The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-11 00:00:00

THE POISONING OX' A LADY BY
STBYCHNIA, AT LEEDS.

ADJOURNED INQUEST AT. LEEDS.

LIEDS, Monday.—Thia morning the inquest on the
body of Mrs; Harriet Dove, aged 28, supposed to have
been poisoned by her husband, Mr. William Dove, by
administering strychnia to the deceased, was held in the
Court-house here, before John Thackburne, .E;q., the
barough coroner. The court was much crowded through-
'out the day. The accused, who was taken into custody
on Friday, was not present during the proceedings, but
was represented by. Mr., Barrett, solicitor, of Leeds. .
Thq first witness called was Mr. Morley, surgeon, who
was re-exatnined by the coroner at considerable length.
He slated that tetanus was generally produced by e.x:
ternal injury. We did not complete the last experiment
on the -stomach and intestines of the deceased until five,
o'clock on Friday morning, and did not matte up our
minds until that time. Mrs. Dove was. taking medicine
from hie on the ..234 ult: It was an effervescing mix-
ture, consisting of carbonate of soda and syrup of lemon
in:one bottle and in the other tartaric acid and water.
Neither of these would leave a bitter taste. On the 25th
the medicine was changed by Mr. Scarf to a mixture
'containing ether, :vanerian,- and henbane. The colour
would be dark brown, and the taste bitter and rather
hot. On the 26tb, ether, ienerian, aloes, and gentian,
arid; ifs addition, a slight sedative draught, containing
opium; That 'would also have a bitter taste. The same
was again renewed up to the 290 of February, Friday.
No change was made on the Saturday. I had observed
the bottles abOut during the week. Each of the three
portions into which the stomach and its contents were
divided were Submitted to the following tests of analy-
sis :---Examination 1. It :was mixed with a sufficient
portion of distilled water, acidulated with pure sul-
phuric acid, heated in a porcelain -dish, and then the
liquid portion:was separatid by filtration. The liquid
portion thus filtrated was heated with carbonate of lime,
so as to nentralii_e the' sulphuric acid. It was then
slowly evaporated, until it became nearly dry. To thie mass
was
rectified spirit added in successive portions so as with
the aid of beat to dissolve any strychnia which it might
contain. The spirituous solution thus obtained was
then filtered, and afterwards quietly evaporated in a
p avelain vessel until it acquired the subsistence of syrup.
To this syrupy mass which would contain any strychnia
present in the stomach, we applied the various tests
which are characteristic of that poison, viz., first the
test of taste. Both the syrupy extract and the spiri-
tuous solution had decidedly the bitter taste of strychnia.
This proof we think of almost equal importance with
the direct chemical tests. Second, to a portion of the
syrupy Mass we applied a little pure nitric acid. This
produced a red colour, showing the presence of strych-
nia in its ordinary state. Third, to another portion we
applied first, pure concentrated sulphuric acid, and then
added a solution of bichromate of potash. The result
was a parole colour changing to red, again showing the
presence of strychnia. This test was varied by using
the bichromate of potash in powder, instead of in solu-
tion. The result was eventually the same. Every test
was applied by each of us separately, and was repeated
many tunes with such variations in the mode as would
detect any error or fallacy which might have crept in.
The same series of tests was at the same time applied
to strychnia itself, for the purpose of comparison. Dur-
ing the whole of our investigation of the stomach and its
contents, the apparatus used and our tests were kept in
the laboratory, under lock and key, so that no person
but ourselves could obtain access to them. By this
analysis we consider the fact proved, that the stomach
of Mrs. Dove contained strychnia in sufficient quantity
to cause death.

By 'Mr. Barrett.—There are no other tests upon
which the presence of strychnia could turn.
The Coroner here observed that he thought Mr. Mor-
ley had stated all that was necessary for tele purpose of
this .part of the inquiry.
By the Corouer.—Nitric acid would produce a red co-
lour and so would aloes. That again would alter if
strjOrdit had been applied. We applied ammonia and
eit.tier tests, but I think it better that I should mention
that at another stage of the inquiry.
Mr. Nsnneley said the other tests they had applied
wen: not characteristic. They were merely confirma-
tory, and, if mentioned, could not increase the weight
of their testimony.
By the C, roner—The symptoms were decidedly those
f strychnia—they were all the symptoms of strychnia.
I know of no other cause to produce death. I had some
conversation with Mr. Dove on Thursday last, in re-
ierence to the examination of the body. He inquired
it we had bound poison. He said, " I wish to know,
Mr. Morley, what you have found !" I said, " I cannot
tell )on." called me into another room. He and
I arid his mother ti ere then there, and he shut the door.
The first word was the greeting. He said, " I wish to
know, Mr. Morley, what you have found ?" I think be
said, " Have you found poison ?" but I era nut quite
sure that during the conversation he mentioned puisou.
I made a reply that we had not yet finished our analysis,
and could not give him any answer, but that there were
no natural causes that we could discover accounting fur
death. Later in conversation he said, "Do you, Mr.
Morley, suspect me of poisoning her I could riot be so
cruel." I said, "My suspicions are rather that it is an
accidental poisoning, knowing that you had poison in
the house." He said, "If I had poisoned her, do you
think I should have come .to your surgery for pois,n,
and have talked about it to others 1" naming, I think, his
mother. He then repeated his request to let hint kuo
what the result was.

The Coroner—At what period of the conversation
was the word "strychnia" used
Witness —When I was asked about the result of the
By Mr. Barratt—The word was used before I said it
was an Accidental poisoning.
By the Coroner—l am not quite sure at what precise
point of the conversation the word strychnia was used ;
tint it was before I mentioned accidental poisoning. I
have told you the substance of the convereatioe, but I
never could remember the precise words of a converea•
Lion se as to repeat them verbatim. The words
"strychnia," "poison," with the little pronoun "it,"
were frequently used by both of us ; but I cannot give to
each its precise place in the convereation. Heauked, as
Boon as I found anything to let him know. My reply
was, that I could not tOl him when the analysis would
be closed, as it might not be closed until an hour
before the inquiry was resumed. I asked him, at the
same time, as to the mode he had adopted in reference
to the poison. lie said he had brought it home in
paper, with the word " poison" on it, and had placed it
iu the rezer-box, and cautioned her (his wife) not to
touch it. lie said, "I told her, this is poison, deadly
poison, the poison that Palmer used ; you must net
touch it at all." I asked him, having learnt that he bad
obtained strychnia, how often he had obtained it ? He
said only once. He said, " I got it to poison the cats."
I said, " How lock. had you strychnia in and about the
house ?" Ho said either " ten days," or " perhaps ten
dap." Re asked me to tell him when I found it (mean-
ing etrychnia), and when I found it, what would be the
result, and what the jury would say ? I said I cannot
tell. It will be very seriutiF. There will be only three
ways of accounting for it—either that it was' taken by
herself, or given her by accident, or that it was given to
her by some person designedly, and the jury will hare
to decide which.

The Coroner—Can you form any opinion how often
or what quantity of strychnia had been taken
Witness—l think it must have been given at least
four times during the week of her death.
The Coroner—How soon after, as to the quantity, is
it impos-ible for you to disc/ver what has been taken ?
Witness—l should judge from the quantity of matter
in the stomach that several grains had been taken. The
effects are generally within half an hour after it is taken.
This refers to the spasmodic effects. The medicines
taken in the meantime would not have any influence ;
that is, no material influence. Possibly in a very
slight degree. The medicines taken night make the
effect rather slower. Strychnia with acid might be ren-
dered more soluble, and her medicines bad alkali in
them. My own impression was that the strychnia had
been administered with the medicine. My impression
is f firmed from the symptoms that were consequent upon
her taking the medicine. On the Friday, fur instance,
she took her medicine at eight o'clock, and the symp-
toms occurred at a quarter past. This opinion is founded
upon the assumption that she had not taken anything
between her tea at six and the medicine at eight.
By Mr. Barrett—l should imagine that from one to
three grains were taken on Friday morning. My reasons
are—first, in 'consequence of the violence of the sympi
toass and tl sir early occurrence. A smaller dose would
act more slowly. If half the quantity had been given
at tea-time I do not think the symptoms would hare
been the same, but would have occurred earlier. They
would then have occurred within half an hoer of the
time. The rapidity and evidence of the symptoms de-
pends upon the dose. Perfect health would have
the effect of modifying the influence. If I had not been
inferined that the rneslicine haj been given at 8 o'eloek
I should then have said that it-had probably been given
within half an hour. I made one post martens examina-
tion with Mr. Nunneley, and that wza in May, 1855.
That was the first pest tiortent and analysis of strychnia
that I have made. That analysis was made four or five
days after death. It was either the fourth or fifth that I
detected strychnia. In this instance we made additional
tests to those made in the former one. With respect to
the cc:OAI examination, we divided the whole into three
parts, and applied the first test early on the morning of
the second day. We commenced the analysis about ten
o'clock on Monday night last. The test we first applied
was nitric acid. I may say that taste was the first test.
We tasted as we went on. We applied the same night
sulphuric acid, and likewise bichrotioate of potash.
Nitric acid produced a red colour, prima facia evidemco
of strychnia. The evidence was a red colour. Nothing
else. I applied nitric acid many times that night. The
effects were the same in kind, but not quite the same in
degree, because we varied the strength.
Mr. Barrett—Would not the presence of medicine
in the stomach, such as you have described, produce
the same effects
_ .

Witness—Yes, the morphia in the opium would give a
reddish tint. The second test was sulphuric acid and bi-
chromate of potash, which formed one test together, and
u used on the same morning. We also applied acetic
acid. The application of that test led to our pending