The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-01-13
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT

CoRoNER's INQuEsr.-Coroner Cashier
held an inquest on Sunday over the body
Of Rosa Scharf, who died on Thursday
evening last, after short illness. This
person will he remembered as the main wit
ness in the Bilansky case, she being en-.
ployed as domestic in that family at the
time of Bilansky's death. The circumstan-
ces of her death as detailed by witnesses
summoned on the inquest, are briefly as
follows:
LORENZO ALL1s being sworn, testified !:
since August last. She came to me recon-.
mended by Rev. Mr.. Hank, of the German
M. E. Church. Her conduct has been un-
exceptionable kept no company know of
no one ever coming to the house to see her.
Saw her last Wednesday evening about six
o'clock shortly after tea she went out and
returned about eight or nine o'clock the
same evening: spoke to her about getting
up early the next morning: afterwards she
retired. The next morning after waking,
did not hear her about got up and went
to the stairway, and called her: no response:
heard hard breathing up stairs returned
and told my wife she went up Immediately
and found the deceased in convulsive state,
and apparently breathing with difficulty ::
sent Immediately for physician: DR.. Wed
elstadt come, also DR.. Wiley: they both
said she could not live. DR.. Wiley said
she had apoplexy: she remained insensible
up to about six or seven o'clock on Thurs
day evening, when she died sent for Mr..
Hank who took charge of her body; after
the body was removed, my wife found an
empty phial in the room labelled " Lauda-
num-" then went to Mr.. Hank and sug-
gested the propriety of holding an inquest.
Mrs. FITZPATRICK was sworn, but there
was nothing in her testimony which went to
show by what means deceased came to her
death. The deceased had called al her
house the evening prior to her death, land
appeared in her usual health. She stopped
there only few moments, and then went
home. Knew of nothing which would
tempt her to commit suicide. Had heard
deceased complain of being unwell spoke
once or twice of pain in her head for which,
she had taken pills.
ANDREW FITZPATRICK sworn and testified
that deceased was at his house on Wednes-
day evening called there after a dress !;
she was there about twenty minutes, and
then went home; this about eight or half.
past eight; deceased asked what they were
going to do with Mrs. Bilansky did not eat
or drink anything while at the house.
DR.. WEDELSTADT, swOrn-Called to see
deceased about ten o'clock, on Thursday
morning found her in a comatose state,
eyes almost closed moved the eye.leds back
and forward; the eyes resembled those of
dying person. She breathed hard, and
there was rafting noise in her breast
told Mrs. Alis that it was an evidence that
she was near her end similar symptoms
would be produced by arsenic. When l
first called, her cheeks and nose were very
cold her pulse was futtering at the rate of
100 pulsations per minute her eyes were
blue and her lips were of purple color. l
called again ir the afternoon, thought she
looked better, but there could be no hopes
of her recovery. Saw symptoms in her case
which were similar to those produced by
laudanum could not say what caused her
death the laudanum in the phial appears to
be unusually strong.
@. r. MORRISON sWOrn-Am clerk in DR..
Morton's drug store on Jackson street
recognize deceased sold her laudanum on
Monday evening, I'd inst; don't remember
the exact hour, but it was after six o'clock.
P. M sold her an ounce; she came in and
asked for two ounces of laudanum; I asked
her whether she asked it for grown person
or child she said for grown person. l
put her up an ounce phial, and labelled it in
the proper manner she took it, and as she
was going out, she turned and asked me the
dose; told her from twenty to forty drops,
according to circumstances, which were
detailed; Mr.. Murphy was in the store,
and remarked that she was one Of the wit
nesses in the Bilansky ease. The laudanum
was of the official strength, as directed by
the U. S. Dispensary. Recognize the phial
(which was exhibited) as the one given her
directions on the label are in my handwrit-
ing. When she asked for the laudanum she
appeared well observed nothing unusual
in her appearance-nothing which led me
to suspect anything was wrong; there was
sufficient laudanum in the phial to have
killed her, if she had taken it.
The jury returned verdict that the de.
ceased came to her death from taking an
over dose of laudanum, for the purpose of
allaying pain. The opinion OF the physi-
clans was that her death was occasioned by
apoplexy. Doctors and coroner's iuries
sometimes disagree.
Another Interesting Row in Congress.