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THE BOYER MURDER.
\nTUESDAY.<\/p>\nAt about half past ten o’clock, Charles Wagner, the prisoner to be arraigned for the murder of Louisa Boyer, is brought into the Court-room by officer Feeler; after the removal of the cuffs ornamenting his wrists, seats himself, and is soon absorbed in animated conversation with his counsel. In appearance he is not what may be called a prepossessing youth, nor is he what might be called a dandy, bestowing more than ordinary care upon his person. In short, we have before us, instead of the \u201cnice young man\u201d or gay Lothario, we had pictured to our mind’s eye, a very common clodhopper. He looks rather clumsy, but not a bit scared. His step-brother, ‘Squire Wagner, of Lehighton, who has taken a very active part in preparing the defence, a lady who, from her age and sorrowing looks, is supposed to be prisoner’s mother, are at his side. Hon. Chas. Albright, Allen Craig, and W. M. Rapsher are the gentlemen engaged for the defence, while Mr. E. J. Fox and Dist. Atty. Siewers will conduct the case for the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n
When called on to plead, the prisoner pleads \u201cNot Guilty\u201d to the indictment, and the trial proceeds and the following jury impanneled\u2014<\/p>\n
Samuel Heist, of Mauch Chunk;
\nAaron Bennyhoff, of East Mauch Chunk;
\nJohn Page, Jr., of Upper Mauch Chunk;
\nWm. Kling, of Upper Mauch Chunk;
\nRichard Koons, of Lehighton;
\nCharles F. Miller, of Mauch Chunk;
\nJosiah Bowman, of Bowmansville;
\nPaul Dauner, of Penn Forest;
\nHenry McGinley, of Mahoning;
\nJosiah Musselman, of Mahoning;
\nEd. Seamager, of Mauch Chunk.<\/p>\nWEDNESDAY.<\/p>\n
Shortly after the opening of Court, Dist. Atty. Siewers opened the case to the jury in an able and lengthy expose of what he claimed to be the facts in the case, all of which he hoped the prosecution would be able to prove to the satisfaction of the jury. His speech was attentively listened to, but contained, on the whole, little which has not already appeared in print.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Mary Boyer, mother of deceased: Don’t know the name of the township I live in. My husband died about two years ago. Had five children\u20144 still living. The girl Louisa who died was about 22 years of age. She died on a Monday morning at about 4 o’clock. She had been well before that. She was home on Saturday; also on Saturday night, when Chas. Wagner visited her. He stayed until morning. The two were down stairs in the large room. He may have been at our house 10 or 15 times before, he would come at intervals of 2 or 3 weeks. My daughter kept no other company. On Sunday evening the two had been to church. Shortly after her return she was suddenly taken with a very severe spell of vomiting. Applied remedies, and sent for Dr. Kreamer, who came, but all efforts were in vain, as she died between 4 and 5 o’clock.<\/p>\n
Cross-examined: Deceased was my oldest child. She had never been sick to any extent. A box of pills was found by us in her bonnet-box, which latter was in her chest. Didn’t know of this box of pills until after her death. It may have been half past eight o’clock when Wagner came to our house on Saturday evening. Can’t tell at what time he left. He returned to our house on Sunday afternoon, and in the evening left with Louisa, Adelaide and Levi for the M. E. Church. Was absent when they returned. It was between 10 and 11 o’clock when they returned. Levi was the first to come up stairs. Milly Ann came next, then Adelaide, Moses was already abed. Louisa came up after Adelaide, perhaps 10 minutes after. Was down stairs in the sitting room waiting for Louisa to come in, after which I returned up stairs. Can’t exactly tell what time it was when I sent for the doctor; sent Levi and Adelaide; the doctor lived at Millport. Wagner had been frequenting our house for about 2 years. Louisa and Sarah Sterling had been to Mauch Chunk on the 12th of last March. I wasn’t along. She has never been to Slatington; was at Bowman’s in July; she then went in the truck wagon; Mrs. Sterling lived at our house. Question: Isn’t Mrs. Sterling a sort of a female doctor\u2014sort of a midwife? Objected to as incompetent and not cross-examination. Never heard that Mrs. Sterling was a female doctress. Mrs. Sterling worked considerably for us. Never heard that Louisa and Wagner were engaged to be married. Wagner came to see her regularly. He never ate at our house but once; never slept here until the time when Louisa lay in the house a corpse. Had no objections to the attention paid by him to my daughter. Asked Louisa if there was anything wrong with her and if there were to tell me. She frequently complained of weakness about the region of the breast; told her if there was anything wrong with her she should go to consult a doctor. Told Louisa that if she were not in the family-way, she should go to a doctor. This might have been about two months before her death. She would only complain at intervals. It was in June when I told her to get something from the doctor for her weakness. Can’t tell where the pills were obtained. Know nothing of them until they were found. Know John Straub. Question: Didn’t you tell Straub that you didn’t believe that Wagner gave your daughter poison? Objected to as immaterial and irrelevant which objection is overruled. Witness now explains: Wagner’s mother told me that her son had had no money to buy poison\u2014said nothing to Straub, he wasn’t present when I had the conversation with Mrs. Wagner. Remember his presence in our orchard when we gathered apples, but said nothing of the kind to him then. Straub told me that Kresge was willing to bet $100 that Wagner hadn’t bought the poison. Didn’t know my daughter was pregnant. When I went up stairs on that Sunday night Louisa went out into the kitchen to get something to eat. Louisa was well at the time she departed for church, nor did she complain immediately on her return. She helped herself to the candle that was then standing on the table. Harrison Straub is a brother of mine. Did not tell him that Louisa had done that to procure an abortion. Am acquainted with Mrs. Francis Kern. Question: Did you tell her that Wagner was a good boy, and that you believed he had nothing to do with it? Objected to and sustained. Knew Geo. Deppe; he didn’t come to see Louisa.<\/p>\n
Milly Ann Boyer, a child ten years old, is now brought forward to testify, but the Court very properly refuse to permit her to be sworn. Her age very naturally protects her somewhat against the importunities of the limbs of the mighty law. Having chatted from her, however, that she had some faint and very indefinite idea of hell-fire and brimstone, she is sworn and permitted to testify: Was in Louisa and Charles Wagner’s company when they were on their return home on the Sunday before Louisa died. They were talking, and I heard Wagner say to Louisa, \u201cthis won’t hold water.\u201d They then walked on until they came to where we usually turned over the fence, when they stopped a few minutes to talk. I went into the house, and Charles Wagner went across the fields home.<\/p>\n
Cross-examined: Didn’t hear them saying anything else while on the way home, except what I have stated. They were talking all the while, but not loud enough so I could understand it.<\/p>\n
Adelaide Boyer: Am 17 years old; Was along at the prayer meeting on the evening previous to the night of my sister’s death. I came home with Levi, and Louisa with Wagner, Levi and I returned first. Wagner didn’t come into the house. Louisa went for the coffee-pot to get a drink of coffee. I went up stairs. Louisa came up a few minutes afterwards. I soon fell asleep. When I got awake Louisa was vomiting violently. Levi and I went for the doctor. Wagner was at our house to see Louisa on the Saturday before. He used to come frequently. Don’t know at what time he used to leave, as I would invariably retire to bed.<\/p>\n
Cross-examined: Louisa didn’t vomit at the time we (Levi and I) went for the doctor.<\/p>\n
Dr. J. C. Kreamer: Am a practising physician at Millport, Lower Towamensing twp. Was called on Sunday night, or rather Monday morning, August 21st, between 3 and 4 o’clock. Repaired to the Boyer residence, where I found the girl Louisa in spasms; she was not vomiting, nor had she any pain. Saw some of the vomit. I think after she was dead. Mrs. Boyer showed it to me. But very little pulse after I got there. Couldn’t judge of the nature of her complaint by the symptoms. Some of the symptoms of arsenical poisoning were wanting in her case. Assisted at the post-mortem examination. From the symptoms and appearance of the stomach, &c., after death, I concluded that she had died from some virulent poison. Met Wagner on the morning of her death. He asked me whether Louisa was dead. I told him she was. He said there was entirely too much talk about the matter. Asked him whether he had given her anything to produce an abortion. He said no, that he had no money to buy medicine for her. He denied having been anywhere to purchase medicine, saying that if I could prove that he had been anywhere to buy medicine, I might get a rope and hang him. He denied having been at Lehighton on the Saturday before. He appeared greatly excited, trembled and claimed to feel chilly; this was at about 6 a. m.; I was coming from Boyer’s, and he was going to work. Think I asked him whether he knew she was dead. Saved the stomach wrapped it up in paper and subsequently gave it to Dr. Stapp who put it in a bottle. Had no personal knowledge of her pregnancy at the time I spoke to Boyer. The principal symptoms of pregnancy is excessive weakness.<\/p>\n
Cross-examined: Never had any experience in cases of arsenical poisoning before this. The symptoms are similar to those of cholera morbus. When I met Chas. Wagner, think I asked him: what have you and Louisa Boyer done? He replied \u201cnothing.\u201d I said \u201cyes you did\u201d and then told him that Louisa was in the family-way; he said \u201che didn’t know\u201d that they had never \u201ctalked\u201d that way. Asked him whether he had procured any medicine for Louisa; he said \u201cno\u201d that he thought such medicines would be very high and he had no money to buy any. Said he hadn’t been inside of a drug store. Didn’t tell him at the time I had found a box of pills which I then had about my person. Don’t know what pills (whose make) they were. Mrs. Boyer handed the box to me; she had found them up stairs. I left them subsequently at Eber’s Drug store. Dr. Stapp used the knife at the post mortem. The contents of the stomach consisted principally of fluids. Got some 4 or 6 oz bottles from Mrs. Boyer. Rinsed them before filling them. Took it to Mauch Chunk on the afternoon after the funeral. Dr. Stapp divided the stomach with his knife. There were some dark spots on it. It also appeared to be inflamed, and there were some white spots visible about it. Took it home with me, carrying it under the seat of my carriage. Can’t say whether I stopped anywhere on the way. Arrived at home, placed the stomach and bottles on a chair in my office. My office wasn’t locked. Next took it (done up in the identical paper) to Dr. De Young’s office in this place for analyses, which he declined to do for certain reasons. Had it in my care from the time I left home until my arrival at the hotel. Had it in my hand most of the time. Had not assisted at post mortem examinations before. Some fevers are accompanied by inflammation of the stomach. Typhoid fever for example. In cases of cholera morbus there would certainly be inflammation of the stomach. Didn’t examine the white specks upon the coating of the stomach. Knew Louisa Boyer some 17 or 18 years ago. Attended her some 10 years ago. She was a remarkably healthy person.<\/p>\n
Dr. Stapp: Am Coroner of Carbon county, a practitioner of six years standing. Conducted the post mortem on body of Louisa Boyer on 27th of August last. There were some white spots upon the inner lining, looked like powder. On examination of the womb found that deceased had been pregnant about three months. The fluid I put in a bottle which I gave to Dr. De Young. The stomach we brought along, placed it in a bottle, sealed it and took it along home. Placed it under lock and key at my office, and on the following day placed it in the hands of Dr. Erwin. At the request of District Attorney Siewers, the body was subsequently disinterred, the heart, liver and intestines removed, and placed in the hands of Dr. Erwin, who took them away for analyses. The body exhumed was that of Louisa Boyer, and had assumed a rose-colored hue.<\/p>\n
The symptoms of poisoning are similar to those of lead poisoning. Have heard of persons attacked by cholera morbus, dying within 5 hours after being taken ill.<\/p>\n
Cross-examination: Dr. Kreamer informed me that there had been violent purging on the evening of her decease. Was provided with bottles when I went to make the post mortem. The second post mortem was made at the instance of the District Attorney. At the second examination the intestines were of bright yellow color\u2014more so than most American coins. The whole intestines were more or less of that color. The face of the corpse was just entering into a state of decomposition. There was no more peculiar smell than is generally the case under such circumstances. Never conducted a post mortem before. Dr. Kreamer and myself went home in company when we left Boyer’s at the close of the post mortem.<\/p>\n
Subsequent to the departure of county coroner, Mr. Wm. Stapp, Hon. Levi Wentz, Dr. De Young and Chas. M. Ebert were called on to testify, but as their testimony only tended to corroborate some of the testimony already in, their particular testimony may be dispensed with. With regard to Hon. Levi Wentz, however, it may not be amiss to state that he also related, as had Dr. Kreamer before him, how the prisoner had denied to him having purchased poison, saying to him, as he had to Dr. K.: \u201cIf you find that I’ve done so, you may get a rope to hang with.\u201d<\/p>\n
THURSDAY.<\/p>\n
At this writing, 9 a. m. the Court-room is densely crowded.<\/p>\n
Louisa Boyer: Am grandmother of the deceased girl. Was in the house on the night she was taken sick, but was in bed at the time. About midnight I was aroused, got up and made some tea for her. She was vomiting considerably. This lasted until between 3 and 4 o’clock. Can’t tell what color the vomit was. Was present when she died. Know Walter Straub, he was not near at the time Louisa was taken sick.\u2014He was there once about a year before, he ate dinner with us then. He came alone. He and his father came to us once last winter\u2014they then wanted to borrow some money. Walter’s father and Laura’s mother were brother and sister.<\/p>\n
Cross-examined: The Straubs farm a small place, and keep a kind of a store. Walter studied medicine at Philadelphia. Can’t tell how long he was there. The defence now attempt to make appear as if Walt. Straub might have administered the poison, or procured the pills. They are evidently straining at a gnat. The color of what she threw up wasn’t noticed particularly\u2014it looked whiter than water.<\/p>\n
Dr. Kreamer recalled: Defendant told me that the only time he had lately been from home had been when he was at the gap to buy a load of watermelons, but they were too high, so he did not buy any.<\/p>\n
John Kinstone: Assisted at the burial of Lou. Boyer, and describes the manner in which her remains were placed in the grave. He also assisted at the exhumation, and points out Dr. Erwin as one of the parties present. Knew Louisa well while living. It was her body we took up.<\/p>\n
Charles W. Lentz: Am druggist at Lehighton, nearly opposite the Carbon House. Know the prisoner. On the 14th of August last he called to my store inquiring whether we sold rat poison. Told me he had been instructed by his mother to buy some; instructed him how to use it, and how to handle it; he bought two packages, each containing one half ounce \u201cRatten-gift\u201d or arsenic acid\u2014arsenic; these are the packages he obtained from me; they were perfect when I gave them to him; he came again on horse-back on Monday following, told me that a girl had suddenly died in his neighborhood, and if any one asked, say he hadn’t been here; hinted at paying me well for not saying anything; he also told me that there was some talk about arresting him. He said he had money coming from his guardian; he again called on Wednesday following said: \u201chere I brought the poison back, to convince you that the packages have not been opened,\u201d returning to me them, I left. The poison was subsequently left at Miller’s [or Miller’s Hotel?], who placed it in his safe; shortly afterward Mr. Rapsher came to me and desired me to take the packages back. He (Wagner) wrapped the packages in a newspaper (on Wednesday evening) before he placed them in his safe; refused to accept them back because I didn’t wish to become an accessory after the fact.<\/p>\n
Wm. M. Rapsher, being now called Gen. Albright promptly comes to his rescue by interposing the question of privilege. He objects, files his objections, argues the point at length, but his arguments and the reasons assigned are not suffered to prevail. Mr. Rapsher therefore testifies: Don’t recollect when I delivered the packages to ‘Squire Beck; it may or it may not have been on the 28th of August (witness grows nervous); don’t know whether it was delivered in same condition to ‘Squire Beck as it was when I received it.<\/p>\n
‘Squire Beck: Live at Lehighton; remember receiving a package from Mr. Rapsher on the evening of the 28th of August, at about 8 o’clock; put it in my safe, where I kept it until I delivered it to the District Attorney on the 7th of October; so far as I know it was then in the same condition it had been when received (holds up a paper); it was done up in paper like this. Cross-examination develops nothing at variance in what he stated before.<\/p>\n
F. H. Siewers: Called at Mr. Beck’s office on 7th of October, when I received this package and kept it in my possession until I delivered it to Dr. Erwin for analysis, on the 8th.<\/p>\n
Robert Marshlitz: Live at Millport; know Wagner was at Lehighton on 23d August; Louisa Boyer was buried that forenoon; saw Wagner coming out of Lentz’s drug-store as I was going in.<\/p>\n
Cross-examination: Was at the funeral; saw Wagner there, this was at about 11 a. m.; came to Lehighton by train; saw Wagner in Lehighton at about 6 p. m.; subsequently saw him coming up the street, accompanied by William Wagner.<\/p>\n
Wilson Mushlitz: Live at Lehigh Gap; Charles Wagner was at my house shortly before the death of Louisa Boyer; he claimed to be on his way to Lehighton to buy a suit of clothes.<\/p>\n
Herman Voight: Was lock tender for Mauch [unclear] in August, 1876. He was preparing [unclear]. He bought a watermelon, which he ate, and said he wanted to go to Weissport.<\/p>\n
Dr. B. S. Erwin: Practised medicine since ’71. Studied chemistry, of course; always took special delight in it. On the afternoon of August 26th, received at Mr. Siewers’ office, what was said to be the stomach of the late Louisa Boyer, which I subsequently placed in the care of Mr. Twining, paying teller of the First Nat. Bank, for safe keeping. We afterwards had the body exhumed, in order to subject it to another examination. We secured some of the intestines, the heart and liver. In the course of our examinations we also found a foetus showing that the girl had been about in her third month of pregnancy. The doctor then enlarged upon the various chemical tests to which the parts secured had been subsequently subjected, all of which tended to show conclusively that the girl had died of arsenious poisoning. Not being a chemist, nor versed in chemical phraseology, I cannot of course enter into the details of the doctor’s lengthy lecture on and practical illustration of modern chemistry. Am satisfied that the girl took the arsenic in powder\u2014at least 50 or 60 grains, and died from arsenious poisoning. The tests applied are, in my opinion, all sufficient to establish the fact as the cause of the girl’s death.<\/p>\n
Dr. Chandler: Am Professor of Chemistry at the Lehigh University. The tests applied by Dr. Erwin I consider correct. They prove conclusively the presence of arsenic. No other substance would produce the same results. The yellow spots referred to I should consider as indicating the presence of arsenic. From 2 to 3 grains of arsenic are held to be sufficient to produce death, etc.<\/p>\n
Cornelius Boyer: Arrested Chas. Wagner, Josiah Miller, of Weissport assisted me. Did not ask him to make a statement of the case to me. Went to Wagner’s house. Not knowing Charles, I pretended to be after pigs. Took him at some distance from the house. He shook as if he had the fever and ague. He declared he innocent to me, said he had neither bought nor given her poison. Gen. Albright objects to the evidence when it is proposed to give what prisoner told the officer at the jail, objected to, and objection overruled. He owned having purchased 20 cts. worth of arsenic at Lehighton, part of which he had mixed with meal to poison rats. He also told me where he had bought it\u2014right opposite R[a]udenbush’s Hotel. Told me this in his cell. Was in his cell 4 or 5 times. It was during the first conversation I had with him that he told me about buying the poison. Can’t exactly tell what transpired at each particular visit (witness is getting somewhat \u201cmixed up\u201d). Had a horse and wagon when I went to arrest him. Suppose his clothes were wet from sweating, if they were wet at all. I swore out the warrants for his arrest. He said he suspected a young man named Straub as the party who had poisoned the girl.<\/p>\n
Josiah Miller: Was in Boyer’s company when we arrested Wagner. We stopped at Wagner’s and went in, but at first arrested the wrong man. When we had arrested Charles, he declared he had not bought any poison. When he arrived he claimed to have been at Paul Kresge’s. On the way we stopped at Boyer’s. Mrs. Boyer came out saying: \u201cOh Charles, what made you do this! we have plenty of land and your mother has plenty of land, we could have gotten along even if Louisa should have got a child; what made you do this! Why didn’t you come into the house last Sunday? were you afraid she might have died on your lap! to all which he made no reply.\u201d<\/p>\n
Francis Schillinger: Owed Wagner some money in the month of August. He never came to get it.<\/p>\n
Cross-examined: Didn’t see him anywhere in August. Saw him once in company of 2 others. Saw him at Wistler’s.<\/p>\n
Albert C. Snyder: Was at the post-mortem examination. Took charge of a bottle containing part of the stomach, which I subsequently gave to Dr. Stapp. Got the bottle at the house at Boyer’s. Kept it about me until I gave it to Dr. Stapp. It was corked; didn’t open it.<\/p>\n
Walter Straub: Live in Philadelphia at present, where I am studying medicine. My home is near the Lehigh Gap. Louisa Boyer and I were cousins. Did not give her any poison.<\/p>\n
Cross-examined: Wasn’t before the Grand Jury in October, but had been subpoenaed to do so. Didn’t try to evade service of subpoena by telling my boarding mistress to deny my presence. Don’t remember when Louisa was last at our house.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Sterling: One day in July went to Bowman’s with Louisa Boyer. I was also in her company at another time, when in Mauch Chunk, she came there to buy some goods. Bought calico, alpaca, trimmings, etc. After transacting our business, and eating dinner, Louisa bought some candles and oranges, and I bought some medicinal ointment at a drug store, after which we went down street for the train.<\/p>\n
The Commonwealth then offer in evidence a photograph of the two packages of poison, to which the defence object, but their objection is overruled by the Court, and Com. rests.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This engraving appears in Allan Pinkerton’s The Molly Maguires and the Detectives, copyrighted in 1877. The illustration is captioned: The trial at Mauch Chunk was attended by all the celebrities of the Carbon County bar. It depicts a Molly Maguire trial, not the Louisa Boyer murder case, but it is associated with courtroom proceedings in Mauch Chunk during precisely the period Walter Straub testified.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The trial continued the following week and, on Saturday, January 27, 1877, in an article entitled “The Wagner Case,” the author related the verdict.<\/p>\n
THE WAGNER CASE.
\nFRIDAY.\u2014 Dr. Kreamer: Asked Louisa where she got the medicine, she either said at Lehighton or Mauch Chunk; asked her again from whom; she said “er”\u2014he\u2014gave it to her; asked whether there was any of it about the house, said yes, up stairs; Mrs. Boyer went and returned with a box of pills; had them in my possession until last Monday morning, when I gave them to ex-Sheriff Stocker.<\/p>\nCross-examined: When I asked her whether she had any more she said “no,” that she had thrown it in the stove; when I asked her what it looked like, she said “weiss, nie mehl”\u2014white as flour; this was in reply to my question; Mr. Siewers frequently sent messengers for the pills; didn’t have them at Harrisburg.<\/p>\n
Re-direct: Did not hear her say to her mother that she shouldn’t say about it; can’t tell what the pills were intended for, except that they might have been regulating pills.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Boyer: Previous to her death, Louisa told me not to say anything about her having taken the pills; this was up stairs; she didn’t tell me why I shouldn’t say anything about it; gave her all I could think of; she had been vomiting an hour before she told me; asked no questions; didn’t think of asking her where she got the stuff; it was through the conversation between her and the doctor that I first heard about the pills; gave them to Dr. Kreamer.\u2014Didn’t hear all Louisa told him.<\/p>\n
Adelaide Boyer: Don’t remember having been at Straub’s on a Sunday in July in Louisa, Levi, and Charles Wagner’s company.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Boyer: Remember that Louisa and Chas. went carriage-riding one Sunday in July, but don’t remember the date.<\/p>\n
Edgar Twining: The jar or bottle Dr. Erwin gave me for safe keeping, was returned to him in the same condition as it was when he gave it to me. Prosecution rests.<\/p>\n
Hon. Allen Craig then submits the case to the jury for the defense.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Wagner, the prisoner’s mother, was the first witness called, but nothing further than that she had sent her son for “rattengift” was elicited.<\/p>\n
Millie Shafer, had, in the course of a conversation with Louisa Boyer, had some weeks previous to her decease, quizzed her on the marriage question, etc., and Samuel Ziegenfuss, James Straub, Reuben Stemler and Charles Mcendsen, on being called, gave the prisoner about an average character.<\/p>\n
John H. Weiss: Reside in the neighborhood of the Wagner’s; knew prisoner; his reputation has always been good.<\/p>\n
Robert McDaniel, another neighbor, testified about the same, as did Samuel Straub, Hiram Straub, Jacob Straub, Stephen Lentz, Francis Kundt and Samuel Ziegenfuss, also Thomas Schoenberger, who had stayed one night in Wagner’s company at Boyer’s house.<\/p>\n
John Strohl: On the day of Charles Wagner’s arrest it rained at about 11 a. m. He then refers to a conversation had with Mrs. Boyer shortly after the death of Louisa, in which he claims she had said to him “If Charley procured the poison, Louisa must have given him the money!” Counsel for the Commonwealth object to what Mrs. Boyer might have believed which objection is sustained by the Court. He also knows that the Wagner’s had plenty of rats.<\/p>\n
Margaret Kern: A neighbor of Wagner’s knows that their house was infested by rats; was at Boyer’s at the time of Louisa’s death; saw Mrs. Boyer and Mrs. Wagner there.<\/p>\n
Dr. Kreamer re-called by Commonwealth. Heard Mrs. Wagner say that they had no poison about the house anyhow that Charley couldn’t have bought any as he had no money; referred to “rattengift.”<\/p>\n
Judge Wentz: Was present when the “rattengift” conversation took place (we have no poison in the house, and where would he get money to buy any? he had no money.)<\/p>\n
John Sterling: Witness corroborates the poison story.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Sterling: Was at Mrs. Wagner’s when she bought rat poison. They were then pestered with rats; when I worked for her during harvest she told me the rats were all gone. She also speaks of Mrs. Wagner’s remarks, that her son had no money to buy poison.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Boyer: Mrs. Wagner was at our house on the day Louisa died; Mrs. B. then relates Mrs. Wagner’s poison story.<\/p>\n
Mr. Siewers, the district attorney, opened for the commonwealth on Friday afternoon. He was followed by Messrs. Craig and Rapsher for the prisoner. On Saturday morning Mr. Fox closed for the prosecution. The speeches on both sides are said to have been very able. Judge Dreher’s charge was a careful review of the testimony, and was characterized by his usual impartiality. The Jury, after being out seven hours, at 11 o’clock p. m., returned a verdict of not guilty, to the great delight of the prisoner and his friends.<\/p>\n
Wagner was immediately re-arrested and put under two thousand dollars bail on a charge of attempting to produce an abortion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The particularly interesting Straub testimony<\/h3>\n
The January 20 account contains several references worth examining closely.\u00a0Louisa Boyer’s grandmother testified:<\/p>\n
Know Walter Straub, he was not near at the time Louisa was taken sick.\u2014He was there once about a year before, he ate dinner with us then. He came alone. He and his father came to us once last winter\u2014they then wanted to borrow some money. Walter’s father and Laura’s mother were brother and sister.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I think they meant to write Louisa here rather than Laura. Walter and Louisa were cousins; their father and mother were siblings.<\/p>\n
The newspaper then commented on the defense’s questioning:<\/p>\n
The Straubs farm a small place, and keep a kind of a store. Walter studied medicine at Philadelphia. Can’t tell how long he was there. The defence now attempt to make appear as if Walt. Straub might have administered the poison, or procured the pills. They are evidently straining at a gnat.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Walter Straub himself testified:<\/p>\n
Walter Straub: Live in Philadelphia at present, where I am studying medicine. My home is near the Lehigh Gap. Louisa Boyer and I were cousins. Did not give her any poison.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Cornelius Boyer, who arrested Charles Wagner, also testified that Wagner had said he suspected a young man named Straub of poisoning Louisa.<\/p>\n
These accounts are especially valuable because they provide direct contemporary evidence of Walter’s relationship to Louisa, his medical studies in Philadelphia, and his family’s residence near Lehigh Gap.\u00a0Importantly, Walter was called as a witness. The defense evidently attempted to raise suspicion about him, but the newspaper’s own reporter was openly skeptical of that suggestion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In 1877, David Walter Straub (known as Walter) was called to testify in the case of the death of his cousin, Louisa Boyer. David’s father Levi Straub (1829-1898) and Louisa’s mother, Mary Anna Straub (Boyer) were siblings, both children of David Straub (1802-1880). Louisa, just 20 at the time of her death, was three months…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[70,119,1],"tags":[81,137],"class_list":["post-11286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-carbon-county","category-colonial-life","category-genealogy-news","tag-boyer","tag-straub"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3viLY-2W2","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5505,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/st-johns-union-church-palmerton-pa\/","url_meta":{"origin":11286,"position":0},"title":"St. John\u2019s Union Church, Palmerton, PA","author":"Karen","date":"May 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"St. John\u2019s Union Church, also called Old Towamensing Church, and now known as St. John\u2019s Lutheran Church, was the second church built in what is now Carbon County. The land was purchased in 1798 and a log cabin structure built the following year. Reformed and Lutheran congregations worshiped there. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carbon County"","block_context":{"text":"Carbon County","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/places\/united-states\/pennsylvania\/carbon-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"St Johns Union Church April 2001","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/St-Johns-Union-Church-April-2001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/St-Johns-Union-Church-April-2001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/St-Johns-Union-Church-April-2001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/St-Johns-Union-Church-April-2001.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/St-Johns-Union-Church-April-2001.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/St-Johns-Union-Church-April-2001.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6299,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/indian-captivity-narratives\/","url_meta":{"origin":11286,"position":1},"title":"Indian Captivity Narratives","author":"Karen","date":"November 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"My husband and I both have ancestors who were abducted by native peoples in the 18th century. My ancestors were my sixth great grandfather, Henry Boyer, his son Frederick and his daughters, Dorothea and Catherine, who were taken in a raid of their Carbon County farm in 1755. Henry was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Frontier Conflicts"","block_context":{"text":"Frontier Conflicts","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/history\/frontier-conflicts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Indians walking in file with a captive man and two captive women, LOC","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Indians-walking-in-file-with-a-captive-man-and-two-captive-women-LOC-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10836,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/dry-lands-the-history-of-a-forgotten-pennsylvania-place-name\/","url_meta":{"origin":11286,"position":2},"title":"Dry Lands: The History of a Forgotten Pennsylvania Place-Name","author":"Karen","date":"November 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Dry Lands, also called Dryland, the Drylands, or the Barrens, was the name once given to a large area of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, between Bethlehem and Easton. The name described a region rather than a town with definite boundaries. It encompassed portions of what are now Bethlehem, Hanover, Lower\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Northampton County"","block_context":{"text":"Northampton County","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/places\/united-states\/pennsylvania\/northampton-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Drylands-Church-and-Pond-Header.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Drylands-Church-and-Pond-Header.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Drylands-Church-and-Pond-Header.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Drylands-Church-and-Pond-Header.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Drylands-Church-and-Pond-Header.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Drylands-Church-and-Pond-Header.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10674,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/lehigh-county-pennsylvania\/","url_meta":{"origin":11286,"position":3},"title":"Lehigh County, Pennsylvania","author":"Karen","date":"October 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Lehigh County, located in eastern Pennsylvania, is an important part of my family history. My LaBar ancestors, including my great-great-grandfather Jesse LaBar (1835\u20131913), his wife Permila Showeriskey (1838\u20131913), and their daughter Laura LaBarre (1858\u20131925), lived in Slatington. Laura married Dr. David Walter Straub, whose Straub (also Stroup and Straup) family\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lehigh County"","block_context":{"text":"Lehigh County","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/places\/united-states\/pennsylvania\/lehigh-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Delaware-and-Lehigh-rivers-at-Easton-Pa-1844-LOC-2004662002.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11073,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/towamensing-township-northampton-county-pa-1810-census\/","url_meta":{"origin":11286,"position":4},"title":"Towamensing Township, Northampton County, PA, 1810 Census","author":"Karen","date":"November 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This census was taken in 1810, before the township of Towamensing split into two and before that part of Northampton County became Carbon County. My 5th great grandfather, Theobald Straub (Dewald Stroup), appears here. The 1810 federal census recorded approximately 489 inhabitants in 84 households. The township had a notably\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carbon County"","block_context":{"text":"Carbon County","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/places\/united-states\/pennsylvania\/carbon-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1810-Towamensing-Census-Header.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1810-Towamensing-Census-Header.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1810-Towamensing-Census-Header.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1810-Towamensing-Census-Header.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1810-Towamensing-Census-Header.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1810-Towamensing-Census-Header.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6375,"url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/slatington-lehigh-county-pa-postcards\/","url_meta":{"origin":11286,"position":5},"title":"Slatington, Lehigh County, PA, Postcards","author":"Karen","date":"November 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"These are from my postcard collection. You may use these any way you like. I have higher res versions if you need it for printing or publishing. My Slatington ancestors were the Labars, Jesse and his daughter Laura, who married into the Straub family.","rel":"","context":"In "History"","block_context":{"text":"History","link":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/category\/history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"School Slate Factory, Slatington, PA","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/School-Slate-Factory-Slatington-PA.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/School-Slate-Factory-Slatington-PA.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/School-Slate-Factory-Slatington-PA.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/School-Slate-Factory-Slatington-PA.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mauch-Chunk-Pennsylvania-The-town-of-Mauch-Chunk-PA-located-at-the-foot-of-Mount-Pisgah-by-the-Lehigh-River-Wood-engraving-American-c-1874-Granger-Collection-Crop-SP.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11286"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11315,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286\/revisions\/11315"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.karenfurst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-trial-at-Mauch-Chunk-was-attended-by-all-the-celebrities-of-the-Carbon-County-bar-Allan-Pinkertons-The-Molly-Maguires-and-the-Detectives-1877.jpg\")