Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-11
MURDER CHARGES
IN POISONING PROBE
REACT ON ACCUSERS
BY ROBERT T. SMALL
Oeased Wire Service to The Journal)

NEW YORK, Oct. 9.-The famous
Webb murder" bubble is about to
BURST. In many respects it has been
The most remarkable case the met
topolitan district has ever known.
The grand jury which has been con-
> lucting an investigation that has be-
come little more than a clearing
house for gossip and scandal, will not
return any indictments. For, despite
he hySterical assertions of her
friends and relatives to the contrary,
mere no longer is any doubt that
Irs. Charles Webb. possessed of a
fortune, which now is said to be
bearer 100000 than the $4,000, 900
originally estimated. died at the
Nestchester- Biltmore Country club
II natural causes.
BY accusations. that were all too
hinly yelled, the closer friends and
relatives of the dead woman sought
10 discredit her husband, who had
Eooed her for ten years only to be-
some a widower ten months after
heir marriage. They accused him
h remaining out of his wife's room
Turing the last ten days of her fatal
Illness. 1t is now admitted that the
attending physician, who was hostile
10 Webb and friendly to the other
relatives, had forbidden the husband
10 enter, although uncles and aunts
md cousins were free to come
ind go.
Counter Charges Made
The investigation now has entered
The phase where the counter charges
have been entered by counsel for the
husband, Charles Webb, alleging con-
piracy against certain, persons"
The district attorney of Westchester
county has become particularly in
crested in this aspect of the case.
An attempt was made to force the
district attorney into requesting an
Indictment for murder from the
Grand jury. He resisted this attempt,
md the subsequent eevnts have
hoWn the wisdom of his course.
An uncle of the dead woman,
William 7. Hunter, of Devon, Penn,
has openly charged that his niece
was murderer by the administra-
lion of a slow poison. He based his
Charge partly on the discovery of
traces of bfchloride of mercury in
The viscera. This eventually was
shown to have been due to the use
sf mercury as an antiseptic. The
relatives then attempted to show
that "some one" had mixed these
solutions for Mrs. Webb in a degree
sf strength that would be deleteri-
BUS to her health. DR.. William J.
Meyer, the attending physician at
the death bed, said he talked with
Mrs. Webb about this matter and
The charges were based upon what
bhe said.
The grand jury has heard in de-
tail all of these stories. 1t has
heard the women relatives of Mrs.
Webb tell of all they said to her
and all she said to them during the
last month that she was i'll.
Webb has had little or no chance
10 tell his story, but has requested
permission to go before the grand
Jury, waving all immunity, before
he investigation is closed. He has
laid that he wants the record clear
70 far as he is concerned.
Requests to Charity
Under the latest will signed by
Mrs. Webb her husband of ten
months is made the sole beneficiary
Of her estate. A more elaborate
will, prepared by his counsel, for
her signature, was not signed. 1t
divided the estate and left large be-
quests to charity. Webb has asked
that this unsigned will also be pro-
bated as he intends to carry out it's
provisions. The relatives have pro-
tested both wills and have asked
that a will made by Mrs. Webb be-
lore her marriage be accepted.
Nebbs attorneys say the marriage
nvaIidated that WILL and if a con-
lest is successful it will merely
have the same effect as if Mrs.
Webb had died without any will
whatever. Under such a provision
Of the law the husband would get
pne-half of the estate outright.
Mrs. Webb did not marry until
yhe was forty. She had been very
close to her relatives since her
mother died and had made will IN
their favor. Webb, an admlrer OF
many years. finally won his SUIT.
rhe marriage occurred last NoYem'
Der. The relatives never would ac-
cent him. And so when Gertle
webb died under what they claimed
we're questionable circumstances
they blazed forth with charges
against the man who had come SO
ate into their relatives life.
Through all the trials of the last
Two weeks it must be admitted that
webb has carried on with polse
most remarkable in the clrcum'
Uances. He was treated as all but
An outcast at the funeral. Some OF
his former friends Stunned NM
But it seems at last that his day Is