Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-01
TESTIMONY OF MSS PHIyNEY.

Ala PhtnHey, SlCOT1t / was thirteen years
old last July. am the daughter of Benia-
min Phinney, deceased, and have been liv-
ing at home. He died, I believe, on the
9th of October, in the morning. l had not
got up. when l heard him say 81 don't feel
very well and will go and lie down." My
mother eamein my room and said, you must
get up, for your father doesn't feel well, and
you must tend store" 1t was abOutS o'clock.
| got up, went into the kitchen, where my
father had been, and was putting on my
shoes and stockings, when I heard him call
ing. He did not say anything in particular,
only Just called. / merely heard his voice.
| told his wife he was calling, and she
went in there. No one was in the house eX-
cept him, his wife and me. As soon as my
mother got in there she called TO me
and said my father was dying, and told me
TO call Benny, nv brother. called, and
the neighbors heard Inc. Mr. Bates came
over to the house. Mrs. Bates called 10
Ben. She also went up and told Mr.. Gid.
dings' people. They all came. j found my
father cramping. Several neighboFs were
in the bedroom where my father was lying
and where he always slept. / often tended
store. / aid so while my father was away.
Ever'since I can remember I have helped
in the store and post Office. He kept a
grocery store, a few dry goods, and used to
keep a few medicines. He kept painkiller,
pills and such things. He never kept
poisols that ! know of. He never kept
stryehnine in the store or house. He never
bought any TO kill rats or mice he was al
ways very careful about such things. l
think if he had kept s%trychnine in the
house should have known it-sure l
should, had he kept it in The store.
Cross examination am daughter of
nv fathers last wife before this one. She
died a year ago last August. l nave always
lived at home. Father, half-sister, Ben
and l lived together. Mrs. Robinson was
my half-sister's married > name. Aone OF
the family had been to breakfast on that
morning. II don't know who was up first.
Father and mother were both up before
was. He was a pretty early riser
He was generally up in the morning first
Ben didn't rise very early. My sister used
to getup to get breakfast. | suppose ldidnt
know all the medicines he kept. Mrs. Phin
ney was dressed when she came to call me.
l don't know whether her feet were dressed,
but think her dress was hooked. was not
awake when she got up, My door was a
little open, and l saw father go from the
kitchen through another room to get into
his bedroom, before my mother called me.
In five or ten minutes after this, heard him
calling. Ny mother had got the potatoes
over to boil tefoIe / got up. ! didn't hear
her 90 down cellar TO get them or wash them.
The table was not spread. Ny father was a
temperate man. | never knew him to take
a dram before breakfast. He kept no
in the house. Had he been in the
habit of doing so, / should have known it.
Am confident he never took snch a dram. l
have known him to takes pill now and then.
NV own mothers medicines which were
left over were put in a box and destroyed,
or part of it. Sister and father threw it away,
they said. ! didn' see it destroyed. She
kent only such medicines as the doctor gave
her. My father didn't keep medicines to
my knowledge. Idon't know but he kept
some in private. don't know when | first
heard of strychnine two or three years ago,
l guess, when l heard the n%eighbors speak of
killing rats with it. | think l heard it
next after fathers death, when Mr.. Marvin
was at oar house, and talked about finding
s~tryehnine in my fathers stomach / never
heard father say anything about stryeh-
nine, or fsaw any such bottle of strych-
nine as that found in our house. Mr.. Mar
vim showed that bottle to me in his office
last Monday. He askedzm me if ever saw
the bottle. said "No." never saw any
strychnine before.
Nv father and mother generally lived
Together pleasantly. Ben and she had
occasional Jars. When she came there, l
her things, shook hands, and that was
again. Nor did Ben. Ben was away when
father brought her home. l went to Mr..
Gidding's after him. Father told Ben to
get the horse and wagon ready, for he want
ed to 60 for his trunks. He asked Ben if he