Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-04-27
A LUCKY LARCENY.

Ier's, the other a sisters son. =
These two were his next OF kin
legally entitled, in case he died in
testate, to inherit bis property.
Edward Horton, his deceased
sisters son, was decidedly his fa-
vorite, and to him the old gentle
man resolved to give the bulk of
bis estate.
Charles Courtney, the other
nephew, had inherited a hand
some fortune from his father, and
moreover, by his uncle's will was
entitled to succeed to that left to
bis cousin, in the event of the lat.
ter's dying without issue.
Old MIR. Courtney was one of
the ha!est of bachelors, when il
was suddenly announced, that not
only was be dead, but that foul
play was suspected. A post NOR
tenn examination demonstrated
that he had fallen a victim to poi
son; and it was given out that
the hand that administered it was
that of his favorite 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 |
was retained to get up the defense.
His own statement was, in sub
stance this A physician had been
called in to see Mr.. Courtney on
the occasion of some apparently
trifling sickness, requiring some
simple remedy, for which o pre-
scription was written and handed
20 the prisoner to have made up.
This the latter had carried to a
we'll known, competent druggist,
who had put it up in his pres
er ce. This medicine consisted
of three white powders, each fold.
ed in a scrap of paper, and the
whole irclosed in single wrap
per. They were TO be given at
intervals of an hour, and had re-
NAMED continuously in the pris-
oner's possession till the first was
administered, which was done by
himself, Immediately on his re-
turn from the druggists. Mr..
Courtney grew rapidly worse;
and when at the expiration of an
hour, a second powder was ad-
ministered, the symptoms became
SO alarming that a messenger was
dispatched for the physician, who,
on his arrival, declared that the
patient was suffering from the eff
feet of poison. An examination
of the remaining powder disclosed
the fact that it was pure arsenic.
1t was too late for any antidote
to be available; and in less than
an hour death had relieved the
sufferer. An>autopsy of the b )dy
and an analysis Of the contentsof
the stomach left no doubt as to the
cause of his death. The presence
of arsenic, in a necessarily fatal
quantity, was indicated by every
known chemical test. 1t was fur
ther admitted by the prisoner that
he alone had access to his uncle's
apartment or had handled the
medicine from the time it was
compounded by the druggist till
the coming of the physician, after
the second powder had been taken.
The druggist, who was known
to be a man of extraordinary eau
ton and thoroughly skilled in his
business, was ready to swear that
by no possibility could any mis-
take have occurred in putting up
the medicine.
To make matters worse 1t tran
spired that the amicable relations
between the uncle and nephew
had been somewhat disturbed OF
late, by reason of an attachment
OF the latter disapproved by the
former, who had gone SO far as to
threaten to change his will unless
his wishes were respected.
"Who was in company with
you from the time you received
tie medicine till you returned to
your uncle's house e | asked the
prisoner, desperately cropping after
something to afford ray of hope.
"No one," he answered, "but
my cousin Charles, whom | met
near the druggists, and who &C.
companied me in"
[ drew from Edward the fact
that Charles saw the medicine put
u2; walked with him q little way;
then went back for something,
Edward awaiting his return ;
then walked arm in arm nearly
home. Then Charles left. ] al.
go reminded Edward tt,at, his un-
Gle being dead, if he should also
die childless, Charles would Inher-
il the whole estate.
rUe did Il 7" tha Weung man