A DIABOLICAL PLOT
John McWilliams Lying at the Point of Death

POISON IN HIS TEA
He Alleges That His Wife Prepared the Dose in Hopes of Putting Him Out of the Way – He Will Recover and Will Prosecute the Matter

From Friday’s Daily:
One of the most fiendish plots that we have been compelled to chronicle for many a day occurred in this city at noon today. For several days past John McWilliams, a laborer, whose home is in Dayton has been employed on our streets by the Rockford Construction Company. He worked at the Rock Island depot unloading the brick from the cars to the wagons. As stated before, his home is in Dayton, to which place he returned every evening. He carried his dinner with him in the morning and at noon he ate it at the flagman’s house on Columbus street. After quitting work this noon, he went to this little house, as usual, and proceeded to eat his dinner. He carried his tea in a small can, and after drinking probably a half a pint of it, he remarked to some of the men who were with him that the tea had a queer taste and he threw the balance of it away. He soon became sick and was seized with cramps and then became hysterical. Dr. Dyer was sent for and upon examination found that the unfortunate man had drank strychnine in his tea and administered an emetic.

McWilliams was conscious all the time and when questioned by a representative of this paper as to the manner in which the poison was placed in his tea, he had no hesitation in saying that it was the work of his wife and that she was undoubtedly prompted to do so by a married man, who resides in Dayton and with whom she has been very intimate of late. The whole circumstances tended to show that the plot was perpetrated with homicidal intentions and the poisoned man weak as he was stated that it was the work of no one save his wife and her admirer. The matter was reported to State’s Attorney Blake, who immediately issued a warrant for their arrest and the same was placed in the sheriff’s hands for service. At 3 o’clock McWilliams was resting quietly and Sr. Dyer’s opinion is that he will recover. The plot is one that should not go unrecognized by the authorities and the perpetrators should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.¹

[Stay tuned. Next week we will see the follow-up to this attempted murder.]

1. The Ottawa Free Trader, October 29, 1892, p. 5, col. 4