The New York herald., 1878-11-02
ACQUITTED.
End Of the Whitman Poison
ing Case.
THE PRISONERS LIBERATED.
Dr. Spear and Mabel Whitman Prove
Their Innocence.


tsiet last evening tba. DR.. Spear ana Mabel Whit
man, who have been trial for three days
charge OF conspirng to and having actually poisoned
ArA whitman, would bo placed ON tho stand 70 tes-
tiy to-day This iact brought an immense throng 10
the district court this forenoon. The evidence
brought out yesterday eagerly discussed, and II
was admitted that some points were damaging TO the
girls case. Dr. Spear mas hardly been implicated
In the matter at all, aud It was generally
conceded tnat unless some strong points could be
raised against Mabel which would furnish handle
for conspiracy completely the Doctor must be
promptly discharged.
SPEARS TESTIMONY
sosn after the opening Of the court the defence put
DR.. Spear the stand TO toll his own story. He
testihed:-l reside at No. 3l5 Main street. Charles
town; am twenty-five years old; graduated Al Boston
University In March. 1876; studied for seven years
with DR.. David Thayor Boston; practised In
Charlestown since June, 1877; succeeded TO tho
practice o. DR.. Il. r. White soon after I came; he
introduced me to Mrs. Whitman; my relations
with her were friendly, frequent visitor. as a
friend: was her family ply ysician; first ntmation OF
her ILLNESS was Thursday night, October Is, when
found an order my slate "coms 10 No. II Essex
street. mother sick !" second order read. "Come
you cam" and signed, AN. !. W. !"
went to the house and saw Mrs. Whitman: examined
her, made . prescription, stayed Q short time and
went away; she was prostrated; asked her what
made her vomit, and sho said she didn't know; said
she ale mackerel fer dinner; the matter vomited
was clear and OF a mucous character; prescribed o
Homeopathic preparation OF nux vomica was there
from fifteen to twenty minutes; then went home TO
bed; saw her the next morning; she was wssksr,
but In tho same condition so far as vomiting
was concerned; did not change the prescrip-
ton; ordered not applications TO tho stomach
ana feet, limbs to DO rubbed ana general
treatment TO excite the circulation; won't
home to breakfast; returned and found no
change; my directions had been obeyed; Mrs
Abnsr Stearns Mabel were there; examine ed her
again and to and the sickness
she SICK ana seemed TO pe worse; warm water
applications had not given relief; told her wanted
TO call DR.. Thayer in counsel; she assented; went
Alter Dr.. Tnayer, ana met him fremont street;
was In horse car and met him In his carriage; we
rode together 10 Cnariestown; told MIN that had a
woman who was very sick, and wanted him to see
her, told him the only cause I could fnd was that
she had eaten mackorsl; We saw Mrs. whitman
together and then retired 10 consult about case
asked him what the treatment should be- he thought
we should give arsenicum; prepared the medicine
from his case, and 1t administersd We left tho
honss together, and rode with him to my o1ice,
whore got out; this after twelve o'clock on
out l saw Mabel, and she said, ''Come the house
quick, mother can hardly BREATHE"
DEATH OF TIE PATIENT.
Got an ounce OF brandy and my medicine case and
went to the house; found the that tsls-
grapnod for Dr. Thaysr. but she died before his
rivai: when wero riding together Dr.. Thayer said
ne didn', think Mrs. Whitman would recover; Mrs
hne; she asked me II could save ner and
told her l didn't think she would re-
cover; she said. "Kave orvis Mic: se.tle the
estate; no knows and he rs honcst;" then she
added, "Oh, my poor children ~ about three
O'Clock; went 10 Maine with the remains. because
habe. said her mother wanted me 10 do go; Mrk
Whitman made no such request Of me met ME Storer
on the cars at Auourn. Mel neither the funeral nor
burAi occurred while was at Carthage; arrived at
Carthage haipast eight p. M. early the next
morning; Mrs. George W. Wheeler went with the
cars Mabel Ssssrns facing Oracle aud my.
sell; generally sat at the other OF the aisle so
Graeie could lie down; gave Mr.. 5torer my seat when
rage shs railroad Carthage ed
win Mabel IN the cara; after the cars left Auburn Mr.
Etorer took my ssai aud then he went TO shs OF
she car; Mabel crossed over and sat beside her;
talked about the beautiful scenery OF the Anaro
scoggln River, she saying that her mother
ana very little conversation; a. Carthage Mr
Storer and slept together; be asked me about my
r. chsr,:sswn 4, Mrs. wn.man,s house am siisn,iy
scquaiRssd with Carrie A. Symonds; heard her tesl
mony was introduced 70 her last sum mer she
frsQusnt visitor ~ Mrs. Whhman's house; know she
was schoolnaie OF Mabel; remember that one
evening l went TO MrA Whtmsn's house, had q
headache and laid on the lounge; Mabel got me
pillow and then began TO play on the piano whom
Miss Symonds came In; think went away before
Miss Symonds cid was introduced 10 Gertrude A.
Richardson a. mrs. Whi,man's last winter; we we're
friendly, SO far a. Knew; remember that / put my
arm once around her wast very likely us she told NJ
ddn't observe any resentment; don't rscoect lean.
ing my elbows on her shoulder ~ the candy scrape;
once we were In tho dining room when . piece OF
paper was shown 20 the Iirls; something was said
about not showing u to mo and tried 70 get IL s
was mattor oi fun, that Was ALI think was pat
the stove.
ANOTHER PIEcg OF nonGoPArnIc HunHua.
Ny visits were not 50 frequent when Ma Whit
man was aw.y; HAD 10 spts., , reason for ss.sy,ng
hor studies at night; have stayed on two occa-
sions; have no recollection of gong up stairs with
Mavsl 10 help her make nor beds; think such
story very improbable; my relations with Mabel
Kind snd IrisLdiy; ana IN that way oaIy, nothing
iurther never entertained the idea OF courlsnip or
marriage with her, or ever conversed with nsr on
those subjects; diunt administer an antdots to MIRA
whitman, because atdn't deem II necessary; IN the
prsc,,se Of hy We treat without dss noss
and give medicine according TO the symptoms sud not
the disease; her synpoms did not satsiy mes ss 10
any one disease; up TO the time OF death had no
idea Of the cause ol death; duDt think
that she had been poisoned, Tns Doctor then
he said .-when nrss saw Mrs. Whitman she asked
me ~ there WAS anything III tea that would make
ser sck, saying ina. sns n.o go' % some new YEA snu
Mabel Gracie took dinner with her rhs sad othing
hat ught about anybody else having been sick pre-
soribed Tor her, thinkDR was arrangement OF tho
stomach; think Mrs Abner Stsarns was there ~ my
nrst visIt tie next mornings MIRA Whitman said shs
WAS better asked her about tns vomitng, aud she
said had operation during the night and Mabel
helped her then; thought she was poisoned from eat
Sne tainted mackerel; the symptoms were serious
saw hing that visit Of tue ch afacter OF her
uing; at the next visit knew something OF It lhis
was about nine o'clock; there was no great change;
didn't hear Mrs. whitman say anything about paris
green; Mabel WAS not present during all OF my tnqui
fies; heard Mabel say anything about arssnsc
yery often pass opinion about disease; undertook
10 ascertain tue cause ~ Mrs. Whilmans case, bat
iidn'l succeed; so prescribed Tor the ~ mptoms; u
q a very common thing Tor homeopathic PHYSICIANS
10 say 10 each other mat such a case looks Ike
arsenIc, or ike ipscac or IKE Deiladonna, meaning
that the symptoms Indicated that these remedies
should be applied; didn't think the case was
cholera morbus, but that II looked Ike that; choi-
era IN orbus IS caused by Over-eatpe, and tnought
this by eating tainted msckerel; made no
additional inquiries alter Mabel spoke OF paris
green, because l mad then got all the information
avaiisbic; neither nux vomica nor arsenic are anti-
dotes Ior arsenic; homeopathic physiclans never
give ono poison TO couDteract aBotber " antuotos
are required; ~ isn't important tnat tho cause OF
49, AI.z.4x 49,. Ii -lL.a ILL