Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-21
WAS HE POlSONED?.
SUDDEN DEATH WITH PECUILlR
SYMPTOMS.
Coroner Stein Holds an Investigation--Dr.
Boyd Bravely Swallows Dose of His
Own Medicine--The Inquest to BE Con-
tinued To-Day.

shanty at the corner Of Washington and Chest
nut streets. Hurrying thither the reporter
found small cottage Of two rooms and a
kitchen, all poorly, but neatly furnished. In
the inner room, upon a scrupulously clean bed,
lay the corpse Of tall man whose wasted
form indicated the ravages of consumption.
The eyes were but partially closed and showed
the pupils much distended, and the muscles of
the whole body were rigid. There
were several women in the
house, among them fthe widow and
the daughter of deceased. The Rev. w. P. Ten
Brock was just leaving the house of death,
accompanied by another clergyman. The
former stated to the reporter that he was sent
for about o'clock in the morning to come to
deceased, whom he found suffering greatly; he
was conscious, and knew the clergyman, and
seemed to understand his administration, but
within fifteen or twenty minutes he breathed
his last. From the widow the reporter cleaned
that the name of deceased was Henry McManus.
He was native of Ireland but came from
Canada to St. Paul, two years ago. He was
So years old and had been doing little work
since ne came here, as he suffered from ill
health.
Coroner Stein arrived at 10 clock, and after
swearing in jury, proceeded to hold an in
quest. The first person he called was
CATHERINE NJ MANUs,
who said her husband complained of being
sick a week ago. Witness sent for physician
on the recommendation Of Mrs. Mcclure; did
not know the name of the physician. He sent
some powders; deceased took three or four;
last night he took one; in ten minutes he felt
bad with cramps and asked for water; he slid
out of bed in pain. The pain was in his legs
and stomach. He told me to keep the powders
and show them; did not say to whom was to
show them; he asked to see Mr.. Ten Brock; my
daughter went for him; also sent for another
doctor. grabbed the powders and put them
in my pocket. The powders were produced :
they were wrapped in election tickets and
on it. : i'<''''e
being summoned was sworn, and said: Was
called last night at 1915 to see deceased; he
was lying on the floor in commissions; the
mouth was closed tightly; pupils of the eye
distended; there was strong rigidity
OF the muscles, and he was perfectly uncon-
sclous; l asked what he had taken: his
wife said at 9 o'clock he took small powder
and In ten minutes he began to have convul-
slons; was shown the powders; the wife asked
to take one which she wanted to keep: she
picked one out and kept it. She handed me an
envelope with small powders in it; opened
one and left them on the table; I examined the
patient carefully and found no pulsation; he
was IN commissions with cold sweats all over
the body and sometimes strong tetenic convul-
slons would effect the legs in peculiar way:
the neck was drawn back and foam came from
his mouth, the patient grinding his teeth; he
could not swallow water for strong construction
OF the throat; 1 gave him an inhalation of five
drops of nitrate of anyl which seemed to re-
viva him and ha
water but it was hard for him to swallow: ad-
ministered one grain of sulphate of morphine in
teaspoonfull of water; he was then Quiet
for few minutes. In ten minutes after the
tetanic commissions returned; gave an inha-
lation of chloroform; this quieted him; In ten
or fifteen minutes the commissions returned; 1
repeated the nitrate of amyl and he agaiu re-
covered his senses and felt easier and asked me
not to give him any more medicine. then
left him and went home and sent prescrip-
ton by his brother to administer every half
hour. My first impression was that he had
taken strychnine; the symptoms were Just the
same as if he were poisoned with strychnine;
when touched he would start as if shocked by
electricity, and even person moving near him
would shock him.
DIR. sTAAIM SWORN.
Said he had examined deceased since death:
he found the muscles more than usually con-
uLdCuCA duu IlS1u especially LOT warm weather:
the symptoms described by DR.. Roy were those
of poisoning by strychnine; there is great
difference between tetanay arising from other
causes and that from strychnine poisoning.
and death results earlier; in common tetanns
two days, but from strychnine two hours
JANET MoRELAND NJ cLURE SWORN,
said she knew deceased; he suffered from pains
in his left side; saw him last week; he COM
planned much; l recommended him to see DR..
Boyd; have not seen him since. He ALWAYS
complained of his heart.
At this point the coroner adjourned till 8
o'clock.
The reporter during the adjournment asked
DIR. Roy if the symptoms he observed are not
sometimes Produced by heart disease, to which
he replied that heart disease will sometimes
produce commissions, but very different from
those described. Instead of distention OF
| the pupils there would be rather contraction.
and the peculiar twitching of the feet would
not be observed; nor the sensitiveness to the
slightest touch though struck with electrici-
ty. The symptoms were very peculiar, and
! exactly those of strychnine poisoning. land
ought to KNOW said the doctor. for have
suffered them myself.
INQUEST RESUMED.
The inquest was resumed at 8 o'clock in the
afternoon, at the late residence of the deceased
In addition to the jury in attendance, several
on-lookers hung around the open door and
window. DR.. Mattocks, the county physician
was also present at the request of the coroner
DIR. E. A. BOYD,
avlng been sworn, said the deceased called
upon the witness at mis- Office on the 10th inst
and also on last Wednesday, complaining that
he was troubled with his heart The witness
did not make special examination of the de-
ceased, but prescribed for him according to the
symptoms he detailed. Sulphur was first pre-.
scribed, and then sugar of milk, the former tc
be taken once week and the latter twice day
The remaining powders were then introduced
the witness recognizing them as those pre-
the numbers ''l' and "2.'' On the
occasion of the second call the decedent said
he was better and stronger, and no fresh medi
cine was given him in order that time might
be afforded to fully test the result of that al.
ready administered.
MRS. CATHERINE M'MANUs,
being recalled, said the deceased took one OF
the powders on the night of his death. She
and the deceased were in bed together and it
was dark. She put her finger in the powder
and felt it was little coarse in grain. Its
color was whitish. One other powder that was
| taken out OF the envelope was placed on the
little table beside the bed. The witness said
DR.. Roy had taken one of the powders away
with him: All the remaining powders and the
one that had been placed upon the table were
put into the envelope by the witness, who had
delivered them to the coroner.
DIR. ROY RECALLED,
produced the powder which he had taken away
and SO far confident was DR.. Boyd of it's entire
harmlessness that he swallowed it, after HAVING
recognized it as of those prescribed b,
himself. The witness said that when attend
ing the deceased during the previous night b,
had asked to see the powders the deceased hao
been taking. They were handed to him b,
Mrs. McManus in the envelope which now con
tanned them, upon which he recognized tn,
| name of DR.. Boyd, and the witness then tossed