poison with the
sordid aim of gaining for herself
their petty fortunes.
Victim OF circumstance
But Mrs. Carl will maintain her
innocence. Her attorneys say they
Will show her as a loving wife and
devoted daughter-in-law the irno-
cent victim of an unusual train OF
circumstances.
Meanwhile Mrs Carl, IS, attractive
and welI-educated. peers from behind
the bars of the Hancock county jail
here. following a formal charge OF
Staying against her by a Hancock
county grand jury
Here is the story Of Mrs Carts
life, as unearthed by the authorities
here.
Mrs. Carl. whose maiden name was
Clara Green, was the daughter OF q
New Straitsville CO.. farmer. Robert
Gibson was the son of New
StraitsviTe florist and was a teacher
n The village school.
Elopcd When Girl.
Clara and Gibson were childhood
sweethearts. on March Il. 1908. the
two eloped and were wed They
moved 20 Cleveland. where Gibson
continued teaching and Clara be
came newspaper writer.
soon Clara and Gibson began
travelling about from town 20 town
writing histories of the towns and
selling the books by subscription.
Gibson went, unaccempanied hy
his wife. TO Huntsville. No. on busil
ness. His wife, Clara, came 10 visit
him.
Shortly after her arrival the
prosecutor charges. GIBSON was
seized with an unusual illness and
died
I'm September Of the same wear.
at Senaca. Kas. They were married
soon after.
Clara and Carl went 90 New Phila-
delphia Ind. and made their home
there. They invited Carrs father.
Alonzo Carl s.. 10 live with them.
He accepted.
Father-in-Law Dies.
shortly after his arrival a. New
Philadelphia the elder Carl became
violently ni and died July g. 1921.
Carl took his fathers body t0 Hia-
NH.Nt. MAS. WutEe Lle IaIler Tor
merry had lived. for burial Clara
did not go
carl the prosecutor says. had
always been known as a man Of per-
feet health and powerful physique
But after his return from Hia-
watha he became thin and pale. the
prosecutor charges.
lie continued 90 fail His skin he
came drawn. He suffered cramps tn
the calves Of his legs
ON Aug. g. 1921. Carl died
s. shower OF letters poured In on
authorities demanding an investiss-
tlOn OF the mysterious deaths.
Charges Poison Found.
Examination OF the bodies OF carl
and his father. Pros. cling declares.
showed they contained enough
arsenic 20 kill a dozen men,"
The prosecutor charges Mrs. Carl
poisoned The elder Carl that his small
estate might be inherited ny her
husband and then poisoned her hus-
band that the estate might revert