Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-12-23
Trial of MRS. Kinney, at Boston, for the M"f-
der of her Husband by administering Pol

son.
This extraordinary case came on for trial on Mon
day before the Supreme Court The excitement du-
ring the morning was very great the court room
was crowded almost to sufocation and every avenue
leading to it throngel by an immense multitude anxi
Gus hear all the details of the We know not
when case has excited a more intense interest in
the community, and well it may, for the crimo OF
which Mrs. Kinney stands accused,is one of henous
enormity, and alas lattery of too frequent occur
renee.
DR.. ID. H. Storer. Resides in Winter street, and
il practising physician. He was called to see
patient by William + Goodwin the 9th Of August
last, between IL and in the morning. Went TO Bal
lard Place, aear his residence, at the house of Mr.
George Il. Kinney. FOuad him in bed very sick
Had nGver heard Of him or his wife before She was
there. He appeared to be in great suffering, com
planning OF severe rain IN the stomach and bowels
Pulse was small and feeble. The bowl at his bed
side contained pint and half of liquid, thrown
from his stomach, as witness was told Asked Mrs.
Kinney how io.g he had been sick. She told me he
had been unwell week or ten days. Had lately had
attack Of variolod but he had tended to his bu-
siness until noon of Satu rday day before. That
he commenced vomiting on Saturday at 10 o'clock
in the forenoon, aad he had been growing more sick
since She said she called at his store and walked
home with him the day before. She said he had APP
piled TO Dr. Harrington, during his sickness, in En-
dcott street, and showed me pills or powders, she
said he had had of him. She asked me to examine
them, and state If they could have caused his sick
broke open the pills and said supposed
them to be cayenne pepper, very acid, but did not
suppose they could have caused his sickness eXa-
mined the powders, and told her Isupposed them to
be Dover powers, preparation Of opium, ard told
her did not suppose the pills or powders could
have caused the sickness Mr. Kinney and Mr.Gar'
diner were present, with myself and Mrs Kno others
present. He (Mr. k.) said nothing prescribed
poultce, 40 drops Of audanum to be taken, and also
injection with 60 drops Of laudanum. staid Is
or 20 minutes, and went home. Was called again
between and 6 in the morning. Went imme diatey;
found him great deal worse very thirsty, slant
ly asking for drink and vomiting as he drank.
The discharges thick, tnged slightly with bile
found the laudansm given by the mouth, bat not the
injection Mrs. X. said she could not give it ; / told
her it important, and also prescribed pill of
calomel and opium. Remained about Is or 20 min
ues. Mr. Goodwin was present. went home and
went to bed. Saw Mr.. Kinney again between 9 and
10 that morning. Found him in great agony, and in
constant disposition to evacuaton-s he could
not la long and must die soon If not relieved The
pill had been given and he ceased vomiting for
hour. The injection had not been given. While he
complaining, took his wife aside and told her
her husbands symptoms were very similar to those
Of the Asiatic Cholera in 1882 and proposed TO call
in DR.. Bigelow to SEQ him with me. While | was
conversng, Mr. Kinney looked up and asked me if
Thought it was cholera, or is this cholera. told
him the symptoms were certainly very similar l
went out met DR.. Bigelow, and in five minutes he
returned with me. DR.. Jacob Bdgelow. We found
the patient removed from the vessel and sitting in
chair We found him in a dying state. Thrown
back in a chair, and his feet on the bed Three or
four quarts Of liquid had passed from him We pre-
scribed nothinghe was past remedy and dying. DR..
Bigeow agreed with me that it was case Of malig-
nant cholera. The pulse was almost imperceptbe.
Appeared in state Of collapse. We staid few mi
nutes and went out. returned in about an hour
Found him in the position left him. He was dead;
he died about quarter of hour after left him
l was told The muscles ofthe legs were distinctly
contracted. called attention to it, thought it
roboraed my opinion that it was cholera Saw Mrs
Kinney then and told her it very desirable there
should be post norton examination. l met Mr..
Good W in in the chamber with Mrs Kinney. Mrs
Kinney said she had objection except the natural
feeling Of all persons on such occasions. We exa-
min ed the body at NJ in the where he died
myself, DIR. jackson, and DIR. Bigelow DR.. Jackson
performed the operation; it was done with care In
The stomach we found large spot Of blood dused
ecchymosis. DIR. Jackson, the moment he observed
it, spected it produced by some irritating poi
son. have no doubt myself, of the agency OF that
cause in the death, poison. do not say that had
no doubt at that time. was governed by Dr. jack
sons opinion have no doubt now, il was poison.
We found great deal OF irritation in the lower in
testines. This is an incident to the effects Of poi
soning generally. There was no fetid odor The sto
mac was taken by DR.. Jackson. Did not see its
contents emptied. Did not know what wa, done
with the other intestines. We all desired 10 have
the stomach examined. While DR. jack on was do
ing IT, | went below to Mrs. Kinney. Dr.. Bigc-
low had gone. I went in and told her that many Of
the appe arances were such as we had noticed in
ses 81 cholera did not tell her he had died Of poi
son She said George had been unwell for several
days, and he had suddcnly died from some cause
unknown probably TO you as it is TO me Don't re
member anything further on that conversation.
then left the house DIR. Jacks and myself retarn-
ed within an hour, and requested an examination Of
the body. She asked what for, told her that per
tion Of the aesaphagus had not been examined and
we wished an apartment for further spection She
was wiling made nc objections. DIR. Jackson was
below when made The request. We then removed
all the canal from the acsaphaeus to the anus,
NIL the bowels, from the mouth through the body.
| Dr. Jackson took them and saw them in his Office,
| afterwards Mr. Kinney was buried on Monday
| Ga Tuesday had line from Mrs. Kinney for me To
call, went to her at her house in the forenoon.
| No other person present. She said she de-
sireus should give her certificate that her hus.
band died Of cholera She began by saying she wish
| cd 70 unbosom herself to me. She then gave long
history Of her former life She said that for the most
part she and Mr. Kinney had lived happily together
that he vas irritable but always ready to acknow.
ledge his faults. She said IL very unPleasant to
him for her to receive visitors from clergymen. He
did not like cergymen,and did not wish her TO visit
them. She said she had received letter from Mr.
Pay son. which she bad read TO Mr.Kinney but could
not satisfy him. She stated great many things Her
conversation was very ineohercnt. IL ended by her
request that I should give the certificate. Being
asked the reason she savcshe said IL was currently
reported that she had poisoned he band, and said
must be aware Of the reports against her. Up to
that time had not said word about poisoning TO her
nor had any one IN my presence. She said there
| a very large funeral, and she was pointed out
murderer She was perfectly calm and composed.
No tears. She said that she intended TO visit his
frit nds, where they going before he taken
sick, and it important to have the certificate to
show them. told her was not satisfied as to the
Of his death, and could not give the certificate
On Thursday after, Miss Collins called for the GER
tfcste. told her was not satified 10 the
Of his death, and could not give it, DIR. Jackson call
ed on Mrs. nney with mo on the Sunday after his
death at o'clock. then told her had ertain-
ed by chemical analysis, that arsenic found in
Mr.. Kinney's stomach, and that was undoubtedly
the cause OF his dea'h. She merely said, indeed
No greet. We were there about five minutes. That
W Il l.
sit Mrs. Kinney. went in after church. She said
she could not imagine how the arsenic in the
mach. Her principal object seemed to be TO know
who krew we had found arsenic. told her Dcxtsr
| She asked who except I told her DIR. Martin Gay
had aaalised il, and also DIR. Hdreth She said she
| would rather have given the world than Dr. Hill