The daily gazette., 1876-06-23
FIRST EDITION
THE WNEY INQUEST.

HE DOWN NE1 lNVOEST.
Connicting Testim0ny>-No Evidence
OF Poisen I'm the Stomach OF the de-
r ceased-A Verdict Of Death From
Typhoid Fever.
Yesterday the Coroner's Jury to in>
vestigate the death of Edward Downey.
of New Castle Hundred, which was
supposed to be the result of poison,
met at Christiapa, to continue the in
quest. The jury assembled in the
school house at one O'Clock, D. M,
and examined large number Of wit
nesses. .t,
The first witness. VIM Rnst, testified
that Mr. Downey, during his las. H. 4.
ness frequently complained of burning
and excessive heat In his stomach.
Mr.. Stafford testified that Mr..
Downey complained that his medi.
cine gave him inward piles and did
not dc him any good.
Benz. Downey, son of the deceased, d,
testified, that his father complained of
burning pains in his stomach; witness
said his wife had heard Mr.. Downey
complain that his coffee tasted like
laudanum, and also heard him ex-
claim, "Oh, Kate! Katei you gave me
tile medicine that will take my life. F"
Mr.. Riddle also heard Mr.. Downey
say, about ten days before his death,
that he found something like sand in
his coffee, and that Mrs. Downey
said it was sand in the sugar.
In relation to Phillips, the man
whom Edward Downey, Jr., accused
Of being his mothers parainour, the
testimony was as follows:
John Bell, col,-Phillips came to
live with Mrs. Downey two days after
Mr.. Dswney died.
Chas. Ii. McWhorter- Saw Phillips
before Mr.. Downey's death. He was
dressed well, apd said he had 4 soft
thing, as a woman in the neigh borr
hood was supporting him. He said
she gave him everything he wanted,
and was going to give him q horse and
carriage, but he would not allow her
to do that until they had made away
with the old man thai they had put
something in his coffee, but the old
fellow would not drink enough of it to
put him opl of the way. ..-.r
A. @. Pennington-Saw Phillips at
st. Georges, one day last fall; he show
ed me bottle which he said contain,
ed poison, but he said the poison had
too much laudanun in it, and the old
mau would not drink enough to kill
hin. He said he was going to get AL.
bert Sutton to put him up poison, and
that he had q good home If he could
only get the old man out of the way,
Sabilla Jackson-Phillips showed me
the bottle, and told me he intended tO
poison somebody; smeiled of the bot
| tie, but could not detect the odor ol
llaudannm; / place no confidence in
anything Phillips says.
Alfred Ruth-One day last fall Mr..
Phillips asked me what to use to put
an old man out of the road. He said
he had a mixture of ether and lauda'
mum, and asked ii it was not q goot
slow poison, He was then drunk, ant
the next morning told me he did mo-
mean anything he said.
| DIR. g. 7. Maxwell testified that h,
attended MIR. Dnwney during his las
illness, and was certain he died from
we'll defined attack of typhoid fever
Saw no symptoms of poisoning.
DR.. A. Ii. Grimshaw pi iesented tn,
report of Prof. Rand, of Philadelphia
who made the analysis of Mr.
Downey's stomach. 1t was as follows
JEFFERSON MEDICAL COLLEGE.
PHILADELPHIA, June 90, 1876,
On the 1st of June I received from
the hand of DIR. Howard Qgle, of Will
mington, Del, a glass jar stated T.
contain the stomach anil part of tn
liver. of Edward Dowuey, deceased
with note from DIR. Grimshaw o
Wilmington, Del, and one from tn
Attorney General of the State, date
3lst of May, requesting chemical ex
animation Of the same to be made.
was taken by me to the college labora
tory in the evening, but not opene,
until the next day. 1t contained al
open empty stomach and portion o
the liver,
As the history of the case was oh
scure, IL was decided to make an ex
haustiye examination for mineral AM
vegetable poisons. The metallic po
CONS were first tested for with a negs
tive result,
The alkaloids were carefully search
, ed for by color tests under the micro
scope, with also negative result.
fAMeconic acid was also tested ia
3 with negative results. Also, oxali
] acid with the same.
II. HOWARD RAND.
The jury then retired and in fe'
: minutes returned with verdict this