Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-04-25
A STRANGE CASE.
0uicfde of a Farmer Charged with Poison
ing His Neighbours WelI-His Son Con-
fesses the Deed when 1T is too Late.

ing His Neighbours WeU-His Son Con-
fesses the Decd when 1T is too Late.
One Of the mos remarkable and
mysterious criminal cases on record in
the West has just come to and end in
Evansville, Ind. A German named
Edward Leyer, q farmer in Warwick
county, thirty miles from Evansville,
was arrested last December, charged
with poisoning the cistern Of a neigh
Dor named Frederick Cook, from the
effects of which Mrs. Cook and num-
Der of the surrounding community
were poisoned, and Mrs. Cook died.
Mobs attempted to hang Leyer twice,
but he escaped, and was brought to
Evansville for trial.
An analysis of the cistern water, mud,
and the Substance found on the curb
ing and in the stomach of the deceased,
discovered arsenic in quantities in the
first-named articles, but none was found
in the stomach. Leyer WAS tried, and
the defense decided that the absence Of
she was not poisoned, and that arsenic
was placed in the cistern after her
death by enemies of Leyer.
Expert medical testimony Of an inn
pOrtant nature was introduced to prove
that she might have been poisoned and
no arsenic found after death. Leyer
was convicted by jury, and sentenced
to the Penitentiary for life. Next day
he attempted suicide by cutting his
wrist with bit of glass. 1t was discov-
cred, and his life saved. He grew
gloomy and respondent.
The case was appealed to the SUI
preme court.
Tuesday, April 10th he died suddenly,
after being drowsy for day. There
was suspicion that he died Of poison
furnished him by his wife, who had
brought him food. The food, stomach,
and contents were examined and anal
yzed. The chemist reported no
poison found. He gave it as his
opinion that death resulted from the
administration of hydrocyanic acid, q
volatile poison, which. in some cases
produces commissions, bat may act as q
sedative and produce symptoms similar
to those recorded in Levers death. 1t
is q poison SO deadly that a fraction Of
q grain will cause death. In case the
action is sedative, that is evidence that
it has not been inhammatory, and
there would be no sign Of that kind in
the stomach. The poison itself can
only be discovered by the peculiar odor
it causes, resembling the fragrance of
peach-blossoms. .... D.
Prof. Achilles searched for this in
the stomach, but found no traces of it
there. He states however, that in
cases of long exposure after death be-
fore examination, as in Levers case,
the odor of the poison might disappear,
and when it had acted as sedative, no
traces of poison could ever be detected.
Leyer was file maker, and had used
hydrocyanic acid in the preparation of
steel, and was thoroughly acquainted
with its properties and effects. On the
other hand his body was perfectly
.healthy-not a sign of rupture or dis
ease in heart Or brain sufficient to pro-
duce death. $3.50. .a
The jury returned verdict of death
by unknown means. Hel&
His SON, who was indicted with him
fed, and wrote a letter back confessing
the deed and exculpating his father.
The son is still at liberty. r.. 81.