A new article has been added at Newspaper Abstracts > United States > District of Columbia http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=323 Direct link to article: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=34524 Submitted by: Susan Article Title: Washington City Weekly Gazette Article Date: May 11 1816 Article Description: Horrid Murder and Suicide. Article Text: Horrid Murder and Suicide. Warsaw (Genesee Co., N.Y.), April 16. About 3 weeks since, the wife of Doctor ABEL WATKINS, of Middlebury, Genesee County, died, as was supposed of a fever; in consequence of which WATKINS persuaded a neighbor and intimate friend of his, by the name of PERRY, to remove with his family into his house and take care of his children. Shortly after, Mr. PERRY was taken very ill with the cholera morbus, as stated by WATKINS, by whom his life was despaired of, and Dr. CHAUNCEY L. SHELDON of Warsaw was sent for, who attended him through the day and till 9 o’clock at night, and left him apparently much better. WATKINS attended him the remainder of the night and PERRY died the next day. Mr. PERRY and Mrs. WATKINS being attended with similar symptoms in their sickness, together with an appearance of familiarity between WATKINS and PERRY’S wife soon created a suspicion that WATKINS has poisoned both his wife and PERRY. Inquiry was made of Dr. SHELDON (of whom WATKINS purchased his medicine) if he had purchased any poison of him – and it was ascertained that he purchased 1 oz. of arsenic and some nux vomica. Dr. SHELDON and other persons conversed with WATKINS respecting [the purchase] who stated that he bought the arsenic for a man, but could not tell his name nor where he lived, but said that he gave the poison to a certain dog, (which is yet alive). Suspicion increased, and WAKINS was advised to have the bodies taken up and examined, for the purpose of satisfying the minds of the populace, and clearing his own character. Accordingly, on Friday, the fifth of April, 14 physicians appeared at the graves. The body of PERRY was dug up and examined. The stomach was taken out and carried into a house, where the physicians tried many chemical experiments on the contents, and it was ascertained beyond a doubt that there was a considerable quantity of arsenic in the stomach, which was much corroded. The physicians reported that his death was occasioned by arsenic. WATKINS was informed of the opinion of the physicians about 3 o’clock next morning; he shortly after went out of his house and in about an hour and a half was found in the woods, 15 or 20 rods from the house, suspended by a handkerchief to a small bush, his legs, part of his body, and his hands on the ground – on examination he was found to be dead. The physicians proceeded to examine the body of Mrs. WATKINS, and reported unanimously, that her death was occasioned by vegetable and mineral poison. A coroner’s inquest was summoned to sit on the body of WATKINS, who shortly returned with a verdict of suicide. Yesterday, Mrs. PERRY was taken into custody, and is this day to be examined. WATKINS and PERRY, with their families, resided in this county about a year. Two children have died out of each family since last fall, and it is generally believed that some of their deaths were also occasioned by the wicked hands of WATKINS. Mrs. WATKINS was delivered of a stillborn child previous to her death. [Transcriber’ Note: The nux vomica tree of Southeast Asia bears the poisonous seeds that are the source of the medicinal alkaloids strychnine and brucine.] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DC-Old-News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NewspaperAbstracts.com - Finding our ancestors in the news! TM http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com