Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-05-28
The Poison ng Case at South Weymouth
From the Boston Courier

The citizens Of Weymouth and vicinity are
considerably excited at the present time in
regard to the alleged case of poisoning at
South Weymouth. The facts in this case. as
near as have been sscertained by examination,
are rs follows About four months since a
daughter Of Mr.. Willis Tirrell. a Boston mer-
chant, who resides between the villages of
South Weymouth and Weymouth Landing.
named Mary Tirrell, about Is years of age.
died very suddenly. She was engaged to be
married at the time to man named George
c. Hersey, of bingham, whose wife had died
about two years before. On the Sd inst, an
other daughter of Mr.. Tirrell, named Betsey
Francis, 25 years of age, was taken sick in the
night, and died in few moments The pecu-
liar circumstances attending this sudden death
caused Mr. Tirrell TO request an investigation
of the case before a coroner's jury.
Mr.. Silas Binney, the coroner, therefore.
summoned Jary on Friday, and an autopsy
Of the body w"s made, which showed that the
deceased was in a state Of pregueney. The con
tents Of the stomach were analyzod by DR.
Hayes, of this city, and strychnine was found
In sufficient quantity to cause death The
jury held a private inquest on Saturday. and
adjourned until Monday next, in order to hear
the report from Dr. Hayes. The evidence
ELECTED at this hearing, and the fact that
strychnine was found in the body, was consid-
cred sufficient to warrant the commitment of
George c. Hersey 10 the Dedham Jail on a
charge Of murder. He expressed no surprise
at bis arrest, hut appeared to be somewhat
surprised when he found that he was charged
with an offense which was not bailable
Some further facts were ought to light yes
tsrday which tend directly to implicate Her
sey. About four weeks since a man called at
the apOthecsry store Of E. 4 w. D. Miller, on
tIe corner Of Hanover and Union streets, and
stated that his name was Tirrell, and that his
father did business on Pearl street and resided
nWNeh H..
articles, such as hair brushes perfumery &c
and sfter talking some time quite familiarIy.
he purchased a small bottle filed with strych.
nine, to poison dogs, as he said. When this
affair at Weymouth came to light, the gentle
man Of whom he purchased the strychnipe
recollected the circumstance, and gave informa-
tiOn Of it to the authorities. His description Of
the man answered exactly for Hersey, and YES
terday be went to the Dedham Jail and imme-
diately identified the prisoner as the person
who purchased the strychnine. The perfumery
purchased at that time has been found in Tir-
rell's house.
Yesterday afternoon the body OF Mary Tir-
reli, which was buried about the lst of JAN
uary, was disinterred and an autopsy was
made by Drs Appleton Howe and c. C. Tower.
Coroner BiBney summoned another Jury of in
quest; which consisted of Mr.. Elijah f. Hall,
foreman } Quincy S. Reed. Alexander G.. Nye,
Thomas B. Porter, Lemuel s. Merritt. and
Chss Merritt, to investigate the case. On re-
moving the lid Of the cofin the body was found
In a toIerable state Of preservation, with the
exception Of the face and hands. On opening
the abdomen the stomach seemed to be well
preserved, and presented evidences Of infam
matofy disease. A careful examination of the
body discovered some evidences Of impregna
ton.
A dog, which had been fed by Hersey, died
two or three weeks since, and it is supposed Il
bsre been poisoned. The place where it wa