Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1900 — The Lyda Murder Trial. [ARTICLE]

The Lyda Murder Trial.

Monticello. Ind., December i 5. The State has closed its evidence in the Lyda poisoning case. Mrs. Nora Goodwin, of Danville, said that she and her mother arrived at the Lyda home on the Saturday preceding the funeral The autopsy was being held and she heard Dr. Edward Mavitv ask Mrs. Lyda where the medicine was, that he had left hes husband. Mrs. Lyda said she did not know. The witness said that at supper Mrs. Lyda said to Cox: “1 have all this trouble on account of that poison upstairs.” Cox said: “How can they prove that you gave it to him? Dr. Mavity might have given ;h im poiso tr. —Never etnpi oy him again.” The witness said Mrs. Lyda told Dr. Mavity" before the autopsy that if any poison was found in Lyda’s stomach, he took it himself. On cross examination she said Dr. Mavity said he must have that medicine for his own protection, and he denied that he had ordered it destroyed. The witness denied that there was any suicidal tendency in the Lyda family. She Baid her grandfather did not com. mit suicide, but was murdered. She admitted that her family and Mrs. Lyda has not been on friendly terms. DrrMavity was another witness. He said he had been called to the Lyda home, and had found Lyda suffering from stomach and bowel trouble. He prescribed for him, but gave no strychnine. Lyda came to his office on Thursday, and w£9 pale and nervous. He gave him a stimulant, and Lyda complained of being stiff. An hour later, the doctor said, he saw Lyda in a slight muscular spasm, and gave him some medicine to take home with him. The doctor denied that he had told any one to destroy the medicine. U. F. Jones, a druggist, testified that Lyda had bought two bottleß of strychnine of him. Attorney G. P. Hey wood, of Lafayette, gave a resume of the defense. He said the defense would prove that Mr. and Mrs. Lyda had never had any trouble and that Starr Cox was trusted by Lyda. By expert testimony, he said, it would be shown that Lyda was not suffering from strychnine poisoning in Fowler. While he may have died from poison, the attorney said, it would be shown that neither of the defendants had been about Lyda the evening he died. The court then adjourned until Wednesday. Testimony for the defense will probably occupy the remainder of the weex. From Wednesday’s Monticello Journal: The first witness introduced by the defense was Geo. Auscill, a brother of Mrs. Lyda. He testified that he was with Lyda from a short time after he left the doctor’s office on July 19 until his death; that he saw Lyda have several spasmodic jerking spells; that he did not see Lyda take any medicine at his home; that after supper he had a very severe spasm; that a doctor was immediately called against Lyda wish; that Mrs. Lyda was very anxious about the arrival of the dootor; that she grieved a great deal when Lyda died; that he heard the doctor say, “Do away with the medicine.” On cross examination he said that be was an intimate friend of Mr. Lyda; that he knew nothing of his spells until the day of his death; that he testified before the coroner Saturday evening. The witness's attention] was oalled to statement before the coroner that "Lyda ate some fish after taking some medicine,” witness positively denied that he ever gave such evidence and that he did not see

the statement when he] made the oath; that Cox did not assist Mrs. Lyda at cemetery. On re-exam-ination said that Lyda was at home in ,Jnne; complained of being broken down; had no appetite; that Lyda was a pushing man; that Lyda teemed to hold Cox in high esteem. s Mrs. Addie Julia, a niece of Mrs. Lyda, to whose home Lyda was taken Thursday, July 19, that the doctor said he had kidney trouble; that Lyda insisted on Mrs. Lyda hurrying with the machine fixtures; that she did not see Lyda take any medicine at her home. Cross examination did not change her testimony. Her testimony in regard to Cox’s and Mrs. Lyda’s relations at the cemetery was the same as Mr. Austill. The defense introduced several fitnesses who testified that Martin Lux, who testified for the state that while he was in Lyda’s employ Mrs. Lyda had gotten so mad sometimes at Lyda that she would poison him” had a very bad reputation for truthfulness.