Year: 1875

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her. She said she was sick at the stomach,
and her bowels panied her. My wife was up
at the time, sitting by the fire, suffering from
neuralgia. I went to the sitting.rootn where
my wife was and asked her if her tooth was
paining her much. The body of the house con-
tains two large rooms one fireplace, which is to
the sitting.room. There is a door id the end,
leading out, and door in the partition; I
heard the girls going out. I went into the
sleeping-room and got some hartshorn; re-
turned, and my wife put some Of it to her
tooth. She then reported to me that Mary
had told her she was unwell. had no rea.
son to believe what was the matter with her.
1 gave her nothing. My wife suggested to
give her some tea. I gave her nothing at all
myself. Mary's sister Lee was up. Except
when out with Mary, Lee was present with
me and my wife at the fireplace, where the
tea was prepared. Lee was out only few
minutes. l took no part in the preparation
of the tea. 1t was squaw-weed tea. l did
not suggest the tea. I don't know that
my wife had ever used squaw-weed tea.
got the pills, but do not know that Mary
took them, as she was out of the house at the
time. The tea was used as remedy for OBJ
struction. I recommended the pills for cos
tiveness. They were Ayers pills. bought
them from John McGill for my wife, and I
had given her two potions of them out of the
same box. was not Mary's guardian. She
lacked little of being eighteen years old.
The only persons present on that morning
were my wife, Lee Castles and myself Hill
was in my employ. He was then sleeping in
room of my house. He was employed by
the year, and had agreed to serve out last
year. aroused Hill soon after administer
ing some camphor and hartshorn to Mary.
The noise heard proceeding from the yard
sounded at first like the squalling of cat.
The second time heard it became alarmed,
and went in the direction whence it sounded,
accompanied by Lee, who carried a candle.
We went to where the sound appeared and
found an infant lying on the ground. l called
to my wife for Gods sake to come quick,
which she did. told her she must take the
child in the house, and that it must be taken
care of, and to prepare bed for Mary. My
wife carried the child into the house. We all
went in a group; can't say who was the
first to enter the house. When we returned
to the house, Mary was sitting on the end Of
the steps. I said to her: Go into the house
if you are able to do what you have done,
you are able to 90 to bed. I meant by this
only what the language would imply. 1 went
on into the house to assist in preparing bed.
The child was placed in cradle. When 1
had passed on half way from the door to the
fire. place, I heard Mary's exclamation that
she was dying, and went Immediately to her.
I caught her while she was in the act of fal-
ling from the steps. At that time my wife
was preparing bed for her. I have been
crippled by being thrown from a horse. 1
did not 60 from the house until l heard the
moaning noise. The first time Mary and
Lee went out, they were gone five minutes;
the second time, ten minutes. I was by
the fire. Mary passed through the room on
to the steps of the entry door. My wife
and Lee remained some time with her, on
the second time she went out; the first time
she went out, my wife was not with her. At
ter my wife and Lee went out, and after the
pills were given, heard, either from Lee or
my wife, that Mary said she WIS better. Lee
came to the door while was with Mary on
the steps after hearing her exclamation of dis
tress. We laid her on a pallet Immediately
after carrying her in. The pallet was partly
on chair placed angling against the wall.
her feet eight or ten inches from the edge of
the hearth. The hearth, from edge of the
fire, is two feet wide 1t was damp and cool
that night. My wife had kindled up little
fire. After I thought Mary was dead, I start
ed the fire again and ithad pretty much burnt
down by the time the people arrived. did not
see her blistered leg. I supposed it to have
been caused by the heating of the woolen cloth.
There was covering over her feet. There was
good deal of confusion amongst us for
while. Mary lived three or four breaths after
I laid her down. When she died there was
quivering sensation-only the appearance
of convulsion. We used camphor after lay
ing her down. When found she was dead,
1 awoke Hill. My desire was to notify some
of her nearest connections. l first sent tor
Meek Whitesides and his wife, who arrived
in about an hour. Mary died in an hour and
FIVE minutes after was aroused. When l
was aroused, it was FIVE minutes to two o'clock.
The body was not moved from the time she
died until after the people came in, though l
may have taken the pillow from under her
head after she died. When Meek and bis
wife came, I met them and reported what
had occurred. We all went into the house.
Mrs. Whitesides commenced attending to the
child. My wife had wrapped it up and laid
it in the cradle Mrs. Whitesides said she
knew how to treat the cord. cut it at her
request, but told her I did not know where
to tie it. Ihad no knowledge of Mary's preg-
nancy and so stated at the inquest. had
no knowledge of my own of her condition.
There were rumors though I heard none ex-
cent what came from Mrs. Whisonant. I
heard it four weeks before the occurrence.
Such rumors, if mentioned to Mary, were not
mentioned in my presence. After Mrs. Whis.
onant left, saw Mary evincing evidence Of
trouble, and heard Mary say she would never
speak to her aunt Margaret again that her
aunt Margaret had been impeaching her false
ly. Mary was of low stature, somewhat like
her mother, and their resemblance was the
subject of frequent remark. There was no
intimation of poison when Robert Whitesides
first came. The subject was not mentioned
until after the turn of the day. 1t was first
spoken of in conversation on the fence. j.
B. Whitesides was speaking about poison, and
said Mary had certainly taken something to
cause her death. made an explanation to him
of fall things as saw them, and as explained
them to others. When the suspicion of poison
was mentioned and I left them at the fence it
was to go to dinner-it being then ready: l
noticed Robert Whitesides in the room where
Mary kept her trunk. He was searching for
poison. I then told him had poison in
box in my private trunk and proposed to ex-
anime it, We went into the room containing
the trunk. The lock of the trunk was spring
lock and out of order. I took out the vial
,,d mo ovop,;nod II r. uaa the aame hottie