The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-29
A Girl Accuses Herself Falsely.

THE SON OF HER MISTRESS--HER ASsER-
TIoSs DISPR0vED.
New York Tribune Of Thursday.l
Charles Heyne, aged seven, the son OF
Nicholas and Eliza Hcync, died May 81, and
| was buried n day OF two afterwards in
Greenwood Cemetery. The father keeps q
saloon at No. 80 Third avenue. ~ short
time after the burial the servant girl, Ar-
g,lsta Kortcn, told her mistress that she had
poisoned the boy with oXalic acid. The girl
was arrested. The body OF the boy was eX-
| 0aortem examination was made by DR.. +. Il.
T. Marsh. The statement Of the girl was
taken June II. In this she stated that Mr..
Heyne's little boy Charles was sick when sls2
came to the house; he had scarlet fever and
dropSy. On the afternoon OF the Monday
previous to his. death, about O'Clock, his
sister asked Augusta to bring cup of milk
| for her little brother Charles. She took up
a mixture OF acid and milk and gave it to
the boy herself. He drank all the mixture
except about quarter OK cupful, which
she gave to Il cat. She knew the acid was
poison, but did not expect it would kill
Charley until she saw the cat die, which
| lived only ten minutes after she gave it the
mixture. She did not know why she gave
Charley the acid. She never had any quar-
rel with him, or with Mr.. or Mrs. Heyne.
The mixture she gave Charley was three
quarters acid and one quarter milk.
The inquest was continued at the coro-
ncr's office yesterday morning. The report
OF DE-. Franz Henel, OF No. 103 east Tenth
street, was submitted in evidence. The
stomach and intestincs had been submitted
to him for chemical analysis. His report
was to the effect that no trace OF oXalic acid
was found, and that 1l-100 OF 4 grain OF
mercury was discovered in eight ounces OF
the suspected fluids and portion OF the
stomach. No other abnormal substance was
found. Mrs. Heyne testified that her son
died on May 81, but she did not believe that
he died from the disease from which he was
suffering. About two weeks afterwards
Augusta Korten told her that she had pol
! soncd him.
DR.. VI. G. Raefle testified that he was call
ed to attend the boy on May 9Th; he was
suffering from scarlct-fevcr and its effects !;
he attended him up to the time OF his death !;
on the day before his death the witness had
a consultation with DR.. Silliman, and they
agreed to continue the same treatment as
had been adopted; the next morning an
other consultation was had, and 1t was de-
cided that the case was hopeless; the wit
ness signed the certificate OF death, giving
the cause Of death rs scarlet-feyer and ne
phritis; the mode OF dying was rs the wit
ness would expect to find in this disease.
DR.. William Stratford testified in corrob-
oration of DR.. HenePs report. The guam
tity of mercury found could have come, and
probably did come, from the calomel admin
istcrcd rs medicine.
DR.. Marsh testified that he made post
7nortem examination OF the body eighteen
days after death, and found nothing abb
normal.
The Jury returned verdict that the boy
came to his death from natural causes.
Upon this verdict Coroner Eickhof dis
charged the prisoner. After the discharge
the mother OF the boy accused the prisoner
of the murder OF her son, and said to her
that although the jury had cXonerated her
she would hold her to account and punish
her. The coroner and physician think that
the reason why the girl accused herself OF
this crime is that she is subject to fits OF
melancholy and despair. She had several
fits of this character on Monday evening,
while prisoner, and it was with difficulty
that she was prevented from doing herself
bodily injury. After her discharge by the
coroner She was taken by her father, who
will place her in safe and comfortable
place, where her maady may receive appro-
pirate treatment.