FinalSouthardDraft

Boise State University
Doubt
The Southard Case
Ebony J. Yarger
ENGL 102
Professor Jill Heney

3
Dear Jill,
The theme for my place study had originally been a means of introducing
the Lyda Southard case. Yet, this has since changed as the historic courthouse was not so much
an event site but the background for it. The Southard case would not have been possible without
then newly appointed County Prosecutor Frank Stephan. He worked as a civil servant of the
Twin Falls county court and executed his duties in that same courthouse. The courthouse, itself,
represented the traditional values of the county in more ways than one. The roles gender
played were brought to the forefront of the Southard case. Lyda Southard was a woman being
accused of murdering her husbands. She became portrayed as a femme-fatale, a so-called Lady
Bluebeard who had pushed the limits of her role as a woman. Her sexual appeal made her
dangerous as the media presumed she not only seduced her men but then coldly poisoned them.
Female sexuality, although not taboo, had often been misrepresented as either chaise or
sluttish. Lyda was neither as she acted more the part of the black widow than anything else. She
was an independent woman in her own right, without children and yet she often chose to marry.
In many aspects this made Lyda the deciding factor in the dynamics of her marriage. Due to her
court trial, Lyda emerged as the antithesis of traditional values. Not driven by her passions but
instead calculated, detachment in pursuit of money Lyda posed a threat. The trial, therefore,
served as society's correction of the loose female.
The portfolio for my place study reflects my in-depth exploration of the topic instead of a
generalized synthesis of information. What became the central focus of the paper, itself,
was examing the evidence from the times versus what is now known. Poison cases have not
always been well documented or understood. Poisoning linked with homicide are often linked

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with a conspiracy and stereotyped as a feminized method of killing. What I discovered from
scientific journals of the 1890s and the present were very different. The danger of toxic chemical
exposure was not rigorously tested during the 1890s and it was not until the 1920s that the field
of toxicology began to develop. Oddly enough toxicologists discovered albeit tragically that
hundreds of people were accidentally poisoned from household products, toxic fumes, etc. in the
inner cities. After reading modern scientific journals I learned how far the lack of federal
regulations on chemicals being sold to the public had taken its toll. Prior to this research it had
been easy to have taken the Southard case at face value with little to no evidence to counter the
prosecution's argument. The research, however, strongly indicates that there are flaws within the
prosecution's case against Lyda Southard. As a writer and researcher, it is intriguing to play the
devil's advocate. The challenge of presenting a place and person based on the evidence used in
their conviction was in a word, fascinating. My only wrong assumption was in first
believing Lyda was guilty of the charge. I had to immediately shift gears into a critical researcher,
re-examining the data and then giving it a refreshingly new perspective. I explored multiple
alternative theories as of the cause of death and tore asunder the prosecution's theory of a
financial motive. At the same time, I had to keep the goal consistent and not focus on all the
fronts of the case. A character study would have required that I further expanded on not only the
research but also the events leading up to Lyda's case and the lives of her husbands.
What I feel most accomplished about, as a research writer, this semester was in my focus.
I knew what I wanted to study and write about immediately. Due to my background as a history
student I had already learned the necessary skills in researching a historic event, place, and
person. The process is what takes the most amount of time because the records are not always

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accessible. It took several weeks for me to accumulate the body of data necessary for completing
my first draft. It indeed was easier to find information of poison than on Lyda Southard, herself.
The most well-known biography of her, Lady Bluebeard, showcases tremendous bias against her.
I often had to glean the factual data in the text out of much of the author's narrative. It was a
taxing exercise which resulted in a treasure trove of information on the era of the court trial as
well as its aftermath. I did not present much in terms of the testimony save for the key parts
related to theory of poisoning. My reason being that what presented was more or less character
testimonials not physical evidence or eye-witness testimony. Furthermore, testimonials would
not have strengthened the essay but, instead, distracted the reader from the physical evidence.
The forensic evidence of the trial was limited, in part, because law enforcement was still in its
early stages of development. For example, local chemists were employed in testing the deceased
for poison residue. Chemists, then, were not held accountable to the consistency of their testing
methods. The chain of custody for evidence was also not upheld. Therefore, a rather large
window for error and evidence corruption preexisted. None of this, I would have known without
researching the evidentiary case and analyzed it critically. What was at first a simple case of
murder by poison had become murky under further scrutiny. Such scrutiny allowed my essay to
be wholly focused on a single area and what that area meant while convicting Lyda Southard.
Inquiry-based research is focused on answering a particular question or solving a specific
problem. One can effectively write an entire essay based on a single inquiry and not a
generalized summary of a known fact. That is not to say that one is limited by a single question
as often one question lends itself to another. The point is in honing into a single topic and
expanding upon it. The most important foundation for the question is that it must interest you

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and the reader. If one were to ask which had already been asked before would you have a
different answer for it? The question cannot be repetitive nor not your own thoughts because it is
boring. Boring questions make unappealing essays, which nobody wants to read anyway.
Scholarship becomes a part of the conversation based on relevancy. Meaning that one has
to tap into the undiscovered or controversial in the topic. This can be accomplished by examining
evidence counter to the conclusion or offering an opposing perspective on the evidence already
presented. If one merely regurgitates the data without a stance or argument there is nothing
further to say. Persuasive essays tend to engage readers into a dialogue because report essays
present information without a personal touch. Basically one can use a report as supportive data in
presenting a different perspective while a report would stay detached.
Rhetorical choices are those choices made in an essay without expecting to change them
as the essay progresses. For example, writing an essay on a murder trial and asserting the
accused is innocent of the crime committed. One is not going to change that stance in the middle
or end of the essay. On the other hand, if the focus of the topic is too limited than the rhetorical
choice has to change to allow a wider accumulation of data. For example, what evidence
proves Lyda Southard is innocent? I had to explain inconsistencies as well as scientific analysis
without discussing her character. Her character was as complex as anyone else but I inferred a
gender bias which both benefited and harmed her. It was my choice in presenting her innocence
based on the examination and interpretation of evidence. My reasoning was to remove available
avenues by which my audience could dismiss Lyda based on her personal life.
What I would try to use in my academic writings now are the revision strategies I learned
during the course of this class. Highlighting the narrative sections while citing the sections

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without allow me to note my usage and frequency of sources. In addition to this, I can write with
specificity on topics of my choice with utter precision. The better the paper is researched the
stronger the essay becomes. One area I have been reticent in using is the writing center but even
in this I am now open to the idea of a third set of eyes assessing my paper. If I were to use these
techniques in non-academic writing it would be in structuring a story. If it were a historical novel
then it becomes a simple matter of changing narrative style and works cited. The research and
editing remain relatively the same, although this cannot be said for many digitally published
works. Writing about a place beyond that of an essay could, however, prove challenging in the
focus becoming either irrelevant to the conversation or not enough data available. On the other
hand, focusing too broadly does not garner enough significance to a single topic. Precise and in-
depth research, nevertheless, is essential in understanding the topic of interest and gives a
variance of options for presenting a unique analysis.
Sincerely,
Ebony

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The unobtrusive town of Twin Falls, Idaho, hardly seems the place for the trial of an
accused serial killer. It is a small close-knit community made up of ranchers and farmers eking
out a meager living from an unforgiving strip of earth. On September 26, 1921, a woman is
brought before the local county courthouse for the murder of her fourth husband. Her trial
became the longest known criminal case in this time in history and garnered both international
and national press (Anderson 111). Her name is Lyda Southard, a native of Missouri who had
moved to the Twin Falls area as a child with her family during the 1890s. What is known of
Lyda comes mainly from William Anderson, her biographer and new paper articles centered on
her trial. According to Anderson, her father had thought to make himself a wealthy farmer out
west with the promise of newly-accessible irrigated water. This, however, was not to be as there
were few farmers who had access to irrigated land and fewer who profited from it. William
Trueblood, Lyda's father, was not among these fortunate men and his family suffered the
consequences of his failed business venture. What little is gleaned from Lyda's childhood
indicated that it was one of poverty with little chance of improvement. One advantage Lyda did
have as she grew older was her beauty which brought her the attentions of many a young man (7-
10). Marriage became a way for Lyda to escape from the poverty with which she had endured as
a child. Tragedy, however, was never far behind her as each of her first four husbands
succumbed to death early into their marriages. Their deaths, alongside the rumors and gossip by
family members of the deceased men, brought Lyda to the attention of the newly-appointed Twin
Falls County Prosecutor, Frank Stephan. Stephan investigated into the death of Lyda's fourth
husband, Edward “Ed” Meyer and it was with this case he established himself a successful law
career. Although, the case of Lyda Southard has long since been concluded her guilt or, indeed,

9
innocence has not. Lyda retained her initial plea of innocence throughout the course of her trial
and for the duration of her imprisonment (Anderson 93-108). Re-evaluating the evidence and
court testimony which was used for her conviction, a counter argument is discovered. The main
motive in writing this paper is to determine whether the evidence is sufficient in proving not only
intent to murder but also the very act of murder was committed.
When brought to court one is leveled a legal charge by the prosecution whose job it is to
prove beyond a reasonable doubt the accused is guilty of the crime. The Southard case, as
presented by the prosecution, relied heavily upon two factors: expert testimony and forensic
evidence. Initially, both of these factors seem reasonable but under further scrutiny doubt is cast
on the prosecution's case. For example, after Ed Meyer had passed an autopsy
had been performed by local pathologist and chemist, Hal Bieler who thought Meyer had died
from typhoid fever. Upon examining the deceased, Bieler found traces of typhoid germs in the
remains. Ed Meyer's attending physician, however, Dr. J. F. Coughlin thought the cause of death
due to ptomaine poisoning i.e., food poisoning (Anderson 11-4; “Doctor Testifies in Southard
Case”). Already there were differing sets of opinions about the cause of death. As authorities
continued in their investigation they found that Meyer had previously suffered from the
debilitating effects of typhoid fever before his marriage (“Admits Buying Poison”). To make
matters worse, authorities also discovered that Ed Meyer and an acquaintance of his, Ben Squires
had both taken ill after having shared a dinner together at Meyer's home. Squires made mention
how Lyda had asserted that it must have been something they had eaten which had caused their
illness. Squire recovered after a few days while Meyer continued to deteriorate. To add further
controversy to the investigation, Dr. Coughlin stated although Meyer had suffered from typhoid

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before while under hospital supervision he had not run a fever. Coughlin asserted how unlikely
the chances would be for a case of typhoid fever to present without a high fever as a symptom.
Coughlin hypothesized that without a fever Meyer's symptoms were most likely a result of food
poisoning from tainted food which had been canned improperly (Anderson 15-22). However,
neither Coughlin nor Bieler indicated that Meyer had died as a result of his wife poisoning his
food. Coughlin and Bieler also could not explain the lack of fever-like symptoms and finding
remnants of typhoid germs in his body. Baffled by the lack of forensic evidence to tie Lyda to
her husband's death authorities began digging into the rumors surrounding her earlier husbands
(40-78).
Investigators found a list of ambivalent in-laws who were of the strong opinion
that Lyda's husbands were the victims of foul play. They also discovered that Lyda had life
insurance policies on each of her four husbands that would aid her financially after their deaths.
Oddly enough, Lyda would claim each of their policies and often failed to collect the thousands
of dollars which were her due. Even when the autopsies ruled their deaths as either natural
causes or accidental food poisoning Lyda did not necessarily pursue the sums of money. There
are discrepancies in Anderson's account of which insurance policies Lyda filed and collected on.
The prosecution accused Lyda of murder with the intent of financially profiting from the deaths
of her husbands. The prosecution went so far as to claim Lyda had committed insurance fraud by
claiming the life insurance policies of each of her husbands (Anderson 23-90; 100-110). A
loophole exists, however, as Lyda did not collect the many thousands of dollars which legally
she had a right to. Since the prosecution tried Lyda for only the murder of her fourth husband, Ed
Meyer they could not prove the charge of insurance fraud.Lyda did receive one thousand dollars

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when her brother in-law from her first marriage, Ed Dooley had died from typhoid fever. His life
insurance policy was two thousand dollars which was to divided between Lyda and her first
husband, Robert Dooley, after Ed's passing. Yet when Lyda received the one thousand dollars,
her part of the policy, Lyda gave the whole sum to her father. It served as repayment for the loan
which he had supplied for Lyda and her then-husband, Robert to buy some ranch land. Hardly
the cold evidence need for proving intent to murder. William Trueblood, went so far as to testify
how his daughter intended to give him and her sister the money from Ed Meyer's policy
(Anderson 26-34; “Woman's Father Witness”). Already a lack of intent begins showing itself in
the prosecution's argument.
Neither the evidence nor the expert testimony show beyond a reasonable
doubt Lyda murdered her husband at this point. Frank Stephan built his case upon the theory that
Ed Meyer had been given a lethal dosage of arsenic poison. Investigators presented flypaper, an
insecticide/pesticide product as forensic evidence. They theorized how Lyda could have boiled
the flypaper, extracted the arsenic, and proceeded to introduce differing dosages to her husbands.
Stephan had the bodies of Lyda's husbands, brother in-law, and her only daughter exhumed to
prove this theory. What chemists discovered were that some of the bodies contained traces of
arsenic were however so well-preserved that pathologists suspected arsenic poisoning might be a
cause (Anderson 57-60; “Prosecution in Southard Case Scores”; “Death Potion Keeps Bodies”;
“Found Poison in Body”). Knowing this, Twin Falls County Prosecutor Stephan did not
charge Lyda with multiple counts of homicide. Instead he chose only to pursue the one which
fell under his jurisdiction. Investigators did find flypaper in a past dwelling of Lyda's but could
not prove that she had purchased the insecticide. Nor could detectives find witnesses who had

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seen her boil said flypaper (“Found Poison in Room”; Anderson 40-51). Chemists could test the
remains of the bodies but not the immediate stomach contents of the deceased. What
toxicologists did know when was that cases of arsenic poisoning could showcase as typhoid
fever and its symptoms. Symptoms of typhoid fever are commonly poor appetite; abdominal pain;
headaches; generalized aches and pains; high fevers of up to 104 F; lethargy, intestinal bleeding
or perforation; and diarrhea or constipation. Common symptoms of arsenic poisoning are
headaches, confusion, sever diarrhea, drowsiness, vomiting, blood in urine, muscles cramping,
hair loss, and muscle convulsions. Both typhoid fever and arsenic poisoning result in death when
left untreated after a time (R. Hughes 115-18; 'ABC of Safety In The Biological Sciences –
Arsenic Poisoning'; Wain 1136-45).
Since some bodies were found to have contained traces of arsenic several theories which
could explain how the victims might have been poisoned. The first is in accidental poisoning.
People are most commonly poisoned with arsenic by drinking from contaminated water sources.
With the recent and federally unregulated water irrigation occurring in the west it would not have
surprised for people to have consumed unhealthy amounts of arsenic-laced water in their ground
water. Gainsaying drinking water, farmers could have just as easily been sprinkling their fields
with arsenic contaminated water from their wells. If that were not bad enough, conned foods
would be yet another byway with which people could consume toxic amounts of arsenic. During
the 1900s, inorganic arsenic was used as a food preservative. Prior to the food even being canned
it had been grown in pesticide-sprayed orchards and farms. Arsenic-based pesticides/insecticides
were commonly used during this same period. People were regularly exposed to low levels of
arsenic over a long time. Lead-arsenic was also a common pesticide used in orchards and fields

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(M.F. Hughes 305-332). Due to this knowledge, it is very plausible Meyer was exposed to
arsenic by ingesting canned foods. Or Meyer could have eaten fruits and vegetables sprayed with
or grown in land treated with arsenic-based pesticides. In fact, this would explain Meyer have
before suffering from typhoid fever-like symptoms. However, if it were arsenic poison –
accidental or otherwise – why would Meyer not have a fever the day of his death? Is it then
possible that a person could suffer the debilitating effects of typhoid without a fever? Either are
possible and the prosecution did not exhaust their resources on alternative theories such as these.
Instead, authorities focused on the flypaper found in a past abode of hers as proof of intent and
method of executing premeditated murder. Ed Meyer could have indeed died from complications
as a result of accidental poisoning caused by contaminated food products.
A second alternative is Lyda's husbands were poisoned for whatever nefarious purposes
but they died from typhoid fever. Typhoid is passable from one person by eating or drinking
substances contaminated with the fecal matter from an already infected person. The risk of
typhoid increases with poor hygiene and sanitation conditions. Typhoid may also be spread by
insects who have fed on contaminated feces of an individual. Typhoid is only found in humans
and humans are the only people affected. During the 1890s, arsenic and saline solutions were
used to treat patients suffering from typhus and resulting in typhoid-like symptoms (Wain 1136-
45; “CDC – Tyhpoid Fever”; R. Hughes 115-18). Bearing this in mind, it would not be
surprising to find that Dr. Coughlin treated Meyer with arsenic. The same could be said
for Lyda's other three husbands who had suffered from typhoid fever and/or test positive for
arsenic posthumously. It is possible that these men had died from the complications of their
medical treatments and not intentional arsenic poisoning by Lyda. If Lyda intended to murder

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her husbands would it not be sensible to not call for a doctor but rather keep the men at home? It
appears counter intuitive to poison one's spouse and have them brought to a hospital and risk
being found out by a doctor. In the case of Ed Meyer, Lyda had him taken to a hospital under
careful supervision of his doctor. When Meyer passed she did not protest his autopsy and the
possibility of an inquest (Anderson 13-14). All very curious behavior for a would-be murderess,
the behavior seems more inclined for a caring if not responsible spouse. Once again Lyda filed
for claiming Meyer's life insurance policy but did not collect it even though suspicion had as yet
been cast upon her (Anderson 14-30).
Despite these alternate theories the jury believed the expert testimony as well as character
testimonials. After 6 weeks the trial came to a close and both the town of Twin Falls and the
world waited upon the highly anticipated verdict. On Thursday, November 4, 1921 the jury
found Lyda guilty of murder in the second degree. Oddly enough Lyda did not face the
punishment of execution that day. At this time, Idaho state law dictated that those found guilty
of murder were sentenced to death by hanging. In cases such as poisoning, the usual verdict
would have been murder in the first degree. The jury however changed both the verdict and
charge to murder in the second degree (Anderson 120-21). This verdict saved Lyda's neck from
the noose and might imply that there was some contention among the jury as to the plausibility
of her guilt. Technically what the jury had done was illegal and yet the court would not risk her
being released without a serious sentence. The sentenced Lyda to spend the rest of her days in
the Idaho State Penitentiary. Her trial lasted for six weeks and made the headlines of major
newspapers during 1921. For a very short time she was the most infamous woman in America
(Anderson 111). The newspapers nicknamed her “Lady Bluebeard,” a rather unflattering

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and inaccurrate title to say the least. This was not the last of Lyda as she escaped from the Idaho
State Penitentiary on May 4, 1931. She made it as far as Denver, Colorado and worked as a
housekeeper for a man called, Harry Whitlock. She later married him in March of 1932 but
Whitlock ultimately betrayed her. He aided authorities in their recapture of her on July 31, 1932
in Topeka, Kansas. Arriving back to the state penitentiary sometime in August of 1932 Lyda did
not make for a second attempt at an escape. Perhaps it was justice which finally granted Lyda a
formal pardon from the then-governor in 1942 (Anderson 123-72). She had spent 20 long years
behind prison walls by this time. Lyda returned to Twin Falls and lived on the family farm but
much had changed since then. The local community had made her into a pariah, reviling from
public life. In response, Lyda moved to Provo, Utah where people had forgotten the scandalous
affair of her past. For a time this new-found anonymity satisfied Lyda and she had even gained
another husband. Once her new husband's children discovered her past her happiness became a
happenstance. Lyda moved a last time to Salt Lake City, Utah where she worked and lived until
February 5, 1958. She had walked home with some groceries when chest pains caused her to
collapse on the pavement. A woman called for an ambulance and they rushed her to St. Mark's
hospital where she died not 10 minutes after (Anderson 172-83).
So it would seem that Lyda's life and death ended in the same way. One of obscurity.
What few accounts there were of those who knew her, Lyda had been quite lonely and desired
companionship greatly. She never seemed to have gotten enough to satisfy her as people were
quick to cite her prison term as proof of guilt. Never mind that the media had made an
equivalency of her guilt based on her trial conviction. The media had not focused itself on
whether the case had enough evidence and nor were they critical of the trial itself. The legal

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burden of proof during the 1920s appears sparse in comparison to today's requirements. The
evidence neither compels or is without fault. The county prosecutor would never have been able
to set up a chain of custody for the evidence let alone open a case after the pathologist's first
examination. Sine the requirements were so mild Lyda paid a steep price in terms of the time
which she served for a crime she had plead innocent of. Which calls into question what was at
stake if the prosecution had failed in convincing a jury to convict her? A great amount of
pressure was upon the city officials to prove that this was murderous. All eyes were for a short
time on the little town of Twin Falls, Idaho, perhaps that is why Lyda's conviction was inevitable.
With county positions and patriarchal authority at risk a great amount of work was done in
slandering Lyda's character and the press was only too happy to oblige the city. They painted her
as the femme-fatale whose sole interest was in murdering her husbands for their insurance
policies. However, Lyda did have the support of her then-husband, Paul Southard who had
supported her plea from the onset of the trial and even during her prison sentence. Yet, because
she was a woman clearly misrepresented as a notorious serial killer, by local and national interest
groups, she did not stand of leaving that courthouse a free woman.

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Works Cited
"Admits Buying Poison." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 26 1921. ProQuest
Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times. Web. 12 Oct. 2015
<http://search.proquest.com/docview/161021543?accountid=9649>.
Anderson, William C. Lady Bluebeard: The True Story of Love and Marriage, Death and
Flypaper. Boulder, Colo: Fred Pruett Books, 1994. Print.
"Attack State's Case at Southard Trial." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 22
1921. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times. Web. 12 Oct. 2015
"CDC - Typhoid Fever." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 14 May 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
"Death Potion Keeps Bodies." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 2. May 14 1921.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times. Web. 12 Oct. 2015
"Doctor Testifies in Southard Case." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 06 1921.
"Found Poison in Body." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 08 1921. ProQuest
"Found Poison in Room." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 2. Oct 04 1921. ProQuest

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Hughes, M. F. et al. 'Arsenic Exposure And Toxicology: A Historical Perspective'. Toxicological
Sciences 123.2 (2011): 305-332. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
Hughes, Richard Arthur Warren. 'A Manual Of Pharmacodynamics'. London: Henry Turner &
Company, 1867. Print. 22 Oct. 2015.
Ihcworld.com,. 'ABC Of Safety In The Biological Sciences - Arsenic Poisoning'. N.p., 2015.
Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
"Prosecution in Southard Case Scores." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 14
Wain, John, Rene S Hendriksen, Matthew L Mikoleit, Karen H Keddy, and R Leon
Ochiai. "Typhoid Fever." The Lancet 385.9973 (2014): 1136-1145. Print.
"Woman's Father Witness." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 25 1921. ProQuest

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Annotated Bibliography
"Admits Buying Poison." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 26 1921. ProQuest
Newspaper article describing Lyda Southard's admission to purchasing poison but
denial of feeding it to her fourth husband, Edward F. Meyer. Lyda, instead,
claimed that her former husband had been ill prior to their marriage. The article is
a short night wire published the day after Lyda was put on the witness stand to
testify. Meaning, a reporter observed these court proceedings first hand and then
later reported to his/her publisher. I would use this article as part of an alternative
theory towards the Southard case.
Anderson, William C. Lady Bluebeard: The True Story of Love and Marriage, Death and
Flypaper. Boulder, Colo: Fred Pruett Books, 1994. Print.
A biographical book on the infamous Lyda Southard. It delves into the personal
life of the convicted murderess and examines her motivations. The book
encompasses the entirety of Southard's life unlike the newspaper articles. It is the
only biography which can be found on Lyda Southard. I would utilize this text
throughout the paper because of the amount of information available on the my
subject.
"Attack State's Case at Southard Trial." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 22 1921.
Newspaper article discussing how the defense tried to have certain evidence
provided by the state eliminated during the trial. The defense is relying on using
expert testimony to combat those of the state on the analysis of the toxicology
reports on the bodies. This article had been published in real time with the trial
from a journalist reporting the trial. I would use this article in support of an
alternative theory on the death being accidental rather than murderous.
"CDC - Typhoid Fever." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for

20
Disease Control and Prevention, 14 May 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
This article, provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention describes
the symptoms of typhoid fever as well as the sources for such an infection. I used
this source to explain the basics of how people during the 1920s could have been
exposed to typhoid fever by their own living conditions and poor healthcare. I
think that this article will strengthen my argument that the deaths of Lyda's
husbands were accidental rather than homicidal.
"Death Potion Keeps Bodies." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 2. May 14 1921.
Newsclipping explains how arsenic was found in 3 of Lyda Southard's former
husbands. When Southard was apprehended authorities found a life insurance
policy amongst her possessions. This news clip gives insight into the
prosecution's case against Southard in having a financial motive in murdering her
husbands. The article was published shortly therafter Southard's initial arrest.
Iwould utilize this in describing the prosecution's case against Southard.
"Doctor Testifies in Southard Case." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 06 1921.
Newspaper article discussing how the typhoid test administered to Edward F.
Meyer postmortem tested positive. It goes on to say that Dr. J. F. Couglin testified
how Mr. Meyer had been suffering from typhoid for quite some time. The article
was published during the time of the trial. I would utilize this article in support of
the theory that at least one of Lyda Southard's husbands died by natural causes.
"Found Poison in Body." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 08 1921. ProQuest
News clip describes how Idaho State Chemist, Dr. E. F. Roderbaugh analyzed
specimens from Mr. Meyer's body. He found 0.05 grams of poison in the five

21
grams of specimen he tested. The clip was published the day after this testimony
was given in court. I would utilize this in support of the prosecution's case and
also in comparison with the typhoid test results.
"Found Poison in Room." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 2. Oct 04 1921. ProQuest
News clipping reports how the first two witnesses of the prosecution claimed that
insect exterminator was used in poisoning Southard's husband. The county
prosecutor, Frank L. Stephen focused only on Lyda's fourth husband, Meyer but
was prepared to show that she had killed her other husbands. The news was
published the day after the event in real time. I would use this article in support of
the defense's case and that the trial was centered in public opinion rather than
actual evidence.
Hughes, M. F. et al. 'Arsenic Exposure And Toxicology: A Historical Perspective'. Toxicological
Sciences 123.2 (2011): 305-332. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
A scientific and historical journal article describing the different types of arsenic
exposure which were common to the United States during the 1900s up to the 1980s. I
utilized this piece in my essay to describe possible scenarios in which each of Lyda's
husbands were exposed to different levels of toxicity. This article helps in establishing
how it could have been possible that the deaths of her husbands were because they had
accidentally ingested a dangerous level of arsenic from water or food resources.
Hughes, Richard Arthur Warren. 'A Manual Of Pharmacodynamics'. London: Henry Turner &
Company, 1867. Print. 22 Oct. 2015.
This is an old medical textbook discussing the use of arsenic to cure such ailments as
typhus in saline solutions. I though to use this text in my essay to explain how
pathologist could have found arsenic in the bodies of the deceased husbands. If any of the
men had suffered my typhus but had been treated with arsenic they would have
symptoms of typhoid fever. I think it would strengthen my case against the prosecution
by indicating the amount of medical knowledge for the victims which was lacking in the

22
trial. Pathologists are not the same as medical doctors who deal with living patients,
sometimes over a lifetime. The lack of patient history was astounding considering how
this trial was indeed based on medical and pathology reports.
Ihcworld.com,. 'ABC Of Safety In The Biological Sciences - Arsenic Poisoning'. N.p., 2015.
Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
This is a small article describing arsenic poisoning symptoms and the debilitating effect it
has on people who are exposed to unhealthy amounts of the poison. I used this source in
comparison to the symptoms of typhoid fever. I think that I could improve my argument
by pointing out how arsenic poisoning commonly results in patients having typhoid-like
symptoms including a fever. Lyda's fourth husband did not have a fever and this caused
quite the controversy in having to prove either typhoid fever or poisoning.
"Prosecution in Southard Case Scores." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 14
News clip explains that 6 physicians testified and agreed that although Meyer has
suffered boughts of typhoid the poison was administered during his recovery
periods. The state's case was dependent on the toxicology reports and expert
witness testimony in support of it. The clip had been published concurrently with
the proceeding of the trial. I would use this in support of the prosecution's case yet
compare its strategy with that of the defense's.
Wain, John, Rene S Hendriksen, Matthew L Mikoleit, Karen H Keddy, and R Leon
Ochiai. "Typhoid Fever." The Lancet 385.9973 (2014): 1136-1145. Print.
This scientific article describes the ways in which people may contract typhoid as
well as the functional part of the bacteria. I used this source to support my counter
argument to the prosecution in Lyda Southard's case. Both arsenic poisoning and
typhoid fever have similar symptoms including that of running a high fever. Yet
in the case of her fourth husband he did not suffer from a fever. I think this source
is highly usable as the amount of data which is known today about typhoid fever
rather than what was known during the 1920s.

23
"Woman's Father Witness." Los Angeles Times (1886-1922): 1. Oct 25 1921. ProQuest
News article discusses how Lyda Southard's father testified on the witness stand.
He stated that Lyda informed him she had been unaware of the insurance policy.
This was published the day after his testimony in real time. I would use this article
to show the complications regarding the death of Lyda's fourth husband, Meyer.
His death and the subsequent investigation led to Southard's trial.

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