Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-06-12

EVIDENCE OF His THREATS TO
KILL HIMsELF-AN UNsPoKEN Sc
cRET ON A DEATH BED-PRoMPI
AcQuITTAL OF THE PRIsoNER-SHE
Is DISCHARGED.
&C., &C., &c.
At the close of our last report, Friday,
the Commonwealth had just examined DR..
Wayt. On Friday morning the following
witnesses were examined for the prosecu-
ton:
DIR. J. Newton McChesney testified to
having been present at the exhumation of
Aliens body, at Mount Sidney, being then
medical student and assisting the physi-
clans, Drs. w. S. McChesney and A. M.
Fauntleroy, and taking charge of the sto-
mach and portions of the liver taken out
which he took to the University of Vir-
ginia to Prof. Mallet, for analysis, but
that expert declining, he returned it to
Dr. A. M. Fauntleroy and DR.. VIM. Ham
ilton, of the Western Lunatic Asylum,
having kept it carefully up to the time he
delivered it to them.
DR.. VIM. S. McChesney testified to
having assisted in the operation on the
body at Mount Sidney, but not at the final
analysis, having been prevented by other
engagements Had attended Mrs. Allen
in prison after her arrest, and considered
her in very delicate health from diseased
lungs.
Mr.. g. A. Roller testified to the identity
of the body of Allen when exhumed.
Dr.. Crawford, recalled, testified to hay
ing purchased the bismuth he administer
ed to Allen from Messrs Trout & Berke-
ley, in July last, and that Mr.. P. H. Trout
sold it to him.
DIR. VIM. BELL
testified that few days after the death of
Allen, and before the elimination, he was
passing along the road, and was passed by
Mrs. Allen, who stopped her carriage and
opened a conversation, by inquirlng wheth-
Ell he thought if her husband had been poi
soned it could be detected now by eXamin-
ing the body. He told her he thought it
could. She then spoke of some reports in
circulation about her in connection with
his death, and said she was anxious for an
examination of the body. Witness told
her it was reported in the neighborhood
that she had purchased poison on one or
two occasions and he understood her to
deny purchasing poison, though she said
she had poison about the house to destroy
rats, which she had gotten from Mr.. Par
kins for that purpose. This conversation
was four OF five days before the exhuma-
tion-probably September LIST, though wit
ness was not certain of the day. She
opened the conversation by saying she
wanted to ask him aquestion. She appear
ed indignant and surprised at the reports.
Had known Allen for ten Oh twelve years,
and thought he was an amiable and kind
man, and so far as he knew his relations
with his wife were agreeable. Mrs. Allen
was coming from the direction of Staun-
ton when he met her. She expressed her
determination to have the body taken up,
and said she would see her father about it
as she was not able to incur the expense
Aliens health, witness believed was good
except sore ankle, which he had told
him discharged pieces Of bone at times.
testified to having made the post-mortem
examination with DR.. VIM. McChesney.
He also made preliminary analysis before
the coroner's inquest, and thought he OBJ
served arsenious crystals, but did not con-
slider that evidence sufficient to make him
absolutely certain, and he stated that fact
to the jury of inquest as ground for
strong suspicion. At that time he did not
expect to make the final analysis, but had
since done so with DIR. Hamilton. He did
not appear in court now as chemical ex-
pert, but with certain results which he
proposed to submit to the court.
THE ANALYSIS
To make final analysis the stomach,
and portion of the liver were carried to the
Western Lunatic Asylum, and the exam
nation and analysis made by DR.. William
Hamilton, Of the Western Lunatic Asy-
lum, and myself. We minced troy ounce
of the liver and put itinto a saucer, adding
to it hydrochloric acid and water. AS
soon as the liquid became hot, chlorate of
pOtassa was added from time to time until
the liquid assumed a yellow color. The
solution was then filtered, the residue
washed with hot water, and the washings
allowed to fall in the filtrate. 1t was put
on the water bath and somewhat concen-
trated by heat. 1t was then put in a bottle
and washed sulphuretted hydrogen passed
through it, which secured a precipitate of
brownish color. The precipitate was
washed until free from chlorine, it's absence
being attested by the failure to produce a
precipitate on the addition of nitrate of
silver. The precipitate was then placed in
a water bath and dried. Then some water
and nitric acid were added, and it was
again dried. Sulphuric acid was then
added, and it was heated for some hours on
a sand-bath until it became charred mass.
10 the charred mass some water and hy-
drochlorate acid were added, and placed
for short time upon the Water-bath 1t
was then filtered, and we secured a brown
ish precipitate by passing sulphuretted n.y.
drogen through the filtrate. Over the pre-
cipitate in the filter was passed warm car
Donate Of ammonia. The fltrate thus OBJ
tanned was treated with hydrochlorate acid
in excess, a bright yellow precipitate being
secured, which presented all the character
1stlcs of ter-sulphide of arsenic, and we be-
aleved it to be such. To con firm this, the
yellow precipitate was washed by decanta-
tlon, dried, and mixed with two or three
times it's volume of the ferro -cyinide of
potassium and heated to redness in small
glass tube. We secured faint metallic
mirror, which, being driven by heat along
the tube, was converted into a faint, white
cloud, with alliaceous odor. The remain
Y der OF bright precipitate was taken to the