The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-02-02


Ii had been arranged that tic families meet at
the house of Elijah on Thursday June Sth. After
the. bread had teen baked, aud Melissa was rrn,-
wing il from the pans. she partOOk OF some flakes
that had adhered 10 the bake pdilS. AMI hence wss
the irst affected by the poison. Directly after the
table was prepared, she became suddenly III. and
her sIfterings were 80 great thEf she was unable to
Join her friends at Dime but east herself upon
J,i. The sirkness OF the Others SOON succeeded.
Counsel described the remarkable conduct OF de-
tendant on the day OF the pOisOning-hisg going Cv
er 10 a grocery and reularking that his brothers
families had been poisoned of one on the street
he enQuired, do they suspect any ones' DR.. Stur-
geon. OF Ada, the family physician. who had been
summoned 10 attend the sick ones, was soon fol-
lowed by the defendant and wife. Defendant
manifested deep sOlicitude and took charge OF the
administration of the medicine left by the Doctor
He was aSsiduous in his attentiOns-warned his
wife not TO touch the bread, claiming that the pol
son in that and not in the water. and in open
defiance OF the I'M functions OF the doctor he drank
of the water. DefendanI often repeated his con-
vietion that the poison was in the bread. and ac-
counted for ii. among other ways by saying that
the miller al Ada bad enemies, and that some one
had poisoned his flour in order to destroy the rep
utation OF his mill. As hours passed. the stricken
families and their friends became more and more
persuaded that Isaac Charles was the malefActOr
and that he shsuld not be entrusted with the ad-
ministratiOn oil the medicine to the sufferers bct
even after defendant had been warned of by his
brother, he persisted in remaining, and il was diff
fcult 10 persuade him 10 withdraw from the place.
II
for the deience, in a spe. ch of marked Irge-
nuiIy and power, which, no doubi made a
deep impression upon the minds OF jurors.
He cbntToverted all the point, mads by the
prosecution, and was followed by Mr.. Brown
in a brief rel binder.
FIRST wITSEss FOR THE PROSECUTION.
DIS. H Sturgeon of Ada, was the first
witness called; had been in practice five
ear; graduated at Ohio Medical College At
Cincinnati; on or bout the sth OF June last.
was call d oy Mr.. Stumm 10 visit he family
Of Z. an Charles; the hour, when called. wa
abOu | O'Clock: reached the house OF Charles
between l and O'Clock. There met the fam
iIieS of Ell lijah and John Charles; found Mrs
Melissa Charles v, ~ stck. cDmiHaiDing OF
severe pain in the head, and tenderness in
the region of the stom 'ch; children of Elijah
We're vomiting fre-I, the family of rhoma>
Charles wer. afflicted with ab..ut the same
general symptoms, T. DrynesS about the
throat, pain IN limbs. severe PAIN IN back o
OK and head, swimming se' saitf n before
{ he eyes slf<nt cramps In he limbs. vett ia
ing or vomiting mucus. pulse feeble and
rather fast, skin chilly, cold; respiration dtf-
ficuIt, ate ortem symptoms Of arsebical
poison, are vomiting and pursins. rome OF
these patients vomited blood Othels were
>uff- ring from pain in the head while others
did not; witnesses treaImeIt was three diff
ferent kinds of enetic. viz Ipecac, sulphate
4 zinc, and antimony; bi carbonate OF iron.
mueiiIagenous drinks, slippery elm, carbon
ate OF msguesia sulphate of morphine, with
q lit tie bism1ih, slight stimulants brandy ;
other physicians called among them, DIR.
Davenport; upon he taole after witnesses
arrival he discovered lettuce, green currents,
bread. butter and what he su posed to be
tea or coffee. His first effort Vas to ascertain
the cause of the sickness; took from the table
piece o. bread, and, having wrapped p per
around il, placed in his pocket; began irves-
tigation to ascertain the source of tie mals-
dy; iO"k the specimen Of bead TO Ada aud
securely bed IL up. he bread. froT ap-
m. m.rLing made snaly sis OF the bread. and
Professor Park aided in making the inyesti-
CATION; went to he lsborstnI y lbsvine mean
time obtained some of the finur and east
from which the bread was madel; same eve
ming repea ed visit 10 his paiitnIs. Melissa
i'narles was vomiting. and all the patients
verN thirsty. Following day (Frldayl found
Melissa had more pain across the head. veins
in her eyes congested. One of the children
wasc nvalescen and another worse. Again
visited on Saturday with Dr. Dayenpr rt;
oatients were in about the same condition.
sunday p. NJ. little change among the adults
and children-left eye OF Melissa very red,
cradle In her symptoms. Monday. O'Clock
forenoon. witness renewed visit Mrs Ma
lis a Charles dead; some patients better, 9th
rs worse. On sunday previous. discovered
condition of Mrs Melissa Charles and other
natlenIs at the hous ritical. among them.
Mrs. rhoma> Cha es and one of her children,
were in such state that gitness regarded
their recovery doubtful. Did not see the
body of Melissa harles after death until
the post mort. IN examination. al which I'rs.
Davenport Cass. Ballard and ZOder were
H..
held on uesday evening at "A church near BY +,
commencing about sun DOWN; removed from
deceased the stOmac-.- liver and beart. ex
amined heart first. then stomach which we
opened, also examined. and placed the CON-
te Is In bottle, which witness bad previ-
ously carefully clransed: mucu> in stomach
was naIura.-On lower end OF stomach, where
small ntesiines join there were patch's Of
red-thIee or iour of .hem an inch In length,
ana of Irregular form DR. ballard had
charge of The stomach after The post mOrtuIn:
health OF Mrs. Charles, prIor 10 her illness,
had been generally good; believe her death
produc-u by arsenic poison; no disease about
the heart and, aside from the stomach and
duoienum the organs appear ed healthy met
prisoner on same day OF the p isoti <, June
S-came tn witness house about s oc ock
was also ct his Office on the 9Th or Eth. was
there with msn engaged in building fence
around premises of wi ness was about |
o'c o * hat 1risp Ter came near his hou {, aw
take prisoner in his buggy TO house of tlijah
Charles, but def ndaut followed In his own
buggy taking his wife with him. When
SFumm called Isaac remarked II must go
TO see tnem"-seemed TO be much excited
and nervous, after witness reach EiIjiah's
house prisoner and wife followed abou fif
teen m nutes or half hour ster. and in
Qujreu of wiLness tn cause of the sickness
AID latter repli. d teva>ively) that they had
morning, Jnne ln in conversation with pris-
oner the. latter inquired what Rad b-come
of certain medicine? witness replied, I" have
it." He then said: I was a fool tn / did not
take IL my-Alf a drunken. crazy mob came
from Rluffton had been there making
threats and might have thrown poison into
the m. dicine in order to draw suspicion up