Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-03-30
Recent Cases Of Poisoning

1t is time that some stringent laws were
enacted and enforced against the trade in
| poisons. 1t is bad enough to have diluted
poisons dealt out in the corner groceries and
from the milk wagons. That is what the
doctors call chronic, and we fear the term is
too well applied; but when it comes 10 the
rapid work of arsenic and strychnne, then,
indeed, there is cause for alarm. Every drug
shop should be regarded with as much hor-
ror ny hired bravo or cut-throat: for in one
case it is paying literally for the use of the
stiletto against which u strong man may
guard, while in the other it is only necessary
To invest a few cents in a vulgar poison,
against which no strength or watchfulness
! can avail.
A couple of years ago the community was
| thrown into CONSERVATION by the accounts
of the mysterious sickness which caused the
National Hotel at Washington to be deserted
and closed up, and which sent to premature
| graves many victims. The doctors and
learned pundits held consultations and with
grave stupidity ascribed the malady TO I'M
perfect sewerage but there is little doubt
that it was the result of arsencul poison, by
which some vulgar underling sought 70 graf
fly his malice in running the business Of the
house. Arsenic is cheap and unfortunately
can be had at every apothecary's store with
as little difficulty a. glauber salts.
4 remarkable instance of the recklessness
with which poisons are vended was exposed
4 few days since in Philadelphia. TWAS the
case of
| One more unfortunate, weary Of breath,
who went to drug store and asked for
certain quantity of strychnine. TWAS hand
ed to her without scru pie; and as the dainty
clerk opened his money drawer to drop in
it the price Of blood, he remarked, casually,
that there was enough poison in that little
package to kill three men. us there!. said
the wretched girl; Il mean to take it all my
self" And the clerk smirked and smiled
and the poor girl went her way-to the
grave of suicide
Our criminal court has Just spent three
weeks in convicting man of the murder ofhis
wife, in this city, by poisoning; and in that
case, it appeared by the evidence, that the
arsenic was sold to him over the counter as
freely rs if it had been sugar.
In Albany there was another capital con-
victon few weeks ago-the case Of Mrs.
llartung for the murder Of her husband. In
that case the poisoning was effected by doses
Of phosphorus, because the murderess. when
she went to the drug store, could not re-
member the English for arsenic-she be-
ing Il German and not well acquainted with
our language But the phosphorus did the
work just rs surely.
week or two ago. young divine can
didate for the ministry in New Jersey, being
DESTROYS of getting rid of wife he had wed
but six months before, that he might crafty
his passion in another quarter, had recourse
10 the same vulgar remedy and administered
arsenic ina dose of salts. At least, he is
charged with thar offence. The arsenic, at
all events, was administered and did its work
of death.
And now, one ofour city Coroners is en-
gagged in the investigation Of wholesale case
Of poisoning, whereby the lives of a whole
household, including boarders, were endan-
gered, and where already two deaths have
resulted And in this case the only apparent
cause for the diabolical crime is, that the cook
who is charged with it, was not paid her
wages, and was bound to have satisfaction.
Thus il is, that while the lives of respecta- |
bic citizens are in peril in the streets of our
city from the knives oflawless rufians, who |
20 providing about without fear of the police,
there is as little security for them in the pri- |
vacy ofther own homes, where lewd spouse
or malicious domestic may, with the utmost
facility, poison their food.-N. \. He0ld.