The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-08-11

rrNARKABLE CASE

Ai!! 4s4laAh At=.s =
-. a more remarkable cannoi be found on
oe'ie',' a., incarnation WAS communicated
ft1'''. 80, who was personally engaged III the
i,yestfgaiions attending ~
ro,,utry iowa in the state OF Maine
,,s,,,,hs siuce, the wife OF labourihg man,
-. h,d lived for "a tong tiihr on very hallef-
- ms vith her. suddenly died' As she was
,,.a,e,dy perfect health un the day OF her
,d tiere had been violent quarrels be-
-, On, tine maa was regarded WITH con
.;i.,,tJ. 5egree OF suspicion. al ths oH''i OF
.t.,,if. her relations attended 10 these 'he
wv -" III always cherished great hostility.
hat On this occasion he Was parllcuialy u, GEM
'ha,,bcv should return with him, alter the tn,
''"' w. :, ,,a,tnLe of "A meal al his liable They
- IA disno,cd 10 this, both on account OF
-. a.,,tsction of the treatment OF his vie,
tt,,,,,e,rr, hDsfilitv 20 them, aud The very sns
i.i.,s circumstances Of The wltes death. lie
continued TO urge them 10 return 10 MS mouse
nd na,take oil the entertainment WIN so 'il"th
..,,s,,,,ss Tint after resisting for Il long while,
,bno FUND tlIat they could refuse no longer.
The meal was placed before them, AT whleh Il
dish ofbqksd beans was fbundan'lv served, anu
or,ybich they urged TO pattake IN etally. mneh
,...hI mai aIansed diier the meal we're before
,.y i,,liv,Iual OF the party was taken SICK, some
va,e g., violently affected thatthelr lives were de
49,, de,.rmined the neighbors 10 have tie man
.,y,.,.a and this was accordingly done. lhe
I,4s. ,vas searched, and quantity OF hfst-
az. vas found. ofwhich il was afterwards as
serfainad that he had brought considerable
.,,a,r;fv ofnn aputhecary short time eiore
,3saa.th of his wife. Another corroborains
circumstances was that the accused had on
iae slav On which his wife died carried 10 hfr
while Al work in the field glass OF liquor
IL
gu az OF courtesy which, such were The
fcrnIs Oh which they had lived, II was quite
ont Of his custom to ProE'r. he nan was
pIacrd in custody, aud preparations were
nallr for his trial. The physician who atten
d.dibe deceased was satisfied that the death
was from poi,on and would give his evidence
Iaihat effect Public opinion was greatly ex-
cifad on the subject, aud the conviction OF The
individual WI. confidently aniiciputed at the
approaching session Of the cont
Things being thus circumstanced, the pbysl-
c;an whose evidence as we have related, was
decided on the point OF the death being occa-
SoneI by poison happened TO be on a visit 10
the town OF .. The circumstances hcmg gene
rally known, Or NJ who was personal friend
Of this physician, sought an interview with hun,
and injured Of him if he examined the body
internally after death, aud on being answered |
IN the nceatlvr he placed before him in strong
manner in, situation in which he would find |
himself when called on before court aud jury |
for evidence of his assertion that the death was |
by poison IL was soon decided that a disinier- |
mpnt and An examination ct The body should tie |
immed at,ly made, aud Dr. NJ with another |
medical friend, accompanied the first named |
ply stefan to the place of the presumed murder. |
Ihe people OF the vicinity expressed great sails !
faction At knowing Of this intention, and were |
eager TO assist in the di'i1termcn, assured that
IL would only add confirmation to their belief |
in the guilt Of the accused. The body was
quickly removed from the earth. A question I
then Il ising where the examination shoud take |
pace-tor as il had been buried tire weeks no |
one was willing that il should be brought into |
his dwelling house "a neghhoriug barn was |
l. 81 ptup1srd, but TO this the physicians object |
81 on acncouut Of the want of sufficient light |
The mfetjHr hDItse was thennaRed, and thltheT |
The body was Carried twas placed en- table !
in thr centre aisle, and the examination com
Inrnced in the presence of the assembled and |
eager multitude who filled the pews aud the
galleries DIR, NJ prepared 10 open the abdomen,
and the gentleman vino accompanied him uu-
,irrtoot in the mean While the examination of
tine head To the former of course the aiten.
zion Of all was chiefly directed. The operation
oil opening ihe head however, advanced mere !
rapidly than that OF the abdomen, and the reno
nal OF tIIr crauiUm discovered, to the surprise of
tnr operators and The spectators, a sulnsion Of |
blood in tue orran and all the unequivocal marks I
otWD2Firc,. while the stomach and the other d. .
Eestyc organs we're found to exhibit not the
slightest indications Of the presence of any poi |
SenpnS substance The surprise aud probably |
~ then excited state OF mind against the suppo-
sed criminal, the disappointment. of the spec.
rafors was extreme. TIE result of the exami- /
nation was however irresistible in proof that the
death DCcaSipugJ h,. 4.
poison, and the mans life was saved. Tor it is I
scarce 10 be doubted that jury would have con
Nici'd hun upon III" evidence of the crcumstan-
ces which we have enumerated.
It VII b" asked how is the circumstance oftho
sickness 0fthe wis., relatives winch was pvi.
d'nHy caused bv the meal which the man urged
then 50 earnestly to take, Ia be accounted for
II Is explained by singular lact of which one
or two other instances are known 10 have occur.
red. --Ihr be ans, Of which the npa was nrinci-
paly com oSed. had bcpa baked ia rarthcn yes.
sells aud were allowed to grow cold they bad
been kept tong enough to have turucd acid to
slight degree, add when theY were placed IN the
oven to bereheated. the action of the acid on the
SIDES OF tine jar decomposed the glazing with
winch the interior of the jar was coated and Of
Nhch Sulphurct Of lead is the chief ingredient
a poisonous substance was thus developed and in
FUSED Ini" IN" coneutS of the jar, an4 those eat
ing Of the heanS were attacked with symptoms Of
l1hc'S more ar less severe, according 10 the
pattoi the jar from which the beans were taken
~ winch they ate After this it was not din.
"nI' to admit, thar the arsenic found IN the mans
possession, might have hrcu purchased for the
INSTRUCTION ct ''tS, as he had constantly a.
'erred was the case
We leave this statement, the anihcnticity of
which may be confidently relied on. 10 the re-.
h"ChuAs of our readers Ttpv ran b,v, Ind.