The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-07
THE R0CKLAND COUNTY MYSTERY
Continuation Of the Coromcr's Inquest-IiesuIt
of the Chemical Anaiyain.

the continuation OF the inquest before Coroner
John Quackenbush OF Rockand county, In this stare,
to inquire into the cause OF the death OF Mrs.
Sophia l.. Nckerson, OF Ciarksvllte, n. y, in
August 1868, suspected OF being poisoned was con-
tinued ut Haverstraw on Thursday evening
and yesterday morning There were present
many witnesses and interested persons, con-
spicuously being Mr.. Nathan d. Nlckerson,
against whom had been raised suspicious Of
the blacklist hue Professor Doremus, who made
chemical analysis OF the stomach, intestines liver
and kidneys OF the deceased testified that there
no evidence that she died Of poison. Facts deduced
point to a complete vlndication and the clearing
away OF all the lnnuendoes raised against the hus-
band of the dead woman. The evidence as fol-
lows
TESTIMONY OF JACOB HESGaELER, NJ. D.
DR.. Jacob Henggeler, being duly sworn, testified
as follows:I reside OF Clarksvie, R0ckland county,
am practising physician, ana was on the 18th OF
August last; l knew Sophia l. Nickerson
during her lifetime; / treated her US O
physician during her sickness; was called and at
tended her from June Is to August IA, 1868; during
that time visited her house four times but 1.-THE
last visit she came to see me,' August IA; she
thought she could bear the fatigue Of the ride to my
office, and consequently came to me- reporting her.
self smarr' when she entered the room; In examin-
ing her found she was as she stated, "smart;''
August II, the following Monday, was sent for in
hurry to come and Mrs NickersOn, the messenger
saying that ''she very sick and dying; tnis
In the early morning. between two and four O'Clock:
Immediately repaired to her residence and found
her greatly Frustrated, having very quick and
feeble puse her countenance mad the appearance OF
great distress: eyes sunken in her head; she COM
planned OF great pain in the region OF the stomach
and bowels, which was increased on pressure; her
cnIIo Fn.a iv, Mo
ton; at ten O'Clock in the forenoon she rallied some
what from the shock, but could not tell the cause
of her sickness at that time; afterwards, wnen
better, l observed the following symptons:-Con-
slant and excessive vomiting, mostly OF greenlsh
matter; difficulty in SWALLOWING, burning feeling IN
the stomach, great restessness, tossing her hands
about and rolling from one end OF the bed to the
other; there was great nervous irritation, which
was the most or one OF the most frequent symptoms
for many days In her sickness-up to the Goth Of
August-but the other symptoms before no.
tced accompanied 1t; this nervous irritation
amounted at times to hysrerla it was
50 great; among the symptoms we're that Mrs.
Nickerson wiped her mouth constantly with her
handkerchief; she could not get 1t clean or clear;
q eat and heat OF the body she wanted ali The
doors aud windows thrown open, as sne could not
get cool air enOugh on the 2itn OF August the con.
ditiOn OF her stomach commenced to improves three
days following the deceased was ''smart;'' when
SAID, alter awakening, 'that she had slept some
last night and kept some chicken tea
s soa the '0 oommencemen Of 0 her Si nes ,;S
she was better; found her pulse was at eighty,
nervous system quiet ard composed; she had no
felt stronger and greatly encouraged; told her and
the family that she "wonld get well II she continued
to improve SO rapidly" but next day, August 70,
was surprised 70 lind her worse she complained OF
great prostration again, ana had a weak and feeble
pulse distressed countenance ana sunken eyes;
Complained again OF great pain In the stomach also
complained or intense burning feeling there, using
the expression at the time ~ am ali burning up In.
side, she again referred to her excessive vomiting,
the elections from her stomach were mostly Of the
color OF coffee grounds; she passed also very fetid
black stools, with great pam (terismus); great de-
sire to take the stool; her bowels exceedingly
sore at the touch; the mouth, throat, tongue, Ups,
was greatly innamed and covered with white
thrush; the whole allmenary canal from the throat
continued but she could not swallow anything, even
the mldest nourishment; she Also complained OF
23th of August the day before her death, irritation
OF the uterinary organs set IN; also observed the
paten, was IN gn s,ats Sl mental ar
If there We're something on her mind that worried
her; after the relapse referred TO she was almost
constantly wiping her mouth; on the Goth OF August
when last saw her, she sinking very rapidly
and she died the next morning.
C0roner-What did you prescribe for herr
A. On the, nth Of August left her two Dover's
powders, composed OF four grains each. which are
By Juror-There is less than one-nalf ounce Of
opium in each powder. They are made up from
Doctor-At the second visit, three o'clock in the
forenoon OF the same day, left three powders,
each containing four grains Dover's powders
S were ao s%a Is beos shs
begged me not to give her any NOR
p pve 50 J. s NEXT The visit s%a
gum Of assafetida her. and told her to keep 1t IN
reservation IN case OF need OF nervousness; on the
18th gave her prescription for mixture of tine
ture OF valerian, one ounce; compound splrils of
lavender, one ounce and q half; Hofrman's anOdyne
pie syrup one ounce on the 10th gave her tnc it
OF valerlan, one ounce; compound spirits OF aven-
der ana tincture OF hops, OF each one ounce and .
half; Hofman's anodyne, six drains; simple syrup
one ounce; on the same evening left her Dover's
powder OF I'VE grains, compounded as before;
powder for the night as the family had not obtained
theast prescribed mixture ON the 23d took to her
grains and simple syrup, half an ounce, with direc
non to take one-half teaspoonful every hair hour;
on the 24th Of August gave her prescription, as
folows:-Sulphate OF qulnine, one scruple and
half Thirty grans); diluted sulphuric acid thirty
drops; peppermint water and syrup of cinnamon,
gave another prescription for TWENTY-FIVE assafGtida
pills; when the relapse came on left her wash,
ounce Of water to Be used locally, for sore mouth;
the following day l prescribed carbonate OF
ammonia, one scruple; mucllage OF gum arabic, one
ana half ounces; simple syrup, one ounce, and
tincture OF musk, two drains; the same day 1
ordered an Injection composed OF either oak bark,
during her relapse ordered blister " for her
stomach; they Obtained blstering salve from some
other party than | suggested; they did not go to
drug store, but went 60 DR.. Harring daughter from
the ladies' In the ROOM; did not give her any other
medicine than what 1 have stated above;
II these prescriptions that l ordered had
been administered Alright they would not
have destroyed tie life Of Mrs. NcKerson,
In my opinion; OF the medicine left her could
destroy human life. never saw the remains OF Mrs.
Nickerson after her burial; could not account for
the symptoms that were visible with her in any ma
WOuiu eh IN Ind nil
such marked symptoms: the poison that would pro.
duce them Is mineral irrtant; arsenic would
produce them suppose the bi-chioride oi mercury
would also produce such symptoms, but 1t wonld
be attended with "salivationr which she did
not have; in my opinion she could not have died
from the effects Of bichloride of mercury: cannot
now remember Of any other poison that would pro-
duce them In fact, don't know OF any substance
that would bring ON her symptoms but arsenic this
has tho property OF preserving all the muscular
Tissues of the body after death; the effect OF the n
PRODUCTION OF arsenica poison III her system would