Person Page - 239

MYSTERIOUS POISONING.
A Deadly Potion Administered to Nettie Olds in an Unknown Manner.
. . .
The police are greatly mystified over a hlghly sensational and mysterious case of poisoning, which was reported to the Cottage Grove avenue police late yesterday afternoon. Miss Nettie Olds, a young lady 23 years of age, living with her mother, Mrs. Harriet E.. Olds, at No. 2237 Michigan avenue, was found in her room a short time before that hour, in an unconscious condition. Her lips were badly burned as if by some acid, and when repeated calls failed to arouse the girl, medical aid was summoned, and the physicians at once said that the girl had been poisoned, and would probably die. The mothen and uncle of the girl made a direct accusation to the police that the poison had been administered by W. E. Rogers, a young man, 25 years of age, who had left the house a short time before the young woman's condition was discovered. A description was telegraphed to all the police stations to arrest the man for attempted murder. In the company of Rogers were two young men rooming at the house, by name Kelly and Flicken. These two apparently harmless young men, of the genus clerk, were soon aiding the officers in a
One officer learned that a young man answering the description of Rogers had arrived at the Twenty-second street depot in breathless haste, purchased a ticket for Worcester, Mass., and boarded the east bound Michigan Central train at 3:18 o'clock. Rogers came from Worcester, and the police, concluding that their bird had flown, telegraphed along the line to have him intercepted. This was, however, unnecessary, for, guided by Kelly and Flicken, Officers Trehorn, of tbe Central, and Leyden, of the Cottage Grove Avenue Station, traced Rogers to the house of friends, whom he was visiting on the North Side. He was locked up at tbe Central Station.
Rogers is a handsome young fellow—real cute many South Side young women have thought for the past two years, when he first began to display his charms along the avenues, after finishing his daily labor as clerk in a Madison street shoe store. He is 26 years of age, a trifle over five feet tall, weighs about 110 pounds. He dresses in the best of taste, and his manners are quite taking. A. F. Olds, brother of Mrs. Harriet E. Olds tells the story of Rogers’ relations with his niece, Miss Nettie. He says that he became acquainted with her two years ago, as he supposed, at a South Side skating rink. While gliding about
seems to have first slid into the hearts of the two young people. This grew into love, and Rogers was constant in his attentions to Miss Nettie. She knew, and her relatives knew, so says Mr. Olds, that her little admirer had a wife in the East, but be said he either had secured or would secure a divorce from her. This was satisfactory, but during their courtship a dreadful catastrophe happened to the miniature lover. He was arrested for embezzling the funds of his employers, but managed to escape any great punishment. He had been engaged to marry Miss Olds, but her relatives declare that she promptly broke off the engagement. Rogers kept up his attentions, however, until four weeks ago, when his fiance [sic] determined to have nothing more to do with Rogers. Her uncle, A. F. Olds, says be had looked up Rogers' record, and which[sic] showed him to be a most unworthy aspirant tor his niece’s hand, even barring the fact that he was already possessed of one wife. During his acquaintance with Miss Olds, she had given him about $1,200 out of her private fortune. But she was willing to
to be rid of Rogers. She announced her resolve, gave him $160, and told him never to set foot in her presence again. He left promising to go to California. He demanded a ring and certain other property she held, but these things were refused, as it is claimed that Miss Old [sic] had rescued them from the merciless grasp of pawn-brokers.
The next heard of Rogers was when letters and telegrams began pouring in on Miss Olds, from New York, demanding $300, which was refused. He advised the young woman that he had shot his cousin, a shoe-dealer in Brooklyn, and needed the money to get out of the scrape. Threatening letters and telegrams were followed by tbe arrival of Rogers himself on Thursday last, when he appeared at Mrs. Olds' home and demanded to see the daughter. He was sent away, and Miss Olds left on the same afternoon for Marshall, Mich., to visit relatives and avoid her unfortunate ex-lover, who, however, refused to be disappointed in this manner. He ascertained Miss Olds’ destination, and was seen by her uncle to take the next train for Marshall. A. F. Olds and Mrs. Olds rushed over to the
where the latter implored the officers to save her daughter from the villain who still pursued her. A telegram was sent to Sheriff Downing, at Kalamazoo, at which historic spot Rogers’ progress was stopped. A telegram had been sent to Mrs. Olds’ relalves in Chicago to bring the girl home, and she started back under escort. At Kalamazoo she saw Rogers mounting the train, and she left it with her escort. Her discarded flame discovered her, however, and is said to have made a suggestive move toward his hip pocket. The whole party remained over in Kalamazoo, and reached Chicago yesterday morning. Miss Olds, worn out by travel and excitement, retired to rest, and was not seen again until discovered on the brink of death, whence she was rescued by the efforts of three physicians. In the opinion of these gentlemen she had been given a mixture of prussic, or other strong acid, and aconite. No bottles or other evidences of her having attempted suicide were found in her room, so her relatives say. She had locked her door upon retiring and the key was found pushed from the lock on the inside[.] The windows of the room were closed, no vials were found that could have been thrown from the room, and the
indicated that the drag had been administered in a bungling manner, as if by another person. The young woman was unconscious for three hours, and when finally resuscitated, claimed to be able to remember nothing after she fell away in slumber.
Rogers had been in the house but a few minutes before the discovery of Miss Olds' condition. He was seen to enter in company with Mr. Kelly and a friend, the three going to Kelly’s room, where they remained a few minutes, and then left, Rogers going on a visit to his North Side friends. Mr. Kelly said that during the time Rogers was in the bouse with him he was never out of his sight, and could not have gone to Miss Olds' room. One of the members of the family. however, according to the story of Mr. Olds, claims to have seen a man looking like Mr. Rogers rush hurriedly up the stairway, while others in the house say they saw him in the vicinity. The front door is kept constantly locked but Mr. Olds says his sister informed hlm that one of the
ever since Rogers' visit last Thursday. The police are not inclined to think the poison was administered by Rogers, but he will be held until satisfactory evidence of his innocence is established. They are certain that poison came very near ending the woman’s existence, and are willing to think it a case of attempted suicide, although no evidence of such a theory ls at hand.
Miss Olds' relatives insist that Rogers entered the house by stealth, gave tbe sleeping girl the deadly drug and that with the malicious cruelty of a fiend accompanied his friends back to the house to gloat over the horror and sorrow his devilish work would cause, supposing that, by that time, his diabolical purpose bad been consummated. The above story is as related by Miss Olds' relatives. Young Kelly, who became acquainted with Rogers two years ago, says that he knew nothing of his relations with the Olds family, being not even aware of their acquaintance.
in the Central Station W. S. Rogers laughs at the stories of his accusers. His version of the affair is somewhat at variance with the tale of his enemies. He at first refused to talk to reporters, but changed his mind, and unraveled an array of details, in the inditing[sic] of which the pen of a Zola would revel in ghoulish glee. He says that he first became acquainted with Miss Olds three years ago through a flirtation in a dime museum not a skating rink. He was a married man, but on the second day of their acquaintance their relations were of such a nature that had they been sanctioned by law, he would have been liable to arrest for bigamy. The family then lived at No. 886 West North avenue, Humboldt Park, and he took up his abode there, occupying Miss Olds' room. For two years, off and on, that the course of their love traversed no hurdles, he says he lived with the family, he continued this intimacy with Miss Olds with the full knowledge of her mother, never even making a pretense of having a room of his own. He would not deny having received
from the girl, but says she gave it to him of her own volition. His arrest for embezzlement while employed at Wiswall's shoe house on Madison street, was, he claimed, the only scrape he was ever in, and he was dragged into that through the threats of Miss Olds to expose hls short-comings to hls wife, from whom he never desired and does not desire to be divorced. He was never engaged to the woman, and told her he was going to California simply to break out cf the alliance in which he had become entangled. He came to Chicago last Friday to recover from her a ring, some papers, and other property, valued at $500. He found her gone, but says instead of leaving the city to avoid him, she had fled with a former lover, George Houk by name. He made no attempt to shoot her at Kalamazoo, where he had stopped off expecting to find her as it was her former home. At that place she agreed to return his property, and with her and Houk he returned to Chicago yesterday. He called at the house about noon, was told he could not see Miss Olds and left. He went back with Kelly, but on neither occasion had be gone near Miss Olds['] room. He claimed to know that Miss Olds had on two previous occasions taken poison, and thought that she had again
Rogers asserted boldly that Miss Olds’ mother was aware of his relations with her daughter, and coupled Mrs. Olds’ name with that of a prominent real estate dealer, with a family in a suburb, with whom he alleges she has been very friendly since her divorce from her husband, a Board of Trade operator.
As regards tbe charge of attempted murder, Rogers says there is nothing in it but that if he is pressed into making a defense he will reveal a very interesting state of things, in which he will not figure as the hero of more iniquities than other people. He will be held pending Miss Old’s [sic] recovery and detective investigation.³

"Two suits were begun in the Superior Court yesterday by Winfield S. Rogers, the traveling salesman for a New York house, who was arrested on a charge of attempting to poison Miss Nettie Olds to whom he was paying attentions, one against Mrs. Harriet E. and Alonzo Olds, parents of the young woman, and Thomas L. Trehorn for $10,000 damages. The other is against Mr. and Mrs. Olds only for the same amount. Both suits are for malicious prosecution. Trehorn is the rival for the affections of Miss Olds. The charge against Rogers was dismissed and hence he brings suit."⁴