The New York herald., 1879-01-04
MRS. COBB'S PLANS
I'll Bury Cobb, You Get Divorced,
Then Well Marry.
HORRIBLE EXPERIMENTS
Cobb Dosed with Morphine, Aconite
Stychnne and Arsenic.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. I

GBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
Norwich, Jan. 3, 1879
The Cobb-Bishop case continued this morn
Ing. The Court came in at nine o'clock. Mrs. Kate
M. Cobb took her position without her daughter
companied by her mother, Mrs. Waterman, and
friend. She devoted few of her spare moments
20 perusing book. and during the engaged in
conversation with her mother and counsel.
TESTIMONY PERKINS.
DR.. William s. 4. Perkins, the family physician.
was the first witness and testified follows:-I was
family physician of Charles Ii. Cobb. Jr three years
preceding his death and attended his family; to my
knowledge they had in that time no other family
physician; the first time attended Mr.. Cobb
was on February %. 1878; during my attendance Oh
his family Mr. Cobb apparently enjoyed good health:
in physique he was tall, spare and angular; had
known him about five years; about eight
O'Clock in tho evening. February %, 1878. I
had an interview with him at my Office;
he was in an excited condition and stated that he
reached homo late and, while taking supper, drank
freely Of tea which had been stepping some time
following which he experienced disagreeable feeling
in his throat and stomach and a numbness and
tingling in his extremities; he felt the necessity
OF throwing it from his stomach, and had taken
ipccac and tobacco previous to coming to my Office
without avail; questioned him in relation to the
said it britannia ware; upon examination 1
found his pulse weak. and he appeared to be losing
strength; ordered two powders, each to contain
thirty grains sulphate of zinc and thirty grains
of ipecac and told him to take one i'm
mediately also told him to get small
vial of brandy to be taken after the action of the
smetic; he lett my Office, and saw him again in o
day or two meeting him on the street, he told me
that after leaving the Office he vomited freely, before
reaching the drug store, consequently he did not
have the prescriptions filled; said the vomiting
heved his distress at stomach and that the numb
and tingling had partially passed Off; his ap-
pearance indicated to ut the time Of his call that
he had poison in his stomach. the nature of which
could not determine; the symptoms, in my opinion,
might have been produced by the tncture of aconite
and arsenic; my opinion is that the first symptoms
were produced by aconite.
LOOKING FOR LEAD OR vERpEaRIs.
I was only looking for poison accidentally intro
Auced into his system and suspected lead from water
pipes vessels used at his residence; expressed an
opinion that the symptoms those of aconite
before any confessions In this case; next saw
Mr. Cobb the 26th Of April. when was called to the
house by his father; have no note of seeing Mr.
came to my Office the 2ltn Of April between two and
o'clock p M, In relation to the condition her
husband; have no recollection whether gave her q
prescription; on the 26th. Mr.. Cobb, Sr, left
an order at my Office to call his son;
lwent to the Cobb residence the morning Of April
26, at about ten o'clock and found him complaining
of feeling very weak he had nausea and vomiting
during the night previous; he was sitting up, but
ness and tinglng in his arms and limbs were still
present. After examining him rs to pulse and gen.
eral state of health asked him whether the water
pipes on the premises Of lead iron; he stated
they iron l asked him II he had been
using paint; he said he had mott asked him If there
was any possible way by which he could have
ceived lead poison into the system; he said he
not aware of any way by which he could have acci-
dentally taken 1t: asked him consider it and see
II he could not tell me in my next cali the following
day; when told him suspected lead poisoning,
Mrs. Cobb was passing in and out OF the room found
him the next day in very much the same condition
before; he said he could think OF no possible way
by which he might have received cad next him
tine 29tn of May; saw him riding in the interim
the streets; had conversation with him;
rallied on May 20 by MIR. Cobb, Sr.; am not certain
rs to time; he complained OF vomiting and purging
through the previous night. and his general condi-
hon about before, with the exception of more
debility; the numbness and tingling continued and
was aggravated was told by him ut this time that
he had a similar attack ON the I'd of May; his wife
came to me May rs. either in the afternoon
sne arsm Of s"phao Of bs%n to 1s ayded
into twelve powders. with directions to take
one every four hours: when called the next day 1
think he had taken OF them. him again
June q; Mrs. Kate M. Cobb never said anything in
hearing indicating that she suspected anything be-
sides lead poisoning; there o difference in the
symptoms during my attendance, but was still of
the opinion they were caused by the introduction of
bility and less numbness and tngliDg; the post.
mortem showed no adequate reasons for these
symptoms.
Cross-examination- was called to the Cobbs' two
or three times each years there was no intimacy be-
tween us; he was in my Office February - about ten
minutes said he chewed plug tobacco and swallowed
the juice for emetic effect; he told he had taken
patent medicines for himsef--Atwoods bitters and
tonic, elixir OF phosphate; never asked him II the
symptoms proceeded from anything he was taking
himself he said the elixir did not agree with him
and advised him to discontinue II: he showed me
~ saI
ance of the cutcle; the post-morten made 10
from what form of disease he died.
DIR. Perkins. recalled by the prosecution, testified
that fatal dose Of arsenic was from to three
grains.
WHAT II DOSE AnsExrc?
DIR. Charles NJ Carleton was recalled and testified
that dose of arsenic is said to differ by authorities
from one-thirtieth to oneeighth OF grain; grain
and upward considered fatal quantity authorities
generally agree two grains ~ the maximum fatal
snount; the symptoms are acute, sub.acute and
and alarming at frst construction OF the throat and
excessive pains in the stomach followed by excessive
paroxysms and commissions; the countenancc ex-
presses anxiety and the patient is restless; tho
symptoms as related TO me should hesitate between
acontc and arsenic poisoning in my conclusions at
symptoms described by DIR. Perkins when he
visited Mr.. Cobb in April and subsequently,
were those OF arsenic alone; the most prominent
symptom Of chronic poisoning is the Inflammation OF
the eye, which IL never absent; the eye OF the de
ceased did not show such indication; the second
symptom is Inflammation OF the csophagus and
stomach, which is rarely absent; deceased did not
show 10 marked degree the symptom; In the latter
symptoms OF chronic arsenical poisoning dyopsy II
never absent; no such symptom present in the
deceased; Roscoe IL famous chemist, but is not
thorty for the effect OF arsenic upon the ply steal
system; do not think person take three-twen-
tieths Of grain of arsenic day without suffering
the end from chronic poisoning; in giving all per
sons system could stand have been Obliged TO les
sen my doses from that point in a decreasing
ratio and never have been able to the dose
the presence of arsenic In the brain indicates that Il
has reached it through the system and have
taken hours or even days previous; at the post
mo n ov 1.ot1
causes; in the abscnce of other causes have no
doubt Charles H. Cobb, Jr died from arsenic poison
ing.
Cross-cxannation--Tho falling out of the beard
Ainns IL not evidence Of arsenic poisoning; the