The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-24

The MarehlonoEu dc Brinvllllsrs,
One OF the most terrible crimes, one
OF the worst sorts Of murder, is the de-
struction of human life by secret poison.
There nre shades Of guilt recognized
even by the law, but the taking OF life
by poisons, so slow in their operation
TINT the gradual ebbing away Of exist
ence resembles the natural decay OF
years, is usually unsuspected, and must
be persevercd in for some time, until
the fatal result be produced.
In tit Of passion, or when under the
influence Of anger, or any other tempor-
ary feeling, human life may be sudden.
ly taken but secret poisoning indicates
steady and reticent persistence in de-
libcrate dCsign-such Ms, in fact, moth.
ing but continuous malignAncy could
haye even conceived. Happily, this
most terrible of crimes has declined
very much within the lust two or three
hundred years.
It is repeatedly mentioned in the
Greek aud Latin writer's, but did not
become n regular art uRtil the seven
teenth century though in 1920, in the
reign Of Henry VIII, tho English Par
linmcnt passed q law declaring the en-.
ployment OF ofsecret poisons to be high
treason, and appropiating boiling to
death as It's peculiar punishment, A
century later, in the reign Of James l.
some cases obtained M unhappy no.
toriety in London -.,..
Tho wife Of the Earl Of Essex, n
woman Of great beauty, loose conduct
and bad heart, was offended by some
reflections cast upon her by Sir Thomas
Oyerbury, Nh author and courtier, and
induced Robert Kerr, Lord Rochester,
who then was on far too intimate terms
with her, to remove.him by secret poi
soning, which he did. Some time after
this, when Kerr lost his favor at court,
he was tried and convicted Of the poi
soning, but received pardon from the
king. II wAs believed that this was
done 10 prevent his making some crimi-
nal disclosures against the king himselfl
It was in Italy and France, however,
TINT this crime was longest and most
eifectually practiced. Throughout Ital-
inn history, from the time Of the middle
ages, secret poisoning casts n crimson
hue upon every pagc. Men who shrank
from assassination did not hesitate to
employ poison to remove their enemies
or rivals. The Roman family OF Borgia
used this so largely that their name re.
mains associated withit. Cesar Borgia
had ring from which started sharp
point, charged with poison, which on
such slight pressure as shaking hands,
pressed itself into the flesh Of the vic
tim, and however slightly the skin
might be abraded, leaving only slight
mark as II pin had scratched it, the
poison entered into the victims system
and death was the result, without leay-
ing sign or mark OF the cause.
II will be remembered that Lord Lyt-
ton (who is best known in this country
as Lytton.Bulwer, the noyelist intro
duced ring Of this kind into his ro-
nance Of "Lucretia; or, the Children
of Night" and by its use, the criminal
heroine, then not knowing his identity,
poisons her swn son. 1t may be added
that Caesar Borgia's father, highly
distinguished and greatly wicked man,
who was believed to have removed "
many persons by foul means, invited IN
old friend to sup with him, intending
to poison him by poisoned confections.
The guest, however had warning Of
danger, and made n point Of seeing his
hosts carver, who confessed that it was
intended to destroy him, but consented,
for bribe Of ten thousand golden du-
cats, 50 to arrange matters that the box
of poisoned CONNECTIONS was placed be-
fore tho master of the feast instead OF
before the guest, and the deceiver being
thus deceived, the poisoner was poi
soned.
In the middle Of the seventeenth cen.
tury, the large and increasing number
OF young widows in Rome led TO suspi.
cion and inquiry, and it was discovered
that the husbands had died suddenly
that secret society OF young wives en-
ployed mn oldfortrne-teller, named Spa
RI, to supply thom witha poison, limpid,
tasteless, and clear, which would destroy
life slowly or suddenly, ut will. Tho use
OF this poison continued through several
years, until ut last Spara and thirteen
OF her fair clients were arrested, tried,
convicted, publicly whipped, and hung,
many others, of the highest rank in
Rome, being banished and fined.
Fifty years after this, it wns ascer-
tanned that similar system of crime
was carried on in Naples, the chief pro.
moter Of which was IN old woman named
Toffania, who largely manufactured the
Spara poison, and sold it extensively,
even sending il to various pnrts Of Italy,
under the name OF "Manna OF st. Nico-
Ia Of Bari " (the title Of o miraculous
oil said to cure rheumatism), but best
known, in our day, as the "Aqua TO.
fana." On analyzation, it is said to have
consisted Of crystals Of arsenic dissolved
in water. It produced It's effects slowly,
by the gradual weakening'of the appe.
tito and the organs Of respiration. After
six hundred persons had perished by
this poison, Toffania was arrested, tried,
convicted, and strangled, in 1719. From
that time, secret poisoning has hardly
been heard Of in Italy.
In the reign Of Louis XIV. secret poi.
soning was carried on to a large extent
in France, the criminals being married
women, and the victims being in most
cases their husbands. The suspicious
Of tho Government being excited from
certain information, two Italians, named
Exili and Glaser, were sent to the Bas.
tile, charged with having made Nndsold
tho poisons. CHASER died in prison, but
lExiii became acquainted there with
seigneur do st. Croix, thon n prisoner,
md taught him how to mako the poi.