Delaware Democrat. (Wilmington, Del.) 1857-1858, 1857-09-05

~ Ann bhaWt ttrt
4 On Monday last Coroner Richards held an ia
guest OF, the body Of Miss Elizabeth Ann shuu
daughter of John shaw of this city, who died unds
! circumstances which Jed 70 ths suspicion that sh
had taken poison, Tho young lady died sudden
Q ly, as will be seen By the evidence after havin
taken a dose, Of Bhai she supposed 70 be, magne
. STA, but which she feared, from burning sense
ton felt in her mouth. was arsenic. The syinp
toms, however, which followed, were not those o
poisoning, by arsenic, but ofa disease of tn,
BRAIN under which she had periodically lahore,
for many years
4 d.. yohn II. simms, the family physician, wa
sworn and said--~I was at Asbury Church on Sun
day night, the Goth instant. and was sent fol
about half past nine O'clock 10 70 TO the house O
the deceased, and when arrived found Deceased
lying on the floor, partially covered with hec
) clothes. Upon taking hold oil her arm and feeling
her pulse, fund her quite dead and SO pronoun
ced her. Her arm seemed stiff and cold but he,
head warm. Cross Observation-Disclosures the de.
ceased hid chronic disease of the kidneys, which
extended to the stomach and brain, reonirinp
large doses of cathnrtic medicines for m operation
on her bowels The deceased has been before
attacked with congestion of tile br-in, for which
my flthcr and myself have frequently attended
her. (Mr, Edward Bringhurst here inquired why
the doctor had told him in ths morning that the
deceased had taken arsenic, % which tho DR., re.
Piled, that he supposed SO frosa the Tact that one
efthe sisters had told him usn bis arrival at the
house, thu she feared the deceased hld taken ar.
senlc instead Of nagnasia---tilet she had romited
excessively and drank large Quantities Of water
The skin also bore the appear bee of p, isoning by
arscnis-} Do not remember sf having said that
tho deceased died of congrstien of the br-in.---
Agreed, at the wish and solicitation OF the hther,
to give certhc-ts OF disease Of the brain, prori
ded the father himself would BE responsible. Do
not knowshat she died Of diseuse oil the brain, and
had no right 10 give such a certificate, The girls
assured me that to the best Of their knowledge,
there was no arscuic in the hoase, but was afraid
she had tuksn some from the symptoms. The
decsased WIS subject TO aherraiiops oil mind when
attacked by those COMPOSITIONS OF the brain, but
has not been under the care u myself or larher
fer such within the last Xix mobtAs. Sisters told
me she w-s taken with vomiting, and th-t about
nine hours before death. Did not hear any other
reasons assigned for the symptoms than liking
arsenic. DO not remember distinctly all the sis.
ters said concerning the poisoning, but was under
the impression that The dere.sed had taken arse
MIC
Miss Ellen Finn was next sworn, and said
Am neighbor OF the dcccascs4 and was called in
abont half past MAC o'clock. sisnndly nighi.--
Upon entering the house, slwshe deceased lying
dead upon the floor covered with quilts, and Doc.
tor simms standing ut her side, but know nothing
about the circumstances attending the death, er.
cept what heard there. Was very greatly sur.
prised ut her death, having sesn her out in the
morning, apparently in the enjoyment other usual
health. Heard one Of the sisters sly that the de-
ceased had taken arsenic instead OF muguesiA,
sid sister at the same time asserting that deceas
ed had told her So Have known deceased for
many years, and have seen her frequently low
spirited---last Saturday was SO Affected Heard
lister say that they had poison in the house. but
did not say it was arsenic. Never hear deceased
say she was tired oil lie. and regarded her as usu.
ally healthy. Knew she was occasionally subject
to rush OF blood to the head, when she would he
for some days confined TO the house. Learned
rom what heard the sisters say, that deceased
took dose of medicine while they were at
church in the morning, and was taken with
vomiting, soon after, which continued until the
ume OF her death. Did not hear how long Il was
after taking the medicine before she commenced
vomiting. There was maanesi,.in tie house, end
one of the sisters. upon looking the cup contain
ing it thought shc could miss about one table
spoonful.
Miss Cdtharine Ryan sworn, said-Migs Finn
told me that Elizabeth Shaw WIS dead. hes-
ricd to the house and was me, in the ronm where
deceased was lying by Mary Shaw, q sister, who
seemed quite frantic, and told me to leave the
house. that she could not bear the sight Of neigh.
bors; that her sister had taken arsenic in mistake
for magncsia and was dead. Never was in the
house beiore. Did moi hear the girls assign any |
other reason for the death. DR.. Simnis was in |
the room when arrived and think heard him |
say that The deceased had taken arsenic The
girls seemed quite beside themselves
feter McCulluth sworn--I YVES walking past
the residence Of the deceased about half past nine
o'clock on Sunday night the front door was open,
Heard voice from within, crying out in great
apparent agony, o, my poor mother will die.n-
Thinking that some one Of the family might be
in distress, entered, and was told by one of the |
sisters oil deeoased, TO go out, that they did not
want company. Seeing her excitement did not
mind her. Surprising from what heard that the
deceased had CONC 10 her death by arsenic, |
asked Or. simms who was standing in the room,
why he supposed she had taken poison---he an.
swered that he Judged entirely from the feeling of
her skin. do not remember distinctly what the
sisters said concerning the poison.
Mrs. bradford sworn--I do not know any thing
about the circumstances of Elizabeth Shdw's
death. Sarah Jane Shaw. sister of the deceased,
came TO my house on the afternoon of the 3Oth.
and requested the loan Of a medical book called
Or. Shows Hydropothy. saying that she wanted
1t for another person. / did not observe that Sa.
rah was al all excited, nor any thing peculiar in
her appcorance. ii she had been should not
have been likely to notice it, nasmuch as the SIS
tiers generally IRE very quick of speech. She had
borrowed the book before and returned Il. The
three sisters hAbitullly visit my house and tell me
all their little troubles and complaints.
Dr.. simms again questioned. s.id--Do not re-
member what the siaiers were doing when / en-
tered the house. Think they told me they hadl
been giving the deceased warm water, with Lobe
la and mustard She was lying on her side
when entered the room. Told the sisters to
tr-ightep her out before she became stiff. 10
not know th-t the sisters did any thing more than
use the remedies named.
Mrs M. ry Ann McCuloth sworn---My sister
told me that Miss Shaw was dead and had eiod Of
poison. Went to the house at 10 o'clock and
found the deceased cold and stiff. There heard
Mary Shaw say that she (Mary) went to church
in the morning and returned about O'clock
found her sister ifLntic with congestion of the
brain, that in her absence she had tIkcn some
medicine supposed to DO magnosia. bui which she
feared was arsenic. She said that her sister had
sornited greatly and drank large quantities of wa.
ter, Think the deceased was covered with wet
sheet when entered. -AA
The Jury here adjourned and met again about
o'clock in the evening, at tho house OF deceased
when the sisters Mary and Sarah Jane Shaw were
examined.
/