Note: Some sources give the spelling "Earhart," others have "Earhardt" or "Earheart."
FULL
TEXT: Another female poisoner has been brought to justice. Recently, at
Germantown, Ohio, public attention was attracted to the simultaneous poisoning
by arsenic of three members of a family named Hanna, while visiting the house
of a kinswoman, one Sarah Earhardt. Fortunately the amount administered to each
of the intended victims proved insufficient to cause death. Upon investigation
evidence was produced, if correct, proving the woman Earlhardt to be as great a
monster as either Lydia Sherman, Jane Ann Cotton or Mrs. Grinder. She is now in
custody on a charge of having attempted to take the lives of the three Hannas,
and it is to be the intention of the State prosecuting counsel to introduce
testimony at the trial to show that she has poisoned her husband, her son’s
wife, her son-in-law’s child, and her husband’s first wife, all within a few
years. Minor crimes, such its the poisoning of juvenile animals and the burning
of numerous houses, are also said to be among the number of her achievements.
By the death of the Hannas she would have come into possession of a
considerable amount of property. The most extraordinary circumstance in
connection with this case is that the woman is upward of seventy years of age.
***
FULL TEXT (“Earheart” in original): Germantown, Montgomery
County, Ohio, has a sensational poisoning case. Sarah Earheart [sic], an old
woman seventy years of age, is charged with putting arsenic into the coffee-pot
of a family named Hanna, while enjoying their hospitality at dinner. The
Earhearts hand Hannas are connected by marriage; Michael Earheart, the old lady’s
son, having married Mary Hanna, who is a daughter of Mary Hanna, who is a
daughter of John Hanna, Se., about a year ago. The families have always been
intimate and friendly until now. John Hanna, Sen., aged sixty; John, about
thirty-six, and Catharine, thirty-five, all partook of the coffee. They were
seized with violent vomiting, and remained sick for several days. Catharine
sent for Dr. Donnelan, who examined the coffee pot, and discovered small
granules, which he took to be white arsenic. She was arrested, together with
her son, Mike, and examined before a magistrate. Catharine stated, that after
dinner was over, when she was putting the things away, old Mrs. Earhart took a
seat near the stove in the outdoor kitchen, where she was at work; that she
asked her to go into the house, where it was pleasanter, but she declined,
saying the kitchen was good enough for her. The coffee pot was on the stove,
and the old woman sat within a foot and a half of it, and remained in the
kitchen while she was running back and forward to the house, and the cellar. It
is believed that it was at this time that the poison was dropped into the
coffee. This is, probably, not her first offence. She is accused of poisoning
her father, two of her children, and of burning her uncle’s barn about five
years ago. The bodies of her supposed victims are all to be disinterred this
week, and further horrible developments in confirmation of the dark hints
thrown out against her will be awaited for with patience.
[“News of the Week Condensed.” ‘The Wilmington Journal
(Oh.), May 22, 1873, p. 2]
***
FULL TEXT (translated from German): An old woman, named
Sarah Earhart (or Ehrhardt), and her son Michael were caught a few days ago in
Georgetown, near Dayton, O., on charges that they tried to poison the Hanna
family with coffee from the Clear paths. The Earhart family and the Hanna
family are Pennsylvania-German craftsmen. Mrs. Earhart is over 70 years old,
her son about 32 years. The latter married Mary Hanna about a year ago. The old
and the young couple visited the Hanna family on April 22nd, and on this
occasion the old woman, who was working in the kitchen, threw arsenic into the
coffee pot, in which the rest of the coffee was should be warmed up for dinner.
The Earharts then left. Old Hanna (an 80-year-old man), his son John and his
daughter Katharine drank from the coffee and became violently ill. The doctor
who came over recognized the cause and a chemical analysis found poisoning.
The old woman is now accused of committing a whole series of
terrible crimes. Of course, as in all such cases, there may be a strong
exaggeration; however, the popular voice pronounces that the woman poisoned her
husband 18 or 20 years ago. It is also said that this monster had sent the
first wife of her son Michael out of the world by means of poison. It is said
that Michael's wife was less ill at the time and Dr. Hinkle was treated.
However, the doctor considered her condition to be so harmless that he canceled
his visits and entrusted the care of the patient to the old mother-in-law. In
less than 24 hours, the young woman was a corpse.
Furthermore, there is serious suspicion against this woman
that two or three years ago she poisoned the child of her son-in-law Martin
Foutz by sprinkling arsenic on the child's buttered bread. The child died under
acute symptoms of a poisoning.
Michael Earhart is also said to have had a woman in Indiana
who is said to have died suddenly before he married the allegedly poisoned
McLean. Michael denies, of course, that he had been married before his marriage
to the McLean, but when he was courted Miss McLean, he was considered a widower
throughout the area.
Shortly after Martin Foutz, a respected citizen of West
Alexandria, heard that the Hanna family was suffering from an arsenic disorder,
he fell into a dark, alienated mood and committed suicide a few weeks ago by
shooting himself. As previously reported, Martin Foutz was the son-in-law of
Sarah Earhart. He is said to have always shuddered before the old woman, a
disgust that he could not overcome even in the presence of other people. He did
not dare to look at the murderess and was visibly embarrassed even if his
mother-in-law was merely mentioned.
At that time there was no suspicion against the old woman
and therefore one could never explain the shy behavior of Foutz in the presence
of his mother-in-law. Foutz is said to have known, as is now suspected, that
his mother-in-law had poisoned his child and her son's wife. He did not dare to
bring the matter to the public in order to save the family from shame, but when
the enigmatic woman tried direct her lust for murder towards the Hanna family
as well, his mind was affected and he committed suicide.
In West Alexandria, where Sarah Earhart is well known, she
is openly accused of poisoning several neighbors whom she did not like. The
same woman is also said to have set fire to a house in Alexandria.
When the rumors of the countless previous crimes that she is
said to have committed came to her attention, and when her own brother
initially refused to provide the bond, she showed some excitement.
The bodies of the first wife of Michael Earhardt [sic] and
Martin Foutz's child will be excavated again and then examined.
[“A Modern Lucretia Borgia.” The German Correspondent
(Baltimore, Md.), May 22, 1873. P. 2]
***
FULL TEXT: Eine Greisin, Namens Sarah Earhart (oder Ehrhardt),
und deren Sohn Michael wurden vor einigen Tagen in Georgetown, bei Dayton, O., gefänglich
eingezogen unter der Anklage, daß sie versucht haben, die Familie Hanna durch vergifteten
Kaffee aus dem Wege zuräumen. Die Familie Earhart und die Familie Hanna sind pennsylvanisch-deutscher
Herkunst. Frau Earhart ist über 70Jahre alt, ihr Sohn ungefähr 32 Jahre. Letzterer
verheirathete sich vor etwa einem Jahre mit Mary Hanna. Die Alte und das junge Paar
waren am 22. April bei der Familie Hanna zu Besuch und bei dieser Gelegenheit warf
die Alte, welche sich in der Küche zu schaffen machte, Arsenik in den Kaffee-Topf,
,in dem der übrige Kaffee war, der zum Abendessen aufgewärmt werden sollte. Die
Earhart's gingen dann fort. Der alte Hanna (ein 80jähriger Mann), dessen Sohn John
und dessen Tochter Katharine tranken von dem Kaffee underkrankten hestig. Der herbeigerusene
Arzt erkannte die Ursache und ein eche mische Analyse stellte die Vergiftung fest.
Die alte Frau wird jetzt überall mit der Verübung einer ganzen
Reihe von furchtbaren Verbrechen beschuldigt. Natürlich mag, wie in allen derartigen
Fällen, auch hier eine starke Uebertreibung stattfinden; jedoch spricht sich die
Volksstimme dahin aus, dag das Weib vor 18 oder 20 Jahren seinen Gatten vergiftete.
Ferner heißt es daß dies Ungeheuer vor 17 Monaten die erste Frau ihres Sohnes Michael
vermittelst Gift aus der Welt befördert habe. Es heißt, daß Michael's Frau damals
leichter krankt war und von Dr. Hinkle behandelt wurde. Der Arzt hielt jedoch ihren
Zustand für so unbedenklich, daß er seine Besuche einstellate und der alten Schwiegermutter
die Pflege der Patientin anvertraute. In weniger als 24 Stunden war die junge Frau
eine Leiche.
Ferner liegt ein schwerer Verdacht gegen dies Weib vor, daß sie
vor 2 oder 3 Jahren das Kind ihres Schwiegersohnes Martin Foutz vergiftete, indem
sie dem Kinde Arsenik auf ein Butterbrod streute. Das Kind starb unter allen Symptomen
einer Vergiftung.
Michael Earhart soll ferner, ehe er sich mit der angeblich vergifteten
McLean verheirathet hat, in Indiana eine Frau gehabt haben, welche plötzlich gestorben
sein soll. Michael leugnet freilich, daß er vor seiner Ehe mit der McLean bereits
einmal verhenatbet gewesen wäre, als er jedoch um Fräul. McLean warb, galt er in
der ganzen Gegend für einen Wittwer.
Kurz nachdem Martin Foutz, ein anzesehe, ver Bürger von West-Alexandria,
hörte, daß die Familie Hanna in Folze einer Arsenikvergitiung erkrankt sei, verfiel
er in eine düstere verschlossene Stimmung und beging vor einigen Wochen Selbstmord
indem er sich erschoß. Martin Foutz war, wie oben schon gemeldet wurde, der Schwiegersohn
ver Sarah Earhart. Er soll stets einen wahren Schauder vor dem alten Weibe
gehabt haben, einen Abschen, den er selbst in Gegenwart from der Personen nicht überwinden
konnte. Er wagte das Mordweib nicht anzusehen und wurde
sichtlich verlegen, wenn nur von seiner Schwiegermutter die Rede war.
Damals lag noch gar kein Verdacht gegen die alte Frau vor
und deshalb konnte man sich das scheue Benehmen des Foutz in Gegen wart seiner
Schwiegermutter nie erklären. Foutz soll, wie man jetz Ursache zu vermuthen hat,
gewußt haben, daß seiner Schwiegermutter sein Kind und die Gattin ihres Sohnes
vergiftet hatte. Er wagte es nicht, die Sache an die Oeffentlichkelt zu
bringen, um der Familie die Schande zu ersparen, als aber das rätselhafte Weib
ihre Mordlust auch an der Familie Hanna zu kühlen suchte, da wurde sein Geist umnachtet
und er beging Selbstmord.
In West-Alexandria, wo die Sarah Earhart wohlvekannt ist,
beschuldigt man sie ganz offen der Vergiftung mehrerer Nachbarn, welche ihr
nicht gefielen. Ferner soll dasselbe Weib ein Haus in Alexandria in Brand gesteckt
haben.
Das surchtbare Weib legt eine fast unheimliche Ruhe und
Ueberlegung an den Tag. Alle aus ihre zahllosen Verbrechen bezüglichen Fragen
läßt sie unbeantwortet. Als die Gerüchte von dem Bekanntwerden der zahllosen früheren
Verbrechen, welche sie angeblich begangen haben soll, ihr zu Ohren kamen, und als ihr eigener Bruder sich zuerst
weigerte, die Bürgschaft zu stellen, legte sie einige Ausregung an den Tag.
Die Leichen der ersten Gattin des Michael Earhardt [sic] und des Kindes von
Martin Foutz werden wieder ausgegraben und dann untersucht werden.
[“Eine modern Lukretia Borgia.” Der Deutsche Correspondent
(Baltimore, Md.), 22. Mai 1873. P. 2]
***
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