The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-31
ALLEGED POISONING.
Inquest in fhe Case OF Mrs. Anna Oxenfor;h-
The Prisoner Committed To Await Action Of
fife lsra nd Jury.

Inquest In fhe Cnse OF AIRS. Anna Oxenfor;h-
The Prisoner Committed to Await Action Of
the Grand Jury.
This was the case or q woman named Mrs. Oxen
forth, who was brought to Bellevue Hospital the %
OF October last ana died few days after from
symptoms which led DR.. Weber, who attended upon
her, TO believe were caused by srychnine An autopsy
was made OF the body and the stomach and intcs
tines placed in charge OF DR.. Dorcmus to undergo
chemical analysis. Her husband was arrested to
await the result OF the investigation and to-day
Coroner Flynn held inquest az Bellevue Hospital
which resulted in the recoInmittal OF the prisoner.
The following j. the testlmony:-
Rosa Hittenrautht, OF So Houston street sworn,
testified that she lived for nine months with Mr..
0xenforth and his wife and was In the house when
the latter took sick some i've or elk weeks before
she was taken TO the hospital. She was confined TO
her bed at various Intervals during this tine, but
complained OF being sick during the whole period.
During The stay witness made In the house Mira.
0xenforth had been generally complaining of
her head, but more especially 20 throughoat the
hospital. Before leaving the house for the
hospital she had -. 1t consisting Of q
frothing at the mouth. This was the
last day; nothing similar noticed by witness
fore: DR.. Miller called in by Mr.. Oxen forth and
attended her for three before she was taken to
Bellevue Hospital; witness was unable TO say whe.
ther Dr. Miller called the day the deceased had
WILSON'S: one day when both were out riding In the
cars deceased told witness that whenever she pc
came sick 10 be confined to her bed 10 take her
ana his WIFE, so FAR as witness saw We're Of an AMIGA
bic character; her for desiring to he taken TO
the hospital was because she thought she would not
| i've long.
Dg. Charles Miller, of q stanton street. deposed
that he was called 20 attend upon the deceased the
morning or the 30th OF last September by Dir Oxen
forth. lie found the patient suffering from simple
catarrh of the stomach; she told him she had
| vonited twice within the preceding twenty-fo
hours; he visited her twice the second visit being
ON the following day; this occasion MIR. Oxen
furth told hiu he had found her IN the morning lying
N MD AZ fH.h and asn.i In
tention OF conveying her 10 the hospital he could
not attend to his store ana TO her at the same time;
witness tonnd her on his second visit nowlse i'm
proved: be prescribed for her one grain Of
morphine and lorty grains OF subnitrate
OF Dis,nuln, 70 DC TAKEN every three. hours;
| she complained OF tenderness the pat Of the
stomach; saw no Commissions; attended her on one
occasion, about two months previous and found her
exhibiting the same symptoms precisely.
Dr. Weber, OF No 80 East Twenty seventh street,
deposcd that in his morning visit TO Bellevue Hos
ptal October Z he deceased and found her sur
ferng irom well developed tetanus: she unable
90 speak, and consequently could not explain her
and brother OF the deceased that she died OF the
elects Of strychnine; thercupon both the husband
and brother demanded coroner's examination, and
AFTER informing the Coroner Of the fact witness
proceeded To make an autopsy OF the body and
placed the specimens ia the hands OF the Coroner.
Dr. DOremts, professor OF chemistry and toxiColoCy
In Bellevue Hospital Medical College, testified he
ceiyed from Coroner Flynn, through Deputy DR..
Knox two glass bottles said 10 contain portions Of
Inc reInans az the late Mrs. Oxenforih; October 9
Dr. Weber Identified the bottles and the unbroken
seas he removed them 10 his poison laboratory ana
found them to contain the stomach, which had been
opened and part Of the intestnes called the ileunl
ihe contents vi the iDtestines werS In the smaller
analysis, with the usual precautions Of new
vessels and pure chemicals; because OF tae
symptoms narrated by DR.. Weber he made
a special search, both by chemical ana
physiological tests, for strychnina; he found
no Indications OF poison For the Information VI the
jury the Doctor proceeded 70 say that there are many
cases ON record OF poisoning bv strychnne, NOR
pune and other organic posons where expert chem.
ts have been unable 10 detect the presence OF these
posons 90 that the failure 10 discover the poison Is
not proof positive that the deceased may not have
olen VI poison; for these organic substances under
go decomposition in the body and may also be re.
Mo'eu W vomiting or purgng. The metallic poisons
can frequently be discovered In the organs and It's
sues vi tie poy, whereas the organic ones cannot.
Ior instance, bread and butter, which are organic
bodies, could not he found In the liver,
but arsenic or mercury, which are meta Tic
| p0lsons, gould be readily discovered. TOtanc
COW lSlons are very chnracterlstic OF poison
by srychDine' so much so that in two cases In which
| ne found styouniDe and where the Jury decided
death vas produced by Etrychnne were brought 10
him In consequence OF these syinptoms: In other
words these con uislODa led 10 the belief mat this
POISON might nave cxcitcd them and cause their
DEATH; ~ the case OF person nvlng four DAYS amer
The hfst symptoms " tetasc commissions tie prOha-
bfiNes 81 ~ reWrya 'fOf tie digestive tfpe the
pi9sAgiIts u A. removal ~ aDs0rption anu e,acp