The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-10-29
LOCAL MA TIERS.

THE ScHooL-GrRL Pofsoxins c.sr.-yasterdav
morning, the Of Amanda, slave Of samuel
Overton, and George, slave OF Benismin Hatcher
charged with poisoning the Misses Clarke and Mis,e,
Maule, pupils OF Miss M. H. Alien, ON Thursday
tho 2Oth instant was taken up by the Mayor and
disposed Of so far as he was concerned.
Mrs Clarke, the mother Of four Of the victims,
testified that Amanda, who Is the cook for her fam
iy made a short-cake, about the size OF cup-pate,
and calling her daughter Betty into the kitchen,
gave it TO her to take school Betty divided about
third of the cake with her three sisters, at home,
and Took tho remainder TO school Soon aftorwards
her children became very sick, suffering from violent
vomiting and pain in the head and stomach. Becom-
ing alarmed Mrs Clarke was in the act OF sending for
her daughter who had gone 70 school, when, just at
that moment, she was brought home by Miss Alien,
seriously i'll. They were low well. She had never
imagined any unpleasant feelings between her chill
dgcn and Amanda; always thought they were ON
the best of terms.
Miss Betty Clarke testified that she was sent for
that morning by Amanda to get short-cake she
had baked for her. Gave piece to her little SISTERS
and took the rest to school. few minutes before
ten o'clock divided the rest OF II WIN inc TWO Misses
denly sick at the storlchs Did not ask the cook TO
bake her q cake: it was altogether voluntary On her
part 49,,
About 10 o'clock she to and said that some
children were veiy sick. The little Maule girls
board with U.s. and they were Immediately put to
bed when applied all tn remedies ne usually resofIe
sent for a hysieian. ,fhs children continued ex-
tremely i'll till about one oe nck next morning, and
then began to get better.
Drs. Anderson and Haxall visited the children ];
found them very i'll, vomiting violently; suffering
from headache. pain in stomach and bowels, ana
showing every symptom OF having eaten something
poisonous Upon inquiry, heard OF the short-cake,
and udging from the small quantity which each Of
the children had eaten that the dough had been
charged with some POISONOUS drug. applied several
remedies at hand, but none seemed to donuch good
Then after some difficulty, succeeded IN gethng an
andote, which seldom fails to act where arsenic has
been taken into the stomach and giving 1t to theni
| it soon had the desired effect. Did nof know what
tho poison was could not get any Of the cake they
had eaten.
-four two three papers of powders and piece Of
the shortcake about the size OF thimbe 10 me TO
examine. In one of the papers found sulphate ot
| zinc, and upon applying the usual tests, Ioui1
some Of the sulphatc Of zinc III the piece OF prei
of which the children had partaken. Sulphate OF
zinc is used in violent an eInetc III Is pol
sonous, and when powdered is white and resembles
| soda, as great many other poisons do There was
| no arsenic. j., ,
DIR. Thomas Pollard-In June last attended
! Amanda, and sent her sui phatc OF Zincthrougi
| the hands of George, her husband. dc not cohsl
| der it poison, but very active enetic. 10 no'
know whether the sulphate which was put III tht
short ak. vas the same sent her III June or hot
At the conclusion of the testimony, the counse
/ for the accused suggested to the Mayor thai
| Amanda, doubtless put into the dough the suphat'
OF zine IN mistake for bread soda they both beint
alike in appearance He hoped, therefore, that sh'
| would be discharged. But His Honor thought j
| had not been fully established that the error wa
! mad. through mistake, and therefore sent the cas-
| on tor examination before the Hastings Count