Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-06-22
A LUCKY LARCENY.
BY Il LAWYER.

Mr.. Courtney was rich old
bachelor, and the uncle of a coup
lie Of nephews-the one a brothers
the other a sisters son. These
two we've Lis next of kin, legally
entitled, in case he died intestate,
to inherit his property.
Edward Horton, his deceased
sisters son, was decidedly his fs-
vorite, and to him the old gentle
man resolved to give the bulk of
his estate.
Charles Courtney, the other
nephew, had inherited a handsome
fortune from his father, and more
over, by his uncle's will, was enti.
tied to succeed to that left to his
cousin, in event of the latter's dy-
ing without issue.
Old Mr.. Courtney was one of
the halest Of bachelors, when it
was suddenly announced, not only
that he was dead, but that foul
play was suspected. A post NOR
TEN examination demonstrated
that he had fallen a victim to poi
son; and it was given out that
the hand that had administered
1t was his fayorite nephew, The
public mind was naturally both
surprised and shocked.
1t was not until Edward Hor-
ton had been fully committed for
trial for his uncle's murder, that
it was retained to get up the de-
fense. -,1's n
His own statement was, in
substance, this: A physician had
been called to see Mr.. Courtney
on the occasion of some triflingt
illness, requiring some simple rem.
edy, for which prescription was
written and handed to the prison.
er, to have made up. This the
latter had carried to well known,
competent druggist, who had put.
it up in his presence. The med
icine consisted of three white
powders, each folded in a scrap of
paper, and the whole enclosed in
a single wrapper. They were TO
be administered at intervals of
half an hour, and had remained
continuously in the prisoners po-
session till the first was admin.
istered, which was done by him
self Immediately upon his return
from the druggists. Mr.. Court
ney grew rapidly worse and
when, at the expiration of an
hour, a second powder was ad-
ministered, the symptoms became
50 alarming that messenger was
sent for physician, who, on bis
arrival, declared that the patient
was suffering from the effect of
poison.
An examination of the remain
ing powder disclosed the fact that
it was pure arsenic. 1t was too
late for any antidote to be avaiIa-
BILE; and in less than an hour
death had relieved the sufferer.
An autopsy of the body, and an
analysis of the contents of the
stomach, left no doubt as to the
cause of death. The presence of
arsenic, in a necessarily fatal
quantity, was indicated by every
known chemical test. 1t is farth-
er admitted by the prisoner, that
he alone had access to his uEcles,
apartment, and had handled the
medicine from the time it was
compounded by the druggist, till
the coming of the physician, af-
ter the second powder had been
taken.
The druggist who was known to
be a man of extraordinary eau;
tion, and thoroughly skilled in
his business, was ready to swear
that by no possibility could any
mistake have occurred in putting
up the medicine.
To make matters worse, it
transpired that the amicable re-
lations between the uncle and the
nephew had been somewhat dis
turbed of late, by reason of an
attachment of the latter, disap-
proved by the former, who had
gone SO far as to threaten to-
change his will, unless his wishes
were respected.
"Who was in your company
from the time you received the
medicine till you returned to your
uncle's house?" asked the pris.
oner, desperately groping after
something to afford a ray of hope.
"No one," he answered, "but
INV cousin Charles. whom I met