Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-01-05
[For tho Herald.l
Mrs. McCraney.

Co., ~. i In July iasl, LOT Tie murder OF
her step-daughter, Huldah ann McCra-
nv, and no doubt many of them would like
10 see a synopsis Of the trial, which result
ed, not only IN her acquittal, but leaving
her without just cause Of suspicion.
Thetrial commenced at Cooperstown, on
Monday, Dec. 10th, 1860, and ended on
Saturday night following at / o'clock
| The court house was crowded almost to
Isuffocation through the entire trial, there
being at least three hundred ladies in at
tendance most Of the time, and such was
the interest felt by them, that some Of
them would do without dinner, or supper,
lin the recess Of the court, lest they should
lose their seats.
Judge Mason ofthe Supreme bench, with
four associates, were on the bench. Thlr-
Itv-seyen names Of Jurors were called before
a pannel was obtained And such was the
extreme caution Of the prosecution, that
one juror, otherwise qualified, was rejected
because he had heard me preach the day
before.
The Attorney General of the State
Myres, and the District Attorney, Country.
man, assisted by one or two more, prose
cuted: and Mcssrs Chatfeld, of New York
city, and Bunda and Crippen, Of Otsegc
county, defended.
The testimony on the part Of the prose
cution not only failed to sustain the indict
Iment, but SO clearly established the limo
cence of the accused, that they dropped thC
matter while a dozen or more witnesses
lwho had been subpoenaed were yet uncall
ed. And the Attorney General seemed tC
lose the interest in the care with which b.
commenced taking notes; and for more
than half Of bis argument it was difficult
for the most accute listener to determine
(which side Of the case he was on. His ar
gument seemed more Ike a charge to tht
Jury from the bench than an effort to con
lvict.
| The evidence established the fact beyond
a reasonable question that the symptoms
and the post-mortem examination showed
inc arsenical poison, whatever, but simply Z
case Of constipation Of the boy BIS, from
some other cause, and had it not been fol
tue chemical analysis the case would have
been dropped there without further inqui-
ny. But as the analysis pretended to have
fond arsenic in tho body, and in syringe
(which was used once and only once, the
excited imagination saw in it evidence Of
foul play. But the analysis SO completely
confuted and confounded ITSELF that no IN
preiudiced mind could for a moment be-
lieye a word 81 it.
The evidence showed that the chemist
was mere boy Of 20 years Of age, who
must have obtained the Office Of professor
Of chemistry in the Albany Medical Col
lego through favoritism, and not from the
merit Of skill in the science. 1t appeared,
| further, that he had sent out hand-bills
through the State t05 invite custom and
employment in such cases. He bargaineG
to do this job Tor $4,000 and $1,000 pei
day and expenses while at court; the whole
amounting to over $4,000. And the
man who carried the romans to him, and
bargained with him, told him that ''if he
did not find arsenic, the people of Oneonta
would think he was bribed." This the
chemist, himself, after some denial, and
some hemming and having, admitted to BE-
the fact In addition to this, when the
Attorney for the defense applied to him
for copy Of bis analysis, with view t
an examination of it by other chemists, hc
refused to give it, referring the applicant
TO the District Attorney, for a0hom he had
done the job. All this put together show
ed so strongly that he had an end in view,
for which he was so well paid, as to throw
dark shade over his analysis.
But the results, or pretended results
showed either the ignorance or design Of
the chemist, or that the science itself Is a
consummate humbug. The attending ply
stefan swore that lie gave the patient sSx-
teen grains Of CaIomel-a prepaation OF
mercury--which did not operate, but was
absorbed in the system, as the soreness Of
the gums indicated, 5ua the Chemist did
not find a particle Of IT. But he found
sulphur and arsenic, neither Of a0hicb were
lproYed to have been given. The weight
of the sulphur was not giyen-he was not
paid for finding either sulphur or mercury,
but was paid for finding arsenic, and this
he weighed, to the four huhdredM of a
grain as he I'D, and Of this he found, as
he said, one grain and forty-two lou
sandths of a grain, not one fourth enough
to cause death according to the books
And allowing this much to have been found
which from the whole analysis and the
ATTENDING circumstances was very doubtful
lit was accounted for without the first
particle being administered to her.
it was in proof that she eat large guam
titles of candy, and one doctor upon the
stand said that he had had two cases, in
that county, which had all the symptoms
Of arsenica. poison, one Of which proved IA
tai, and knos0n to lave originated from
eating candy. 1t was also proved that the
deceased slept in room papered with green
wall paper, and the books read in court
showed that such color was made IN part
from arsenic which threw out particles OF
that mineral into the air, by constant
breathing Of which an applicable quantity
would be absorbed in the system.
In the case Of Smithurst, in ENGLAND,