Sexsational Story
Mrs. budd Said to Have Confessed Having Poisoned Her Husband
The sudden death of William Budd about six years ago will be recalled by many. Early one morning after eating a hearty breakfast he started to drive a cow to his farm, near Kirklin, to which he was moving. While going through an alley in the southeast part of town he dropped from his horse, dead. While the general verdict was that death was caused by heart disease, there were a few of his neighbors who expressed the belief that "Old Mandy" had poisoned him.
Mr. Budd and his wife had had frequent quarrels some months before and she had left him. He at last filed suit for divorce and custory of the children. Hearing of this she came back and begged so hard to be given another trial that he relented and consented to live with her again and the divorce suit was withdrawn.
About five months ago Mrs. Budd, after having lived up most of the property left her, moved to Texas. She was accompanied by her daughter, Mrs. Anna Pearce. One day while talking about the dead man, Mrs. Budd is reported to have confessed to her daughter of having done away with him and saying: "I was determined not to have any more trouble with him. I put an end to him that morning. I put poison in two things he ate for breakfast, and he ate heartily."
Owing to ill treatment, Mrs. Pearce returned to this city about two months ago. She kept her secret until one day last week when on a visit at Eli Budd's, her uncle, she related the story of her father's death.
Her story is given general credence among friends and neighbors of the deceased. They say that "Old Mandy" was of a quarrelsome disposition and when on one of her "tantrums" was a terror to the community in which she lived. Mr. Eli Budd and other relatives and friends of the deceased have not yet decided what course to pursue in dealing with the apparently guilty woman. It is said that she expects to come to Lebanon shortly for a visit. They will await her arrival before taking any steps in the matter.
