Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2025 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Free Lance Fredericksburg, Va Tuesday, 23 June 1885 Poisoned by Strychnine HOLMES PURYEAR Charged With The Murder Of His Young Wife Information was received last week from Dinwiddie Courthouse, of what appears to be a particularly re- volting case of wife murder. The antecedent circum- stances approach the sensational and will serve to furnish the probable clue to the motive for the uxorcide. About the latter part of last February HOLMES PURYEAR, a resident of Dinwiddie county, came to this city with his newly acquired wife, AMELIA. They took up their residence at a boarding house, and the manner of the young wife as well as the con- versations of the couple made it apparant to every one that they had not been long married. Shorly after their arrival young MRS. PURYEAR gave birth to a child, greatly to the surprise of the boarders and the ladies of the house, and, apparently very much to the indignation of the husband, who claimed that their marriage relations had not been of sufficient duration to warrant such an occurrence. Although his wife insisted that he was the father of the child, he as strenuously denied it, and then and there left her helpless, penniless, destitute. The ladies in charge of the boarding house where the unfortunate woman was domiciled, deeming their place compromised, insisted upon it that MRS. PURYEAR should immediately vacate the premises, and, on the day following her confinement mother and child were placed in a common country wagon, and on a cold bleak winter day, in stormy weather, sleet and rain mingling together, with barely sufficient clothing to protect them from the season's inclemency, started on the return journey to Centre Star, PURYEAR'S home in Dinwiddie county. PURYEAR had been arrested mean while and was compelled to accompany his wife home, a policeman acting as ex- cort to prevent him offering violence to the unhappy woman. PURYEAR had only consented to return to his wife upon condition that she would dispose of the infant, and so infatutuated was the young wife with her husband that she consented to part with her off- spring, whom she delivered to EMILY BLACKWELL, a colored woman who keeps a dying establishment on Washington street, opposite the Washington street M. E. church. No happiness marked the course of the couple's lives in their country home and after a while PURYEAR left home and instituted proceedings for a divorce. His application was refused by the court upon the ground that the reasons therein set forth were in- sufficient to warrant the granting of a decress. It is said that about ten days ago, acting upon the advice of a mutual friend, PURYEAR and his wife went to live with each other again. On Thursday of last week PURYEAR came to this city and it is said drank heavily, and it is reported that while here he made remarks that implied threats against the woman. Last Sunday morning, about 9 o'clock, PURYEAR returned to Dinwiddie and immediately repaired to his wife's place of residence. Pretending to be very friendly and to have taken leave of every feeling of resentment that the past difficulties between them might have aroused within him, he proposed to her take a social drink with him. Not expecting any evil intent, she consented. PURYEAR mixed two whiskey toddies, gave one to his wife and himself drank the other. Soon after this he left, and in a very little while MRS. PURYEAR was attacked with violent pains. She at once suspected that her husband had administered poison to her and so expressed herself. Her sufferings were so terrible that he (sic) bit herself on the arm several times. In two hours after she had taken the fatal draught, death released her from her torment. A few minutes after eleven o'clock she had ceased to breathe. The physician who had been summoned saw the patient in time to pronounce her condition as resulting from poisoning by strych- nine, of which drug a small sediment was found in the glass from which MRS. PURYEAR had drunk the deadly poison. The physician employed all known remedies to arrest the work of the poison, but they were all in vain. Meanwhile PURYEAR had gone out and drunk heavily of Virginia bitters and soon pretended to be poisoned. An emetic soon set him straight, however, and his wife's death having become known, he was arrested by SHERIFF GITTMAN and placed in jail. DR. KNOX THOMPSON, coroner of the county, was notified of the currence and on Sunday empanelled a jury, consisting of Messrs. R. R. NEBLETT, J. T. HAWKS, W. H. NASH, LEO. HEATH, A. D. MOYES and L. L. MEREDITH who held an inquest and after hearing the testimony of several witnesses, rendered the following verdict: An inquisition taken at Central Star church, in the county of Dinwiddie, on the 14th day of June, in the year 1885, before DR. KNOX THOMPSON, a coroner of the said county, upon the view of the body of E. L. PURYEAR, now lying dead, the jurors sworn to enquire when, how and by what means the said E. L. PURYEAR come to her death, upon their oath do say that she came to her death by poison administered in a glass of "toddy" by H. C. PURYEAR. The stomach of the deceased was taken out by the coroner and his assistant physician, DR. J. T. CHAMBERS, and has been forwarded to Richmond for a thorough analysis. Yesterday morning PURYEAR had an examination before Magistrate HOLT BOISSEAU, by whom he was sent on for trial. Public feeling in the neighborhood of the tragic occurrence is strongly aroused against PURYEAR, who bears no very good reputation, and who was hereto- fore severely censured for his cruel treatment of his wife. There was some talk of lynching, but it was not believed that any such excess will be com- mitted. Moreover, the jail is very secure and the sheriff, a very determined person, so that any attempt in that direction would be likely to prove futile. MRS. PURYEAR'S name before marriage was WEBB, she being a daughter of DURKIN WEBB, at one time one of the wealthiest planters in the county, and at the time of her death was about twenty-three years of age. HOLMES PURYEAR is the son of MATTHEW PURYEAR, and his age is about twenty-five. Some- time ago he lived in Petersburg and was a clerk for MR. W. E. MOORE, who keeps a grocery store on the Old Market Square. After removing from Peters- burg he went out to Dinwiddie county where he carried on, in a small way, a general merchandising business. MR. WALLER KELLER of Dinwiddie, to defend him. The affair has created intense excitement and is the all-absorbing topic of conversation in the part of the county in which it occurred. --------------------------------------------------- Note: Holmes Puryear was convicted for the murder of his wife and sentenced to be hanged. Appeals were filed, and denied, the last being before the Supreme Court of Appeals on 7 March 1887. On 12 August, 1887, he was taken to Prince George Courthouse where he was hanged at 1:30 p.m. =================================================================