The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-02-16

/ Cannonsburg; never had my attention
called to the water in that neighbOrhood; !;
do not know that sulphur water would be
! Objectionable to sick.
Cross sramined.-Neyer tasted any bitter
water in the neighborhood; do not know
whether it would contain iron or sulphur,
o. not
DIR. Davenport, recalled.-Resiie at
Ada; have examined water on Elijal
Charles farm; do not know that the water
is deleteriOus.
Mr.. Park, recalled Live about 90 rods
from Elijah Charles; dc not know wheth-
er the water killed horses or not. l think
some one put arsenic in a well; some oil
the horses were fed poison in feed rough
Cross examined. My well is about %
feet deep; the water at the house is abou'
the same as at barn; do not know any
thing about il but what Professor Worm
ly said, which was that he found traces oi
arsenic in the water Cleaned the well
out: had no further trouble nniil the nexi
fall: water is kind of bitter-cOntains s,il
phur; Mr.. Harmon's well Is about as deep
1 as mine, and the water Is about the same;
has more sulphur in it, but is not so bitter.
Mr. Elijah Charles well or spring is about
4
yellowish rust, like iron rust, where ever
IL runs over any thing, and colors any
thing cooked in il.
Michael Palmer, recalled Reside two
miles from Elijah Charles; have lived there
for ten or twelve years; have two wells;
never experinced any bad effect from
using the water We can cook any thing
We ever tried. but beans.
Cross eramiRed.-Haye one well for fam
ily use, the other for nse of stock.
| John Harmon, recalled.-Reside half u
mile from Elijah Charles; have good well.
and never experience any but good effect
from water; have drank frequently at
Elijah Charles never experienced any bad
effect; water is sulphurous and bitter.
Nicholas Park, recalled-Reside near
Elijah Charles; never experienced any bad
effect from drinking water from the well
at Elijah Charles.
Elijah Charles, recalled.-Haye lived on
farm Tor % years; have used water con-
stantly; never experienced any bad effect
from It's use
Cross erdminei-Never lost any stock
but one calf have had some sickness, but
not much; had typhoid fever, hopping
cough, measles; paid one doctor bill Of
$50; had another doctor; paid him s.
trip; cleaned well once OF twice year;
had a white ash pump in well; il was
tainted down as far as platform.
At this point, the defence having offered
all its testimony, the Court adjourned Till
st O'cJck Friday morning.
REMARKS.
A. Blackford, ESQ.,, Attorney for de-
fense, examined witnesses, and exhibited
knowledge of chemical science that re-
fiected upon him high credit.
Frank c.. Dougherty, Esq, the able
Prosecuting Attorney OF Hardin county,
made the cross examinations. 1t was evil
dent to all that Mr.. Dougherty is not only
good lawyer, but gentleman of high
culture in the department Of physical
science.
The barrenness of testimony for the
defense, which closed yesterday, was pain
fully apparent. Livery one appeared
amazed when counsel announced thai the
evidence for defense was closed; and every
one inquired of every other one, And Is
this all!" A noteworthy fact, also, may
be mentioned. which is, that during the
examination of witnesses for the prosecu-
ton, the court room was packed-over-
crowded and overfiowing; while, during
the delivery of testimony in behalf OF de.
fendant, there were very few interested
listeners. And this is no fault of Messrs.
Blackford and Burket, prisoners attor-
news, who have labored with a ZEAL fideli-
ly and ability that have challenged sdmi-
ration.
| The ProseCutingAttorney,H Henry Brown,
ESD, in his opening address to the jury
presented the case of the State in a form
remarkable for its perspicuiiy, vigor and
detail; and to his co-counsel, younger
members of the bar, Messrs. Dougherty
ohaffer and Ballard, he generously affords
opportunity to occupy the time awarded
the prosecution in their argument Of thu
cause of the State.
Mr.. Shaffer, in his opening argument
this Friday) morning, stated that this wa:
the third trial on an indictment for cap
ital crime that had occurred in Hancocs
county since its formation under the legis
latiye enactment of 1920, and from this ht
deduced that this county had less PEI
cent. of high crimes than any other co unit.
of its age and population. s
Beyond question, the argument Of coun
sci will not reach a close before Monday
or Tuesday, when the Judge will delivel
his charge 10 the jury.
| At about 8 PM, ,MrS Shaffer concluded
his address to the jury, and he was sue
ceeded by
| Mr.. Burket, attorney for the defense
Mr.. B. commenced by stating 70 the Jur,
the difference, in law rulings, that pre-
vailed in criminal and civil actions In
criminal suits, defendant has the benefit
of all reasonable and probable doubts
You can never convict upon suspicion,
nor upon circumstantial evidence, ex
cept that no cloud or doubt rests upon
the circumstance In cases of doubt Il
is better to acquit-better that one hun
dred guilty men escape, than that one
innocent man should suffer. This Is the
rule by which you, gentlemen OF the
Ijury. and myself should be tried, and
this is the rule. in the light of reason
and the law of the land, by which yOu
must try the prisoner. Now, IN the mrs
place, has crime been committed2 May
death not have been the result OF aecl
dent? In the sec nd place. supposing u
vas intentional poisoning, was Isaac b
Charles the poisoner? II is for the State
to show that Melissa Charles was poison
ed, and to trace the crime directly to the
prisoner as a guilty and criminal act
Supposing it were a case OF poisoning
might il not have been accidental, as II
he case of DR.. Runkle. who testified be
fore YOU that his family had beer
poisoned by lizard which had got int
|. The tea kettle. Had members Of th'
family died, the hired girl who made tn
coffee would have been liable to arres
on charge of homicide. Counsel CRITICS
ed the medical treatment the poisonef
patients had received, and maintained
that the heroic doses of ipecac, sulphat'
of zinc, antimony, whiskey. sub-nitrat'
bismuth, and other villainous com
pounds contained in his portable druj
store, was enough to depopulate an.
neighborhood. Il was in evidence tha
as a result of this treatment, some Of tn
children yomited blood, and may it no
be a matter of surprise that all escapes
except Mrs Charles. The doses admins
tered by DR. Sturgeon would have kille'
an elephant. After swallowing the con
tents of a drug store, Il is not strang
} that the stricken ones had crsmp- in IN
calve- of the legs, vomiting purging AMI
all the worst ills that flesh is heir to. Ii
the testimony Dr. Sturgeon defendet
as though he was on trial for malprac
tice, and he defended himself with un
. | wonted zeal. The viscera Of this deceas
ed woman. it isin proof was tossed abou
from pillar to post-trst, afier having
been taken from the body, struck upol
| wood pile or dirty plank, then enc ose'
lin paper that may have been foui-n'
! one knowsHthen thrown under bugg,
seat, and transported several miles, AM
finally, at Cannonsburg, thrown into
lumber room of DR.. Bailards Office, and
resting there a day or two, the vlscer
finally gathered up, bottled. labeled an'
hacked. and taken to Cleveland, ans
placed in the hands of Prof CasseL Th
stomach had been hawked aroun'
IL r.naX hara bean fh