The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-04-28
LUCKY LARCENY.
LAWYERS STORY,

and the uncle OF a couple of nephews-
the one brothers., the other sisters
son. These two were his next to kin,
legally entitled, in case he died intes-
tate, to inherit his property.
Edward Horton, his deceased sisters
son, was decidedly his fayorite, and to
him The old gentleman resolved to give
| the bulk OF his estate.
Charles Courtney, the other nephew,
| had inherited a handsome fortune from
| his iather, and moreover, by his uncle's
Will, was entitled to succeed to that lett
TO his cousin, In the event OF the latter's
dying without issue.
O.d Mr.. Courtney was one of the
halest OF bachelors, when it was sudden
| ly announced, not only that he was dead
but That foul play was suspected. A
post-mortem examination demonstrated
| that he had fallen a victim TO poison;
and it was given out that the hand that
administered it was that OF his tavorite
nephew. The public mind was. naturally
both surprised and shocked.
1t was not until Edward Horton had
been lully committed for trial for his
uncle's murder that / was retained to
get up the defense.
His own statement was, In substance,
this: A physician had been called in to.
see Mr.. Courtney On the occasion OF
some: apparently trifling sickness, re-
qulring some simple remedy, for which
u prescription was written and handed
to the prisoner to have made up. This
the latter had carried to weli-knowD,
competent druggist, who had put it up
in has presence. This medicine consist
ed OF three white powders, each folded
In a scrap OF paper, and the whole in
closed in ingle wrapper. They were
| TO be given at intervals OF an hour, and
had remained continuously in the
prisoners possession till the first was
| admins tered, which was done by him.
sell, Immediately on his return from the
druggists. Mr.. Courtney grew rapidly
worse; and when, at the expiration OF
an hour, second powder was admins
tered, the symptoms became SO alarm
ing that messenger was dispatched for
the physician, VINO, on his arrival,
declared that The patent was suffering
from the effect OF poison. An examina-
| tion OF the remaining powder disclosed
the fact that IL was pure arsenic. 1t
| was too late for any antidote to be
available; and in less Than an hour
deaIn 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
|
known chemical test. 1t was further
admitted by tne prisoner that ne alone
had access 10 his uncle's apartment or
| had handled the medicine from the
| Time it was compounded by the drug
gist till the coming of the physician,
after the second powder had been
| taken.
The druggist, who was known to be
a man OF extraordinary caution and
| thoroughly skilled in his business, was
ready 20 swear that by no possibility
coulu any mistake have occurred i'll put
| ting up the medicine.
TO make matters worse. it transDired
that The amicable relations between the
uncle ana nephew had been somewhat
disturbed OF late, by reason OF an at
tachment Of the latter disapproved by
The lormer, who had gone SO far as TO
threaten TO change his will unless his
wishes were respected.
"Whe was in company with you from
the time you received the medicine till
you returned TO your uncle's house" ?"
l asked the prisoner, desperately CROP
ing after something 10 afford ray OF
hope.
mo one," ne answered, shut my
cousin Charles, whom l met near the
druggists, and who accompanied me
in"
/ drew from Edward the fact that
Charles saw the medicine put up;
walked with him a little way; then went
back ior something, Edward awaiting
his return; u ca walked arm in arm
nearly home. Inen Charles left. / also
reminded Edward that, his uncle being
dead, ii he also should die childIess,
Charles would inherit tne whole estate.
"He did iLp''the young man cried, in
n am af a " n nu m. ut N
be eounte. felt. "He went out t. get the
poison Wnen he lett ine waiLlug. He puL
IL up to resemble The druggists parce |,
for which he substituted 1T as we Went
along. VIilian--I know it noWl Al
carried the parcel IN the right pocket OF
my overcoat, and it was on thai side he
WalkedP
Twas seated in my office on the day
preceding that fixed lor the trial. in
dulgiug IN any thing but sangulne ex-
pectatIons, Wnen Lap at the door an
nuunced IA visitor. IL was u detecti,e
whom mad employed.
"What is ltW inquired, after clos
ing the door.
IL made an arrest to-day" he an.
swered, sand in the prisoners possess
sion found this oyercoat," undOIng
package he had brought.
"W eiif
SIN one of the pockets found this"-|
and he handed me small parcel, which
Iopened.
INSIDE were three papers, folded as
druggists put up their prescriptions.
"rhe person with whom found this
coat" the detective continued. "co,.
lesses that he stole it from q billiard
saloon, the owner having laid it aside
while playing; and the date he fixes Cor
responds WIN MIR. Courtney's muruer.
But what is more important, have as
certained that Charles Courtney Is the
owner OF the coat!"
"Let US at once proceed to the drug.
gists," lexclaimed, springing from my
chair and snatching up my nat.
We were soon there.
"Please examine that pareel.nI said.
putting it into the hands of the drug
glst.
lie did SO, carefully opening the pa
pers and inspecting their contents.
They contained three white powdersl
''How do they correspond with those
you made up for MIR. Courtney,V / |
inquired, ''and for which others seem
TO have been SO myslerIsouly subsLi-
tuteaW