The New York herald., 1872-12-20
Ifhe Ninth Day Of the !rish-Anderson
Poisoning Case.
The Widow Not q Witness for
the Defence. ~
AHDERsoNs ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.
His Effort to Jump from Fulton Ferryboat-
Still More Physiological Tsstimony-IAe Com
mon Use Of Arsenic In This Ooantry-An-
derson's Liquor and Cigar 9ilh-Ths
Victim Of His FrisndS Ingraitude.
THE TRIAL TO CLOSE NEXT WEEK.

THE TRIAL TO CLOSE NEXT WEEK.
"A great interest was manifested yesterday
morning in the anticipated decision Of Judge Pratt
m the question whether Mrs. Anderson was COM
betent as . witness for the defence or not The
Court room was crowded long before the proceed
1ngs were opened. The Court having been opened,
Mr.. Tracy (of counsel for deience) said IF Your
Honor please, since the close OF the argument
my associate has called my attention to an author
Ety upon the question argued yesterday, decision
Of Court OF Oyer and Terminer, Justice Barnard
presiding, which Is the OF the people against
Hannah Ann Fowler and George Fowler, o case Of
poisoning. It was tried at the Queens county
Dyer and Terminer in April last. and Rannah Ann
Fowler was tried separately and George Fowler
vas called and admitted as witness in her behalf
Judge Pratt-Was he her husbands
Mr.. MOrris-Her husbands brother.
Mr. Tracy-He was jointly indicted with her and
tried separately, and sworn as witness on her
behalf
District Attorney Britton-I don't know of any
such case reported, and don't know the facts in
the case-whether he was objected to at all
Mr.. Morris-The District Attorney conceded the
right.
Mr.. Britton-Then we have the opinion OF the
District Attorney and not OF the Court
Judge Pratt-while there may be some doubt as
10 whether 1t was not the intention OF the Legisa
kurc to sweep away all disqualification on the
ground that the person offered as q witness was
party to the record yet the Court feels very clearly
Afser careful reading of the statute that it would
not authorize the putting Of q joint defendant
on the stand as witness. The Indictment means
m accusation found by the Grand Jury, so that
this really the trial Of an accusation against the
prisoner. The last clause Of this statute also pro-
Sides that the neglect refusal OF the person to
sestafy shall not create any presumption against
him. Upon the whole the Court are of the opinion
that 3Js
MRS. ANDERSON rs NOT A COMPETENT WITNESS
npon this trial, and she is therefore excluded
Mr.. Tracy-You decide each OF the propositions
against US, and to that we except N3Us
Jerome B. wass, who was in the revenue service
with Anderson, testified to his drinking habits and
occasionally despondency. The feature OF Mr..
Wass' testimony was his story Of an attempt made
By Anderson, about three years ago, to jump from
p ferryboat. In regard to that the witness
BALD :-"I met him at the corner Of South
and Fulton streets, and we both came on the ferry
boat together; he seemed, as he termed 1t, to be
s<deep In the blues" and he was slightly under
the influence OF liquor; he stood on the stern Of
3he river he declared that
He WOULD JUMP ovERBoARD;
he had little store in Court street, where he sold
confectoneries and he said ne could not get along
and was tired or living he got rs far as the chain.
but held him by the arm; he seemed to be deter
10 District Attorney Britton the witness said
that Anderson made no demonstration before he
declared his intention OF jumping overheard.
A number OF witnesses were then called by the
defence in reference to the prisoners previous
TOxICoLoGICAL TESTIMONY.
Professor Robert Z. Gum, OF the Eclectic Medical
% ence 70 posons, and said that there were great
many more difficult of detection than arsenic;
the majority OF vegetable poisons were much more
difficult Of detection than mineral p0isons wit
ness said that arsenic used in minute quantities
acted as o tonic, and he knew that many people
took 1t in quantities from twentieth to an eighth
OF grain; 1t might be taken in the form OF
powder and on the point OF knife. The effects Of
dyspepsia the Professor said. produced melancholy
and created in person afrected feeling OF in
difference for life; he would be tired OF life. Tie
Professor was then questioned as to arsenic and
ITS effects, ana said that person could take
large dose of arsenic, live day, then manifest oil
the symptoms and die
ened stomach unabsorbed 2 A. could not say
the definite time; there are cases on record in
tweive TO sixteen hours without producing any
effect; but the absorption would depend alto
Quantity It might be- length Of tme
even days, before 1t would be aDsorbed; the
iact Of arsenic being found s unabsorbed T In the
evidence that it was administered forty-eght hours
before.
COMMON USE OF ARSENIC
The District Attorney In cross-exam1ning ques-
tioned witness to the use Of arsenic by persons,
and the Professor said that It was sometimes taken
as o cosmetic. Mr.. Britton asked II this practice
was usual in this country, and the professor re-
lfof oosmeticj it was. In regard to case where
parry had taken arsenic and vomited and purged
afterwards, the witness said that the probability
ft,of 4 uota a
of, but there might be arsenic In the coats OF the
Mr.. Tracy.ls It not fact that the use OF arsenic
for the purposes you have named Is on the increase
in this country
crease but know that 1t Is quite extensively used
Tor the purposes have named.
9; ls ! not pretty well understood among the
ON TaE INCREASE
Mr.. Brtton-Is arsenic cumulative in the systems
Witncss-I think 1t Is eliminated In the course OF
. couple OF weeks
poisoning In Washington at the inauguration OF
President Buchanan, and counsel had . little de-
% Judge Pratt s Observe Observed that there were crcum-
stances enough In the case on trial, and 1t was
hardly necessary to go SO lar away:
Miss Annie vanderhide, who was employed ns
dressmaker by Mrs Anderson, testified that Mrs.
Anderson and her husband lived on good terms.
william q. Alvord, who once lived In the same
house with the Andersons. testified to the same
eHoots
Mrs. Hy. Penny also testified TO the affectionate
relations between the couple and 70 the widows
griei after the funeral.
Daniel Downey, who had charge OF the records In
the Health ONCE In April last said that when the
certificate OF Anderson's death was presented, In
the absence OF the physicians attached to the Office
ne took the certificate to Coroner Jones and asked
him IL chronic and acute gastritis could go to-
gether, and DR.. Jones replied In the af,rmative
then witness said he could not go behind that GER
tlacate; II was rule OF the Health once that no
burial permit could be given in case OF gastritls
before the physicians saw IL witness went to DR.
lrish's store, and In conversation about the disn
terment OF the body and the analysis the Doctor
said that they would find