Murder by Microbe.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7944, 6 October 1905, Page 2

Murder by Microbe.

Tho Jtruukl.vn City coroner lias set die law in motion against a man Carlton by name, of Jlrilish nationality, whd is suspected of having murdered his second wife by injecting into her arm blood obtained from a cat ,inoculated with deadly virus. Mrs Carlton died in the hospital on March'lo, tetanus having resulted from «', mysterious poisoning of her right arm, According to Carlton's version, l-hc cat- was found to have a scratch over its 'eye, and his wife put vaseline mi the'spot with her bare hand. Tho cat became worse, and finally, Carlton says, he chloroformed it. His wife 'died about five or six, days after the cat was killed.

A witness in 'the case states that she saw Carlton making hypodermic, injections into his wife's arm during her illness. This is a sufficiently serious chnrgv, but it is made worse by tiro statement that Carlton's first wife I'died umler similar mysterious circumstances. She was « Miss .J'enuio Smyth, and soon after marriage Carlton induced tar to insure her life for £4OO. In letters to Mr Smyth/lw gave no ,iewer than three different stories as to how his wife dii d. One Stated that she stepped on a needle , another that she walked out barefooted in the road : still another was that she stepped on a tin-tack. In these two charges is the suggest ion i of most sensational revelations. Carlton is it years old, and claimed to I be un 'expert in the action of drugs. His ncijiiuintances say he always carried with him a variety of phials i and pills, as well as a hypodermic syringe.