New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-24
THE wsPt.POIsONING CASE.

The remarkable murder case on trial n tbis city
for The last THEE weeks is approaching its concld
SOD. james Stephens the prisoner, stands charged
with having poisoned the @'fe whom, soon after
b, marrisee with Der. be brought with him 70 tvs
county from the North Of lrelsod eight or tea
y.ars ago. He has maintained, during bis residence
here good character, working diligently 8. bis
trade, aud being member in good standing Of the
MettodIst Church. The wife had sickness OF
ZONE three weeks duration, Of which she died IN
September 30, l357. She wss attended at the
commencement Of it BY DR.. CadInus, who did not
tbIDk her dangerously sick, aud who, after two
visits, went no more, as be was not sent for To-
ward the close Of her sickness, Dr. lr mooger st
tened her ABOUT three times; bpt he DID not see
her for thirty. six hours before she died. She had
then the symptoms Of ILLUMINATION Of the stomach,
and wss very puch debdtated aOd said little.
As the doctor did not suspect any foul pay 10
the case, he gave certificate that she
lad died Of Inflammation Of the stomach.
she was buried at Greenwood without any sug-
cestioD beng made that her death was not natural.
But according TO the testimony Of two n'eces OF
hers, Farny ard Sophia Bel, who lived at the
time in the family, she Did entertsiD, during her
sicbDess, suspicious that sne had been poisoned BY
her husband and they shared these suspicious VITA
Der. According to the testimony OF these Two
girls, Stephens was tired Of his wife, who Was IL
yesrs older than himself-he was 32-snd was
especially snno.ed by this difference in their ages,
which made bin, as b. sad an object OF ridi.ule.
IL would al'O appear that be hsd set his affections
on SOpbia Bel, and thus had az additional mot ve
for getting his wlfc out OF the way. Tsese g'rls
testified that during his wife sickness-~hIch vas
attended with vomiting burning sensation IN tue
stomach, in fact al the symptoms which arsenic
would prohuce-Stephens repeatedly gaze her
oIapee sprinkled with sngar, sso nee with the same
spriukliuC some OF which being eaten by Fanny
Bell cau,ed her 10 yOmt; that b. administered
powders 10 Der, and also laudanuu, as he ia!d to
relieve Der pans and stop Der vomiting. TIE vile
complained that every time che took medicine she
felt worse, and in consequence became very re-
luctant 10 tabe siy. All the medicine which she
took was administered by Stephens
II was not I'LL year after toe death, that any
publc cbsrge was made sgsinst Stephens OF having
produced il. But the sIsters had, in the mean
time, written to brother ia Ireland, making the
charge again.t bin and complaining also of bis con-
Duct to them, particularly his interference to pre-
vert the marriage of SOphis Bell to q person to
wnon .ic ~as engaged. Toe brother came OGt
fiom Irelsd, aud, after his arrival here, made an
attempt to shoot Stephens. On tue young mans
examination. the suspicious which the Bells enter
tainee sganst him. came out and led 70 his arrest
TIE body wss disinterred and subjected 20 very
thorough chemical examination, from which the
ceei.t. concluded with certainty that arsenic was
the cause Of desth. IL Was also proved that about
the tine of his wife's sickness, Stephens had two
or three times bought arsenic.
The efforts Of the defense, so far IS testimony
was coz cs med, were msiLy e5nfned 70 coDtradie-
ting. by the testimony Of some other persons who
saw Mrs. Stephen: during her sickness, partcu-
larry q sitter and niece Of TIE prisoner, the &C
count which the Bells gave of it, ard especially TO
throw dl.credIt upon them and to damage the
force of their testimony. II remsi0s to be seen
what effect this line Of defense nay have on the
verdict of the jury.