The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

A Man and Woman Charged with Designs on his Wife's Life.

Ai Kellar was brought in from the country yesterday by Constable Anderson and lodged in jail on a very serious charge, preferred by a physician before Squire Arkle. Last evening his cousin, Kate Hickman, of East Wheeling, was arrested and locked up on the same charge.

For some time past Dr. L. B. Clark of Fulton, has been prescribing for Mrs. Kellar, who has been ill for a short period, and he suspected everything was not all right, the medicine not having the desired effect. Upon questioning Mrs. Kellar he found that Miss Hickman was bringing medicine out from the city and administering it to her with the result after each dose of making her very sick and causing convulsions. To add to these suspicious circumstances, Mrs. Kellar's mother and sister, who went out to attend her during her illness, were driven from the house. On the strength of these circumstances Dr. Clark made an affidavit before Squire Arkle that, "Ai Kellar and Kate Hickman did feloniously administer or attempt to administer poison or destructive drugs in medicine or otherwise, with intent to kill or injure one Linda Jane Kellar."

The hearing will take place on Thursday afternoon, and interesting developments are expected. The accused, however, claim the medicine was all right, and prescribed by a reputable physician in this city. Kellar is considered a character of bad repute by his neighbors on account of never working, having done nothing since last fall, prior to which he worked at anything he could get to do. The family is in very poor circumstances, residing in a brick house on the creek bank four miles east of the city. In view of the refusal of Mrs. Kellar to leave the house to go to the infirmary, where she would receive better attention, Commissioner Baird will provide for her immediate wants.