San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-29
CLAIM HUSBAND
GAVE HIS WIFE
DISEASE GERMS
Too Kind Hearted to Try
Chemical Experiments
on Animals.
"A MYSTERIOUS CASE
Promises to Be One Of
Strangest in New York's
Hollywood.
"A MYSTERIOUS CASE
By ROBERT T. SMALL.

Copyright by The San Antonio Light.
New York, April 29.-Too kind
hearted to try his experiments on
rabbits or guinea pigs, Clarence O..
Barring. amateur chemist, is believed to
have given arsenic and diphtheria and
pneumonia germs TO his 46-year-old
wife. The amateur chemist is 80. He
and his wife have quarreled much
because she believed be was paying
attention to younger women. Now
she is charging him with attempted
murder.
White Plains, where they live, is
very much wrought up over the case
which promises 10 be one of the
strangest with which the authorities
have TO deal. White Plains is in
West Chester county and West Chest
er county is 10 New York what Holly
wood often has been to Los Angeles.
The county can generate more queer
criminal tangles than all of the other
metropolitan suburbs put together.
1t was in West Chester county
that young Walter S. Ward, son of
the millionaire baker of this city.
shot and killed Clarence Peters. the
ex-marine, and the county spent
something like $4,000 in a fruitless
attempt 10 convict him. Then came
the case Of Mrs. Charles Webb. who
died last September at the fashionable
West Chester-Biltmore country club
and whose friends accused her hus-
band Of having been criminallv re-
sponsible through the administration
OF strong antisDetic solutions. Mr..
Webb was promptly e1onerated BY the
grand jury and his wife's $1,000, 900
viii was decided in his favor.
Say He Matched Out Germs. \
Next followed the drowning of
Angler Duke, who in the midst OF a
merry party fell out of a launch.
He came up under a yacht club afloat
and could not fight his way out 10
clear water again.
On top of all this comes the queer
Barring case. In New York City.
Mr.. Barring. a pale, thin, understood
man with big spectacies. is a manu-
facturer's agent, handling the pro-
ducts Of the Minneapolis Heat Regu-
lator eompany-for many years known
as a successful business man.
At his home in West Chester coun-
y, Mr. Barring was very much the
{ecluse. He had a laboratory in
his home and spent most Of his spare
time over test tubes, spirit lamp.
rubber stoppered bottles and all the
queer paraphernslia Of the chemists
shop. He was By way of being an
Inventor also, having perfected
afhermostat and an incubator. II was
chicken incubator, bur the authori-
ties allege now that the amateur
chemist also was incubating deadly
disease germs. Being of an expert
mental turn Of mind, he is said 10
have wanted 10 see just what there
was TO the germ theory anyway.
Fond Of Animals.
Mr.. Barring was very fond of ami
mails, according TO those who know
him. and they say his sensitive nature
would have rebelled at the thought of
vlvlsection or torturing the helpless
creatures usually used by--Scientists
IN these experiments. Both of the
Earrings are described as neurotics,
Mrs. Barring having been under the
care Of physicians for the greater
part OF her adult life. Both also are
described as independently wealthy in
their own rights, Mrs. Barring recently
having come in for an added fortune
which makes her probably the richer
of the two.
The accused mans attorney said
his client would have strange but
complete" defense TO the charges of
poisoning and the administering of
germs. Baring's mother, Mrs. Walter
Stroud of Baltimore. who has arrived
at White Plains, also declares that
her son is innocent of any intent
actually TO harm his wife.
May Have Been Upset.
Barring admitted having arsenic in
the house for the last three months.
The. authorities claim this was adj.
ministered to the wife in stuffed
dates, matted milk, ginger ale and
grape juice. 1t was not until YES
terday that state troopers discovered
the culture tubes alleged to aheve
contained diptheria and pneumonia