Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-04

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after tell on the floor, cutting his head. DR..
Y. called to me, when ran and helped up the
deceased and laid him on the bed; he had
Jerks or spasms four or FIVE times, splitting a
good deal: when he recovered, be called for
water; there was q dark substance on his
| mouth with phlegm, it did not look like bile;
/ sat by him and held one OF his hands; John
| Charles held the other; am little hard of
hearing; did not hear him ask for the clear
| ing of the room; know that the room was
cleared.
Robert Waters, sworn Mr. Smith lJailor)
told me that DR.. Gardiner was coming over,
when | went to prepare a cell on the lower
floor, saw DR.: Chaplin with Gardiner in the
guard room; when l had done cleaning the
room, 1 came in; he had tainted whom his
brother came in, he put his hands in his coat
pocket and took out handful of something
and handed it to his brother; he then laid
down; he was quite black in the face with
! froth; sent for Dr. Semfnes; sent Kitchen, of
9eorgetown, to the intfrmary, but called him
back and then sent boy for DR. Henry
and Dr. Cameron; he George A. Gardiner
laid down, Birch being on one side Of him,
and John Charles on the other; deceased or
his brother said 1t Is of no use to send for
doctor, he could not do him any good John
Charles said hat he had had one &c in Mexico,
In mining pit, and they had brought him to
| with camphor; we then got him some camphor,
when he revived; I was not in when The room
was cleared. -a
Charles Bell sworn was present when DR..
| Gardiner died, and dufins the last three
spasIns; he called for water; it was quarter
past three O'Clock by my watch when he died ;
| did not hear the deceased ask to have the
room darhened; bis brother asked me to
darken the room. l though. I heard the de-
ceased say something at the time to his brother.
Mr.. Birch. recalled: I heard Gardiner
speak Spanish; DR.. Hall wanted to ask de
| ceased if he wanted John Charles said he
would ask him In Spaaish.
Adjourned here until l04 o'clock this morn
ing. Inquest met again at 10 o'clock a. m,
March 4th.
Dr.. James C. Hall, sworn-I was called in
in absence Of DR.. Set;mos, physician of tn Jail,
at 20 minutes past one, the :nessengsr said hs
had commissions; came over and went into tie
room, finding him in commissions; some one who
had seen him, said he had taken poison ice
was put to his feet; asked his brother to ask
him if he taken poison; he asked him in Span
ish; he said no, emphatlcally; said that it
was all-inpOrtant that we should know the
exact truth; without waiting for any question
the deceased said that he was aware of that;
he had commissions; had persons on each
side of him whom he seemed unwilling to
let go; Mr.. Birch took off his boots: his limbs
little difference, however; bent his knees so
as to put his feet In water the deceased sug-
gested that ice be put to his head, in few
minutes the commissions ceased, and he was
quiet; then violent eonyulsion came on; l
said to Mr.. Birch that he was gone; his pulse
had ceased, and he frothed ut the mouth. hay
ing all the appearance of a nan in a dying
condition. he gradually came out of this state;
he desired to be let alone, and TO sleep, saying
nat bn SnnlI n rraSl. oil
Mr.. Birch and myself left the room; gradually
another CONFUSION came on, but not so violent:
that went off, when he was composed; asked
to drink; for water; touched his lips with it;
the shock giving him violent commissions; at
twenty minutes of three, l lefs him with Drs.
Steiner and Miller; with regard to commissions
L hare neter seen man in commissions from
s;ryclnine have seen q dog, he had all the
appearance Of having been poisoned with
strychnlne, and examined to-day some evil.
dence of poison, which was not however in.
fallible; my opinion when with him was guided
by his appearance, and the remark of his
brother, that he had seen him in such convul-
sions in Mexico; thought that it might have
proceeded from natural causes the stomach
has been preserved to be examined
DR.. STEINER, Dr. HELEN, and DR.. Semmes, and
MIR. Choate were examined, their evidence,
however, not differing from that of Dr. Hall
aad DR.. Miller, whose testimony hers follows
DIR. Miller sworn: did not see Gardiner until
after his death, when saw him in company
with DR.. Semmes; the body was very rigid
This morning, with DR.. Stone and Dr. Semmes,
we had post mortem examination. The men,
branc of the brain was very much congested
the brain itself was healthy; In the spinal col
umn there was large quaint of blood; the
heart was healthy; the lungs were healthy;
the stomach and contents, the int tines aed
liver were healthy, and are preserved for ex-
animation; all his organs were healthy and
natural; L never saw case that was more SO;
he seems to have taken very little food, for he
intestinal canal was very much contracted; all
can say as to the cause of his death, [ have
never seen or made examination of case of
death from strychuine; but from my knowledge
of the looks and the symptoms Of this case,
as given; if 1 were to have examined this case
without having heard of it before 1 should say
the death was from strycbnine or some such
cause. In the absence of strychhne being
found in the stomach, l should be unable to
account for the phenomena exhibited in such
cases, would not be willing to swear whether
1t was from strychnine or mental agitation
though l believe it was from strychnine -
Another corrobborative circumstance is the
remarkable rigidity of the patient and the
sensitiveness to light and cold; the throwing
of himself back, as testified by witness, is a
strong symptom; if he had died from excessive
agitation, the brain itself would be congested.
sGrychnine effects the membranes of the brain;
in cases Of stIychnine the patient between
commissions is most generally sensible. and al.
most conscious of the commissions and would
throw himself backwards; if had seen the
frs, symptoms or had performed the autopsy
with a Knowledge Of the symptoms. L should
sly strychnine was the cause of his death my
strong impression and belief ia that he died
from stIychnine as far as symptoms and the
autopsy can show / shall be very much sur
prised it strychnine be not found in the stom-
ach- Being subsequently recalled, DR. Mil
Ter further testified as follows Mr. Bradley
took paper of white powder in my presence
from GARDENERS pocket after his death, which
he handed to me and handed it to DR.. Semmes
to be analysed.
DR.. S. testified that the powder, which he re-
ceived from DR.. Miller as having been hand.
ed to him by Mr.. Bradley, he has submitted to
DIR. Breed, of the Patent Office, aud DIR. Steiner,
Of Baltimore, to be analysed, the result Of
which will be given to the jury on Friday
next, to which time the jury have adjourned
The above opinion as to the apparent cause
OF his death, was corroborated by Doctors
HELEN, Steiner, Semmes. Berry, Tyler. Stone
Riley, johnson and Duhamel who likewise
gave their evidence
The post-mortem examination was performed
by Drs- Miller, Stone. and Semmes. in pres
ence Of Drs. Hall, Tyler, Riley, johnson.
Steiner, and Berry
The brain was healthy, with the execution Of
| the membranes, which were congested. The
| spinal cord was largely congested. and abopt
| quart Of dark vicid blood escaped from the