Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-05-24
AVERY LUCKY LARCENY
A LAWYERS STORY.

NAiNN AN vi al OGlD
OF nephews-one a brothers and the
othera sisters's son. These two were
his next ofkin, legally entitled, in ease
he died intestate, to inherit his O
erty;
Edward Horton, his deceased sis
ter'sson was decidedly his favoriteand
to him the old gentleman resolved to
give the bulk of his estate. r.Ht
Charles Courtney, the other ne
phew, had inherited a handsome for
tune from his father, and moreover,
by his u%ncle's will, was entitled to
succeed to that left to his cousin in
the event Of the latter dying without
issue.
Old Mr.. Courtney was one of the
halest of bachelors, when it was sud
denly announced, not only that he
was dead but hat foal play was sus-
pected. A ~post-mortem examination
demonstrated that he had fallen
a victim to poison; and it was given
out that the hand that had admins
tered it was that of his favorite
nephew. The public mind was natur-
ally both surprised and shocked.
1t was until Edward Horton had
been fully committed for trial for his
uncle's murder that L was retained to
get up the defence.
His own statement was in sub
stance, this: A physician had been
called in to see Mr.. Courtney on the
occasion of some trifing ILLNESS, re-
quiring some simple remedy, for
which Il prescription was written and
handed to the prisoner to have made
up. This the latter had carried to a
well-known, competent druggist, who
had put it up in his presence. The
medicine consisted of three white
powders, each folded in Il scrap OF
paper. and the whole inclosed in a
single wrapper. They were to be
given ut intervals of an hour, and had
remained continuously in his posses
session till the first was administered,
Which was done by himself, immedi-
ately on his return from the drug
gist's. Mr.. Courtney grew rapidly
worse, and, at the expiration of an
hour, became so alarming that 4 mes
senger was dispatched for a physi-
clan, who, on his arrival, declared
that the patient was suffering from
the effects of poison. An examina-
ton of the remaining powder dis
closed the fact that it WAS pure ar
senic. 1t was too late for any anti
dOte to he available, and in less than
an hour death had relieved the suf-
ferer. An autopsy Of the body and
an analysis Of the stomach left 10
'tDbbJ az W lliC IdttSt VI ttItll. Liz
presence of arsenic. in a necessarily
fatal quantity, WAS indicated by every
known medical test. 1t was futher adj
mitted by the prisoner that he alone
had access to his uncle's apartment,
or had handled the medicine from thu
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 bt
a man of extraordinary caution, am
thoroughly skilled in his business
was ready to swear that by no posi-
biiity could any mistake have occur
red in putting up the medicine.
To make matters worse. it transpir
ed that the aInicablc relations betweeI
the uncle and nephew had been some
what disturbed of late, by reason G
an attachment of the latter disap
proved by the former, who had gon
so far as to threaten to change hi
will unless his wishes were respected
Who was in company with 20
from the time You received the med
cine till you returned to your uncle
hOuse?' l asked the prisoner, de-
perately CROPPING after something t
afford & ray of hope.
"No one" he answered, but III
cousin Charles, whom / met near Il
druggists, and who accompanied Ii
in
/ drew from Edward the fact tn:
Charles saw the medicine put VI
walked with him n little way: the
went back for something, Edwal
awaiting his return; then amman
arm nearly home, when Charles LEI
/ also reminded Edward that, h
uncle being dead, if he should d
childless, Charles would inherit Il
whole estate.
"He did it! He did it," the your
man cried, in a parOxysm of excit
ment, too earnest to be counterfei
"He went off to get the poison VIII
he left me waiting. He put it up
resemble the druggists parcel. f
which he substituted it as We we
along. VILLAIN know it nov
L carried the parcel in the rig
pocket of my overcoat, and it was
that side he walked"
1 was sitting in my office on Il
day proceeding that fixed for Il
trial, indulging in anything but sa
guine expectations, when a tap at Il
door announced a visitor. 1t was