The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-06-01
Nc EDITION----FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1S49


with tho Murder or Thomas Mott.
RocHEsrxR, May D, lS4o-8K A. N.
THE FOURTH DAY.
This morning transmitted TO the Hers al the pro-
sssdings and progress Of this trial up O'Clock last
eight this forenoon and proceeded at once with the
testimony Of the chemists and physicians who had
the people The arst one called was Professor Reed
from New York city and the next was DR. Webster Of
this city who j. an excellent physician and surgeon
soma twenty-five years. practice. With these two
wtncess the occupied the whole of the day
up to the adjournment and there has nothing been
ecited to show facts that the prisoner Is guilty Of
| the charge upon which he Is arraigned
The following is the evidence Of to-day The first
witness cal ed WAS the chemist from New York -
DR. LAWRENCE REID, sworn-Reside in the city OF
New York; is q chemists been engaged in business
connected with chemistry twenty two years il ac-
quainted with substance known strychnia; 1t Is
obtained from nux vomca the strychnia is active
principle in the nux vomca; 1t is very active poison
have animals killed by 1t immediately; believe
grain will produce death administered to q human
system it affects the system by producing spasms.
ultimately resulting in DEATH after 1t is taken it Is
absorbed in the system by acting vital part
we do not exactly know which it produces its results
supposing barely enough given to produce death,
the substance could not be detected by chemical
animation few days after account Of its being ali
sorbd and altogether changed in it's properties being
compound body it Is resolved into combinations,
and hence loses its identty after this article is ad
ministered where only enough is administered to pro-
duce death as soon AZ 1t produces its effects its den
tity would be lost if more than enough to produce
death was administered the chance OF identifying it
In the system would depend altogether the guam
tity; there must be half grain than enough
produce death in order to enable chemist to find 1t in
the stomach after death; the only test that could
rely upon would be in obtaining a crysallized SUBJ
stance which would neutralize acid and form
binatiops with acids and could be separated from this
combination like other akalies srychnia Is the most
bitter substance discoveries; part of the sub
stance in hundred thousand times the quantity Of
water could be detected by it's bitter taste there Is
much more difficulty in discovering vegetable poison
than metallic in the system the vegetable will de-
compose and the metallic remain.
Cross cIanlined-ln cases of this nature, suppose
strychnia would remain undecomposed, until the de-
composition OF the system commenced; have made
examinations Of bodies poisoned by vegetables and
been unable detect it, the poison had not been given
a day before; would not rely upon Appearances
In the system, to whether poison had caused the
death, unless found the crystazed substances; other
chemists would do so ! am acquainted with works Of
Professor Ora of Paris professor of tochecology his
authority is good; also Kaspails Organic Chemistry
standard work; eminent chemists differ as to whether
posons could be detected in the system after
death; would not rely thing except actual
appearance in the system; oxygen, hydrogen carbon
and nitrogen enter into the composition Of srychnine
each Of these substances combine with sub
stances and with themselves; every human body
tans all these four elements and they exist every
simultaneously, when given in quantities sufficient to
produce death; when in quantities sufficient to pro-
ducc convulsions can't say how soon it will act; all
the akalods very bitter such morphine quinine
&C and most of the alkalods have bitter tastes it
asserted that qunine applied the surface Of the
body. will produce bitter taste in the mouth have
never seen it, don't think post norton examination
cian but devote my attention almost wholly to chemis
try, and avoid giving medical opinions unless forced
aconite Is also an active poison all the articles
have spoken of used in the practice Of medicine
Direct resum,d.-t could distinguish strychua from
other substances by the degree of bitterness stychns
il the most intense bitter Of all; half grain of
phins in three would be detected Bit
ter; there is difference In tastes; the quantity
Of strychnia in the quantity Of water would be-
death, administered by the mouth should look for 1t
in the stomach If by an injection in the rectum and
ntesnes; if the stomach had been opened cleared out
with SPONGE except the quantity very large, it
would be impossible to detect srychnia IL administer
49, s,san III t,Eo
cleansed it would render 1t impossible to be detected
strychna administered by injection would poi
| son as much as If administered by the mouth
Cross-eramination rysuyaed.-Qunine would be very
bitter, administered in water; bitterness Is matter Of
tsste some persons would be rs greatly affected AS
| to taste by morphine as others would by strychna;
strychna not as soluble In water as salts OF NOR
phine The grand jury here came into court with q
large number Of indictments and having disposed Of
all the business before them, were discharged
Professor JAMES WEBSTER, SWORN Resides In Ro-
CHESTER is practitioner OF medicine and surgery;
have been one twenty-five years. have been engaged
in delivering lectures anatomy and surgery;
saw Mr. Mott to know him. arst heard Of his death
early In February; called upon shortly after death
Of MIR N to 20 to Scottsyille ond make most sortrm
examination Of his body; think 1t on Thursday,
the 9th about the 9th Of the month; Dr. Armstrong
and DR. Miller chemists, vent with me; first saw the
saw the coffin opened; remsved the covering from
the body; it was = shroud thrown over It; then
the incsions brought together by sticks drawing
which the cavity was exposed the ineison was in the
ehape Of cross about six or seven inches each way
the shortest in the transverse incion; the vertical
nciion extended three four inches above the navel
the upper part Of the incsion high the lower
part Of the stomach the transverse ncsion made
about the middle of the vertical inciou this ncison
would expose the stomach to view without turning
down flaps; the parts in the cavity Of the abdomen
presented healthy appearance and natural position
the anterior portion Of the stomach had incson in
it about five inches in length, extending obliquely;
this incison slightly turned at the lower extre-
nifty; think the incison could be made by single cut
of the knife. TAT this stage of the proceedings and
testimony Mr.. Wheaton asked the witness he had the
stomach in court He said not but could get it, aud
Immediately after and turned in few nutes
and exhibited il with description to the jury and
court The stomach showed the incison made by DR. II
The incison is sufficiently large to have the baud
serted with ease the cut Is does not present
the appearance that it did when taken from
the body; there might have been air in the stomach
when opened and the natural consequence would be-
the sliding Of the knife making the the line of
the incison in the stomach does not correspond with
the line Of the ncson in the abdomen if the stomach
should be filed with air it would throw the stomach
lower than al but the same incsion made into
the abdomen did not make the iucison into the sto
mach after the incsion in the abdomen aud the flaps
thrown up the stomach would not have been posed
unless forciby drawn down. the place wh.re the knife
entered the stomach would have been exposed turn
sion in the stomach and found the nsides empty and
clean; found nothing In It,; have opened vesy many
the condition OF this before presented
my mind at that the stomach had been
MON since; never saw stomach in this condition
until after it bad been cleaned; never saw any
semblance to this in stomachs which had not been
cleaned there was mucus the coats OF the sto-
mach; and saw IL stomach that had not been
cleaned where this mucus did not exist; this mucus
is thick tenacious fluid the inner walls Of the sto
mach ndherent to greater less extent think this
mucus could not be- cleansed from the stomach while
living think drinking water and nothing else before
| death would have tendency to clean the stomach,
but should expect to asd mncus; shond not. under
these circumstances. expect TO lind food; have had
opportunities Of witnessing the operation Of digestion
In the stomach during life; in the Of gun shot
wound in the anterior portion of the stomach, wound
hight and the patient recover the patient Alexis
San Martin DR. Beaumont brought the patient to mo
in the city of Philadelphia: he remained with me
veral days, and had opportunity of ~tnessng the
operation of the digestion Of food in the stomach
never saw q stomach without a deposit of upon
IT. all mucilageous articles have that peculiar tepacity
which the of the stoma ch think,
with injection Of int the stomach distending
it, this mucous could be removed; mean by using
fcient force taking ordinary syringe aud forcing
| In the water and letting IL run out don't know
this would take 1t all out; stated at the time and 1t
is still my opinion, that this stomach had the appear