The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-12
THE GARDNER CASE.
Adjourned Inquest-suicidc Proved.

m which the deceased breahed his last and IN which the
post morem examination made. Besides the Coroner
and jurors there present Drs Thomas Miller urai-
ton Tyler Joshua Riley, Alexander j. semmes, Wm' Du
Humel and Daniel Breed, Chemical Examiner oil the
United States Patent oce Lewis Steiner (Profes
sor Of Chemistry in the National Medical Colege9 also,
JOS H. Bradley NJ Carlisle Esqrs counsel for the
defendant and p Barton Key, United States District
Attorney.
There was crowd present in the vicinity of the JAIL
ii being generally believed throughout the city that the
deceased had committed suicide-an opinion which, as
win be observed from the testimony given below has
ceived the most ample confirmation
The rsevidence presented to the jury report
of the two Professors whose custody stomach and
liver Of the deceased delivered purpose of
chemical analysis. Their report read follows
LABORATORY OF U. S. PATENT OFFICE
WASHINGTON, ID. c. March To- 1854
10 IhoMAs MooDwARp CORONER, AND r BARTON KEY,
Gentemen-Havng, in conformity with your instruc-
lions instituted careful investigation of the
the stomach OF the late Dr. A. Gardner and also of
the powder found in his pocket-both submitted to
you the 4th inst hereby report that in the sto
mach have detected substances aordng the chemi-
cal reaction cha ractersc of trychnne and brucne and
from the large portion of the contents Of the stomach
not yet completely Analysed convinced that these
yruient poisons present in quantity than srf
Acient to have produced death
The powder found in the pocket of the deceased, kas
proved to be commercial strychnne, or, chemically,
mixture Of that poison with brucine According to the
PSYCHOLOGISTS the weight of this powder is ninety five
million grammes.
mach several pieces of of which folded in
the manner in which druggists wrap up powders
LEWIS H. STEINER, M D.
DR. Grafton Tyler of Georgetown College being present,
asked to state anything further that he had to
He said-I had no idea of being summoned here again,
but would merely observe in connection with what
the contents of the stomach that my mind there
circumstances which would influence opinion which it
would be well for me to state; gave opinion before
hand at the last meeting of the inquest from the symp
toms before DEATH and the post norton appearances, that
believed there poison in the case and that if
strychnne should be found in the stomach, l should
entertain the belief that death caused by that poison
that opinion based the fact that the physicians
who attended him during his illness, pointed clearly
the mind Of medical man present that strychnne
was the cause of the symptoms, and this opinion
strengthened by the fact that such symptoms
produced by any combinations of diseased action what
ever the symptoms which result from the physiological
influence oil stIyehnne are PECULIAR in period Of over
twenty years devoted to the investigation daily
seryation Of diseased phenomena have any
such modification OF nervous power, understood
through the outward manifestations, those resulting
from the action Of this posonand it is well attested
that persons have been known to die of narcotic and
narcotco aerd posons, where evidence afforded
after DEATH by chemical research this may result from
the quantity being minute as to be absorbed or
changed by combinations after entering the body;
in this instance, the violence Of the symptoms and
the sudden termination of the indicated dose of
considerable amount and therefore expected the poison
to be detected There circumstance in which, though
ect have died from other swallow poison
at the same tme poison might be introduced into the
stomach after death In this the fact that the symp
toms before death denoted every medical witness to a
poison the and to strychnne alone that poi
son, the poan examination strengthening the
opinion by full negative and positive testimony,
when taken in combination with the symptoms before
death. Further, chemical tests have revealed the exs-
ence of poison in the stomach of exactly the character
(even the specific Drug which the symptoms indicated
to have been taken conceive that the testimony could
not be stronger that srychnine the of death
DR. Alexander J. Semmes, physician to the IT, s. JAIL
stated that experiments were performed in Paris dogs
and other animals and that the symptoms correspond
exactly with those exhibited in the of Dr. Gardiner
Sychnine in his opinion entered the circulation and
through 1t exerts specific influence upon the spinal
marrow and the motor Its peculiar effect
in Dr. Gardner's case was manifested by the ex-
auisite sensbility of the surface of the body to
light, heat and the touch to such degree that the
simple contact of the finger with the skin would
excite the etania paroxysm. Even in the alb
ssnce of any chemical analysis so convincing the
chain of moral evidence together with the symptoms
before death and the morbid of the body
The post moreni examination that must have concluded
that the death Of Dr. Gardner caused by the admins
$ration of strychnirc.
witness of the name of Evan Hughes was next ex-
amined end the following colloquy transpred between
him and the Coroner
Coroner-T has been told as here that DR.. Gardner
raid to you in your presence that than 90
the pententary he would take poison. Did you ever
Witness-I did sot
Coroner-Did you hear him say anything to that
eGect2
Witness never heard him say he would take poison;
but have heard Mexcans in the city say that if
he convicted he would to the penitentary
Coroner-Were you acquainted with DR.. Gardner?
witness was; have known him ever since he re-
Coroner-Then you know nothing of his having threat
ened to take poison
wi;ness--Nothing.
any further testimony There or two other wit
nesses who have been summon - but WIG are 10. here
Juror-oh, no; we have sufficient.
Another Juror-where is John Charles GardnerY H..
he been summoned9 '"'uA'i' mas
Soroner-he has been summoned, but is very sick and
here. w 'a"no' eompei him to 10 |
:, The jury was then cleared of all ~
the STroner and jury In about two b sons except
~ -oo""s -surs they returned |
That the said c. ,c
agai- Urge ~ sstuner was On a,iu o. l ii
Lot the United States[N Note by the reporter-Was 1t
not against Mexico Yand sentenced to the penitentary
after the rising of the next Circuit Court and placed IN
the hands Of the Deputy Marshal to be taken to the
two afterwards The jury after hearing portion
of the evidence adjourned by the request of the
United States Attorney to the next day. to enable physi
clans to make postmortem examination of the body;
and after hearing their evidence the stomach and It's
contents together with powder which was found IN ms
pocket we're placed hands of Drs Daniel Breed and
Lewis Steiner be analysed The jury then adjourn
ed until 10TH enable them to make the exanina
ton They have made the following report
rhe report Of professional gentlemen who analyzoi the
stomach and bowls is given above]
And from the evidence before us of the opinion
that he TO his death from strychnine and brucne
Voluntarily taken after his Conviction and sentence
Here follow the names OF the jurors
PosT MoRrKM EXAMINATION
As everything connected with this unfortunate affair
has now become matter Of general public interest we
give below the following additional facts
: The post norton examination not commenced
until ten O'Clock the following morning. BY the kind
ness of Of the gentlemen VINO present, hav,
been furnished with the following notes, as they
taken at the time
Aopsv Of Dr. George Gardner made at the United State
jail Wdhiqgfon' ID. c., Mirch Hh, 1854, bg DR.. Thlmr
Mier, Dr.. r. r. Stone, and Pr. A. y Semme Physieidn
10 me jail Ia presence United States Marshal Of
DisfIicf Of Columbia, DR.. J. Z. Hall, g. Tyler, W. p
.oha4oR ard others.
External appearance.
Rather emaciatcd. Face, neck and back lvid front
body waxy pallid body extremely rigid deep in
deutaons the right forearm from the pressure OF tn
indicator the opposite hand cuticula
abrasion Of tie left leg in the anterior aud internal ti6i
region about five inches long by and hair inches vide
The Head.
Scalp much conrested mcninges tho brain highly
nrcsented