THE POISONINGS IN HUNGARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10425, 24 April 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE POISONINGS IN HUNGARY.

HORRIBLE DISCLOSURES.

Tim New York Sun Special from London, March 27, says the poisoning trial which is still continuing in Hodinozoe, Hungary, has developed into the greatest criminal revelation of modern times. It is beginning to appear that murder by poison is a family custom in that part of Hungary. The victims are numbered almost by the hundreds. Most of tho accused persons denied everything at first, but when the woman Czordui', driven into a corner and seeing that she could not get away, began to reveal fresh facts and to inculpate the accused midwife, Jnger, the latter not only made a full confofsion, bub also referred to cases which had not been suspected. She gave names and facts in such detail that the court was bound to order fresh arrests and the exhumation of twelve moro bodies, The number has increased still further, as all the accused, are now vying with each other in making startling revelations. A porkbutcher, Horvath, nicknamed "the Evangelist," because of his habit of quoting Scripture, now stand accused of having poisoned his mother, father, parents-in-law, and, finally, his wife. The woman Czordus owns to having poisoned her sister, and niece in addition to the crimo« of which she was originally accused. She also informed the court that tho midwife, Jager, procured the poison from a chemist's assistant, whoso arrest has been ordered. It has been thought that the cases under trial would prove only a small portion of the crimes actually committed in this one town, but the new disclosures are so far inconsistent that they will probably necessitate an adjournment of the trial. A correspondent says that there is not a home in ffodmozoo in which suspicion does not exist that deaths dating back several years are the result of foul play, and family ties in the town are being broken right and left. Insurance for the amount; of the ordinary burial expenses furnished the motive in nearly all the cases. Midwife Jager, it is said, always supplied the arsenic, which was ready when the insured person became ill, and it could be given without arousing suspicion. When death took place, tile doctor examined the body and declared that everything was in order, and the midwife was handsomely paid when the insurance money was received. In some cases persons previously insured were asked to dinner, and received poisoned food.