The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-03-24
By SPECIAL EXPRESS!
TRIAL OF DIR. Y. p. COOLIDGE.
For the Murder of
EDWARD MATHEWS.
REPORTED EXCLUSIVELY FOR
"THE NORTHERN TRIBUNE"

lConclusion of Mr.. BLAKE'S argument.]
This odor isv very pungent, operating on the fau-
ces, and easily distinguished from other odors.-
DR.. Smith says that when he got the prussic acid
from the prisoner, he recollected distinctly the
Odor which he had smelled Is years before at the
Medical Lectures in Brunswick-he had not used
it or met with it since-yet peculiar and pun
gent the odor that he perfectly recollected it.
DR.. Hubbard says, from his own experience and
from his knowledge from books, tibet the Odor may
be relied on with as much certainty the chemi-
cal tests.
But it is inquired, if prussc acid may not be
generated by decomposition of animal substances
DIR. HIPS remark shows the absurdity of supposing
that prussc acid may be generated in the stomach
in life. Questions were asked OF Prot. Looms, 10
draw from him the fact that under high and long
continued heat, certain animal and certain vegeta-
BILE substances decaying together may possibly gen.
crate prussic acid. But the heat applied by Prof
LOOMS las ed only half minute. Drs. Hubbard
and Hill testified that there is no confidence to be
placed in the idea that this acid may be generated
in body in which it has never been put.
Mr.. b. contended that the evidence of the exis-
teace of prussic acid in the body OF the deceased
is positive and certanas was ever to be obtained
in any If the jury is not to believe such evil
dence this case affoads, any man who wishes to
get rid of another may do it by poison with impu-
nifty, for evidence never be adduced stronger
than is here adduced unless the jury some cred
and administer it to the victim, with their own
eyes.
The next question is, did the prisoner administer
the poison 1t is testified that in August, the
prisoner had bottle about half full OF prussic acid
He saw it, and it was large or larger than two
sent to Mr.. Wales for an ounce of prussic acid as
strong as ii can be made Mr.. Wales had only the
medicinal acid and that be sent, and the prisoner
had received it, for Mr.. Phillips saw it in his safe
the day he took the order to Boston. The prison.
told Phillips it poi5on strong enough to kill
as quick as lightning if drop put on to the
tongue in the eye. Dr. G. told Phillips that this
bottle contained prussic acid. Yet he sends by
Philips to Burnett in Boston for ounce of prus-
sic acid strong could be had Why did he
send for this Because he had sent to Wales for
the strongest acid, and had obtained only the medi
cnal acid, which is of 2 per cent strength. He
therefore sent to Boston for this strong acid. He
had before enough of the medicinal acid to last
him whole medical life. Why did he wish for
this strong acid 1t is not used for medicinal pur-
poses. The physicuns do not prescribe it. They
never obtain it for medicine The testimony is,
that the process Of manufacturing the two acids is
different. The prisoner did not want it for medici-
nal purposes he did not want it for experiments;
if he had wished to experiment for honest purpo-
ses, he would have used the medicinal acid for his
experiments would be to show how he could use it
safely in hispractice. Here we find in the posses
sion of the prisoner prlssic acid enough to destroy
the lives of all the animals and all the people in
Watervlle.
On the night of the 30th September Edward
Mathews left the Parker House in the evening
left the side of Charles Misunderstanding he was
going to Dr. Coolidge's office. By the prisoners
confession, Edward Mathews was in his office that
evening with $500 in his pocket. This is the last
that was ever seen of Mathews in life-the last
that was known of him till his mangled body
found the next morning on the prisoners premises,
IanI 10th loft fha prico IL,
who him. Where he :! If he was not
with the prisoner-if the prisoner was not with
him--if Flints account is not true, what is the
truth, and why is it not proved here Why does
not the prisoner show where he was, if Flint has
not told the truth
On Friday evening, after the contents of the
stomach were taken out, and sent away, Mr.. Doc
little asked the prisoner if it would not be well to
have those contents analysed! The prisoner ask
ed, haze they been PRESCRIBED? He then remarks
that it is too late to anayze them. Too atei-Too
LATE Why does he say it is too late? If arse
mic had been there, it might have beeu found by
analysis years afterwards. If corrosive sublimate
or morphene was there, it might have been found
long afterwards Why, then, does he say it was
too late? Vas 1t not because he knetc the poison to
be prtlssis acid, uotale substance, phich he had
reason TO hope had by that time escaped? Let it be
remembered that this before auy analysis of the
contents of the stomach-6ef0re any suspicious as
TO prt,ssic acid lad arisen.
Mr.. B. comm tented the force of ciroumstan-
tiol evidence III some cases, and adduced facts to
show how con clusive it is at time. In one case,
murder was committed in the morning in house
situated in a field, and the question was whetherit
was committe d by the inmates of the house or by
some stranger. The circumstance, that on search
the dew was not found brushed off anywhere about
the house, decided that the murder committed
by some one in the house. In another case, one
died in 0 house, and person coming in, suspected
that moi 81 Al, had heen used On lOokin in n howl
where the porridge in the morning was made, shin
ing pa rticles were found, and were found in the
bowl of meal. On analysis, arsenic was found in
the TO wi, and conviction took place In the case
of ger in this county arsenic was actually and
nly found in the contents of the stomach but
it WIS found in milk pitcher the table, and the
,nor bid appearances indicated that arsenic had been