An American Charge of Poisoning a Husband

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 71, 3 December 1889, Page 3

An American Charge of Poisoning a Husband

A despatch from Kansas City to the New York World says: — A case which some may urge, resembles that of Mrs Maybrick was ended on Tuesday wf j ek by the full and unconditional pardon of Mrs Henrietta Cook, of Osborne County, Kansas, by Gove r nor Humphrey. She bad been confined in the State penitentiary for over rhirteea years, with a death sentence Constantly hangiiig over her. The woman had mar ie 1 in Illinois in 1866, and she and her husband did not live happily together. One day he was taken vry.ill in the field and was carried home and nursed hy his wife until she was worn out, when she ,vas taken to a neighbour's house to rest. During her absence her husband died, and as she bad shortly before obtained strychnine from' a neighbour, the dead man's stomach was examined,, strychnine was found in it, and she was arrested,, tried, convicted, and sentenced to be confined in the penitentiary until the governor should order, her execution. Three years ago two hunters appeared before the State Board of Pardons and swore that Cook, who had been with them on hunts, had used strychnine for heart troubles. This bore out Mrs Cook's statements, and the Board investigated further and found that the woman had suffered wrongfully and recommended ber pardon to the Governor Martiu, who did not act but Governor Humphrey has now pardoned her.