Poisoned His Wife

A special from Williamston, NC, of July 24th, to the News and Observer, contains the following horrible account of a man poisoning his wife:

On Thursday last one Theodore COUNCIL, a young man about 22 years old, white, went to the town of Robertsonville, in this county, accompanied by his wife.  He called at the store of J.W. ANDERSON & Co., and bought a package of rough on rats.  He asked at the time if it would kill a person.  The clerk told him it would.  he then procured some whiskey and deposited the rough on rats in it.  On his return home he induced his wife to drink it and before getting to her home she was taken deathly sick.  He took her home and pretended to go for a physician, but did not go and left her there to die, and has fled.  She died very suddenly on last Friday morning.  It was not till her father was sent for, and he went for a physician, that the above facts were brought out.  Her remains are buried.  Upon investigation the fact that a murder had been committed became so plain that a coroner’s inquest and post mortem examination was demanded.  The lady’s remains were disinterred on yesterday, and a post mortem examination made by Dr. W.H. HARRELL, county superintendent of the board of health.  The coroner’s jury has been on the case since Monday, and rendered a verdict today of murder.  COUNCIL is still at large and strenuous effort is being made to arrest.

Source: Roanoke Beacon, 9 August 1889.  Available online at digitalnc.org.