Year: 1876

PENN YAM, N. Y. March 49, 1875


For the first time in tho history Of Yates county u
man has been convicted OF murder in first degree
Although the trial. which closed on Wednesday, the
18TH was the fourth Of persons indicted for murder
during past twenty years this the first that
suited In conviction.


The following is brief synopsis OF the almost in-
Vulnerable facts in tho upon which the jury based
their verdict ON the evening of MONDAY, the 26h day
of July, 1875 Fanny H. Crozer who resided with her
husband George f. Crozier in the town of Benton,
about five miles north of the village of Penn Yam,
Yates county n. Y, taken suddenly Ill lIer
symptoms vomiting burning pain IN the
stomach and bnck dry throat and mouth, and intense
and almost constant thirst She continued to grow
until the afternoon of Thursday, the 29th when
she died. From the time Of her death there was
smothered feeling the neghborhood that all was not
right suspicion that she had come TO her unumeJ
end by foul means and this feeling gathered strength
and volume from the facts that during her sickness
her husband would allow no to give her the
powders which had been prescribed for her by the
family physician but himself and that ior two years
or more before his wIfe's death he had been sus-
picousy intimate with certain girl living him,
named Minerva butcher.


scHIsM IN THE CHURCH


This intimacy had given to good deal Of scan
dal in the community and had caused a schism In the
Baptist church at Benton Centre where both the par,
ties attended, and of which George Croner was a men,
ber This feeling of distrust finally became SO wide-
spread throughout the town of Benton, and loud
its expression, TO demand official Investigation
into the cause of the death of the deceased.


AN ExHuMATIox


In October DR.. Frank Tompkins, of the coroners
OF the county, caused the remains OF Mrs Crozier to
be dsnerred and the stomach and part of the liver
to be removed thereirom. These were submitted to
chemical analysis by Professor John w. fowler OF
Geneva, who found therein large quantities of white
arsenic both absorbed and unabsorbed much, in fact
that considerable quantity had escaped during
the progress OF his saved weighed
one drachm. sixty grains enough to the death
OF least twelve persons Upon the testimony OF Pro-
fssor fowler and that of several residents of Benton
as to the circumstances attending Fanny Crozler's
death the jury rendered verdict substantially that
deceased came to her death by arsenic administered
thereby to her death. Upon this
dict tho accused held to await the action
of the Grand jury who in November last found an
indictment against him for murder IN tie first degree.


THE TRIAL.


An adjourned term the Court OF Oyer and Terminef
ordered for the purpose trial to be held at Penn
Yam tho 9th OF March. The trial began Tuesday,
the 7th before Hon. David, Rumsey, Presiding Justices
Hon Andrew Oliver Yates, County Judge; Joel NJ
Clark and William O. Williams, Justices OF Sessions.
The prisoner was accompanied during the trial by h
brother David Crozier, and by his son, Frank Hon.
Daniel Norris with his partner, NJ. A. Seary assisted
by 5. H. Torrey of Rochester, late United States Dis
Attorney at New Orleans, appeared for the pris
oner and District Attorney Henry NJ Stewart assisted
by Edwin Hicks, OF Canandaigua, appeared Tor the
people.


offered substantially as follows:-That Fanny H.
Crozcr died in the town of Benton the 10Th day Of
July, 1875 exhibiting before her death all the symp-
toms of arsenical poisoning that aferward, and in
October, 1875, her body was exhumed, and she
analyzed by Professor fowler, who found arsenious
acid or white arsenic therein in sufficient quantity
to leave for doubt that the deceased came to
her the effect OF the same; that during her
last sickness powders of subnratc of bismuth were
prescribed for her by DR. George NJ Barber the family
physician and that such powders were taken charge o
by the prisoner who secreted them in the pantry and
would allow no one but himself to administer
putting them into scraped apple in the pantry, and
took them from there to his wiies bedroom where be
gave them TO her; that by his own admission, there
before his wifes Illness bottle OF arsenic in the
pantry; that ca sion, when he was unusually
long preparing powder OF the witnesses followed
him the pantry, and he, hearing her, closed his
hand over the bowl of the spoon which he held and
turned around with his back to the witness so that
she could not what he doing; that after taking
each powder the symptoms OF arsenca poisoning were
renewed that during his wifes SICKNESS and up 70 thu
time OF her death, the prisoner manifested emotion
whatever making use OF many unfceng expressions
in regard to her. her sickness and her love for nmi
that since his arrest he had attempted to suborn his
sons wife, Mr. Emma Crozier by promising her that
if shs would on the trial swear that she had heard
Fanny say that she would take arsenic she should
never for anything; that for three years
before his wfc's death he had been very intimate with
Minerva butcher. writing her notes in church, walking
to and from church with her and in many other ways,
and that after his wifcs death he frequent Wis
itor at the house OF this grs mother whore she lived
and that on OCCASION about two months after hn
vile died. Minerva butcher went TO the prisoners
house and stayed there with him from Saturday night
house during that tIme and that on tho day that ha
wife died, and before her death, he told Dr. Barber
that he dd not want post norton examination male
the Of her death.


DEFENCE


The defence on their part, starting off with the
theory that Fanny Crozer committed suicide and that
they would prove that she had stated TO numerous
uersons that II she knew she had a cancer n her
hQ In "a IN mt nj
the way before she would be by IT. that she
had bought arsenic for the ostensibe purpose Of
killing rats; that she had been seen taking white
powder the Monday before her death, and at
tempted to prove by the Frank and the prisoner
that she had stated that she thought she had cancer
In her stomach They also proved the good character
of the prisoner up the time OF his wfe's death and
father, and that the domestic relations OF the family
were OF the most pleasant kind and the prisoner alst
swore that he gave his wife no medicine or drug o
any Kind, except that prescribed by the doctor The
evidence closed Tuesday evening, the l4th.


Mr. Morris made the argument to the jury in favor
of the prisoner, occupying i've hours in its delivery
He followed by Mr.. Hicks who spoke for six hours
and half. On Wednesday afternoon the Jury were
charged as TO the law and their duty the In
clear and impartial nanner by HIS Honor Judge Rum
sey, who occupied one hour and twenty minutes N
delivering hs charge


At halfpas three the jury retired to their room and
at hafpast nve after having been out just two hours,
returned into court, rendering verdict OF guilty oi
murder in the first degree.


SENTENCE.


On Thursday morning the prisoner was sentenced oy
Judge Rumsey who after commenting upon the
usually revolving character OF the case on account oi
and the terrible betrayal Of her confidence IN him by
prisoner delivered the sentence oil the Court which
that on Friday, May s. he be hanged by the neck


SEEKING A SKw TRIAL


Immediate efforts TO obtain new trial viii be made,
the principal ground application being that evi
dencc relations existing between the prisoner and
Minerva butcher nadmissble Unless it was proven
that the the prisoner knew OF and objected 10
that intimacy The prisoner protested that he in