Mrs. Mamie McDowell: Who is Poisoning The Perkin's Children?

 Mrs. Mamie McDowell-Bryant widower with 3 children, neighbor of the Perkin's family.

First to die was William "Willie" Perkins

21 Sep 1905, second was Octavia Celeste Blakey 17 Oct 1905.

The parents:

James Edward Perkins holding his step-daughter Octavia who died.

Emma Celeste Johnson-Perkins

James Edward Perkins holding Octavia his step-daughter. (She is dead in the photo, this was a common practice back then).

Newspaper articles about the crime and how it unfolded in Richmond, VA in 1905.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56935774/emma-perkins/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38122476/perkins-children/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38124075/mrs-emma-perkins/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38123267/mrs-emma-perkins/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56939876/emma-perkins/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56944556/emma-perkins/

Clinical description. Ingestion of elemental white or yellow phosphorus typically causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, which are both described as “smoking,” “luminescent,” and having a garlic-like odor. Other signs and symptoms of severe poisoning might include dysrhythmias, coma, hypotension, and death.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56940747/emma-perkins/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38123214/mrs-emma-perkins/

 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56941406/emma-perkins/

Emma's children

Emma celeste Johnson was born in 1870 in King Williams County, Virginia, to John Harvey Johnson (1840-1922) & Elizabeth (1845-1915). Emma was first married to William Edward Blakey and they had the following children.

Clarence Lewis Blakey

1890–1969

Mary B Blakey

1892–1980

Edward Ray Balkey

1894–1982

Emma Jane Blakey

1896–1926

John K Blakey

1897–

Robert Keister Blakey

1898–1993

Octavia Celeste Blakley

1899–1905

Nora Blakey

1900–

Children with second husband James Edward Perkins.

George Terall Perkins

1905–1983

Ella B Perkins

1908–

Mathe "Mattie" D Perkins

1910–

William "Willie" M Perkins

–1905

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38127345/octavia-blakley/

I didn't find much information on Mamie, after reading the newspaper articles she got off scott free. But the story of the Perkin's family continues with horrible outcomes for some of the rest of the children.

Clarence Lewis Blakey died when he was struck by a car in 1969.

Emma Jane Blakey died from procuring and abortion in 1926.

Mary Blakey died in 1980 of a brain bleed.

I wonder how the Perkin's family survived after all this. Did Mrs. McDowell move away? so many more questions, I just do not understand how the justice system failed this family, very sad. I wish I would of been able to see the court records and the police reports it would shed more light on the case.