The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-07

showering silver CoIns her after the Jury
had Returned their Verdict

HoETsDALE, Pa. Feb 6.-Thc taking Of tho
testimony for tho prosecution in tho Van Al
stino murder cnso WIS completed yesterday.
Nearly all day was occupied in the hearing of
medical testimony. A few witnesses for the
defence were examined. and some unexpected
and sensational Developments made.
DIR. J. p. Shaw, witness for the prosecution.
produced pocketbook in court which had be-
longed to A. J. Van Alstinc. TWAS found in his
bedroom the next day after he died. In it was
piper containing six grains Of stryclnine.
DIR. O. A. Simpson, who conducted the post
mortem examination of Van Astne testified as
TO the condition OF the body. Members Of tho
family had sworn thnt Van Astine had three
spasms. lasting from two TO three minutes, be-
fore he died. These were followed by intervals
OF consciousness. DR.. Simpson said tho body
was unusually rigid the head was thrown back.
tho hands were clcnched. the back wns arched
and the fingers and toes incurvat"d. The heart
was found TO be empty. There was bloody So
rim in the left plournl cavity These symptoms.
in his opinion Indicated death from strychnne.
On ross-exnminaton he said that there were
eases OF tCtunus ON record whose sytnptoma
were similar TO those Of strychnine poisoning
DIR. &. A. Dusinherrc swore that II he had
case with symptoms similar Ia those 81 Van
Alstinp. he would pronounce II one 81 htrychnin
poisoning. II WIS no evidence that man dtd
not die OF strychuine poison because no trace
of the drug could br found IN the stomach. On
cross examination ne eaid that bor"sct tea WAS
considered an antdoe for strychnia. II TO
uuirrd about pint OF wRier To- hold IN solution
one grain of strychnia. II ut or about the limo
oil taxing a gram OF 6trYchnia n person drank
n pint OF bOncsct tea. the Witness said. IN his
opinion. the poison would not prove iatal, but
the h.ibrrcst drug known. A man could not
take II without knowing il unless he was with
OUT tle sonsr OF tlst ~ frpy 10 a question
II he wanted To give any one q dose pt HirychnN
with the hope of the person not detecting 1t he
knew OF nothing better than honesct tea 10 adj
minister Il in. rs that herb Is almost as bitter ls
stryrlnin.
DR.. Reed Burns sworo that there was only one
case reN,rded-that Of coored waiter. who cut
his hand on piece OF crockery went into
tetanic convuslous and died in fifteen minutes
where il would have been impossible 10 dis
tinguish between the symptoms Of tctanus and
stryehnine poisoning. Tetanic commissions are
not followed by consciousness. On crOss-pN-
animation these professional Witnesses swore
that II after careful chemical analysis Of the
vital organs Of n person who had died with tho
symptoms described no strychninc WIS found.
II would be better evidence that death had re-
suited from natural causes than non-proics-
sionAl observations Of the symptoms would be
that death was cascd by strychnine.
NJ. ID. Nation Of ThGmpson. Pa; four miles
that he sold drachn OF strychnne on the 18th
q July last 10 woman who gave her name us
Flora Howe. He identified the prisoner as that
woman Van Aistins died on July 20 Nation
said. on cross examination. that the prisoner
wore black dress that day.
NJ. +. Quinn. ticket agent Of the Erie Railway
at Siarrucca, testified that Mrs. Van Alsiine
bought n ticket for Thompson ON the 18th Of
July.
Mrs. John Davis. n neighbor Of tho Van Al
shines. sworc that the morning nttcr Van Astine
died shp was at the house with her daughter.
In moving n trunk out OF Van As,incs room
her daughter pickcd up pockethook thnt lay
stine's little boy carried il TO his mother. She
ordered him TO take II back and lay II where IL
was found. This was the pocketbook contain
ing the paper OF strychninc. Mrs. Van Alstine
made the remark To the witness that she was
glad there was no poison in the house; that she
had none. and hadn't had any for some time.
The prosecution rested at A. T.. VI. This
caused great surprise. ms the result 81 the chem
zeal ANALYSIS Of Van Alstine's remains had not
u The GeiGnee waived Ar Ar opSniag and called
an eight once bottle OF water. in which half u
grain Of strychnino had been dissolved.
tegspoonfui OF this, he said. could be taken
safely by any one. Couns tllor Seely took Il tea
spoonful Of the solution. Ii was then passed
around to the jurymen. most OF whom tasted 1t.
Their very faces cOnvulsed the crowded court
room with laughter. The object OF this was TO
give the Jury an idea Of the bitterness OF strych-
nine, ana 10 show that II would be- impossible
Tor any one 10 take the drug without detect
Sevdral wtu--svs t-s,in,-I ,,,,lti,oIy thu, Mro,
Van Alsune woro n light dress the day that
Druggist Nation swore she wore a dark dress
and bought poison at his store Tho dress was
Giles Lewis, Postmaster at Thompson. Pa.
sWore that he knew A. j. Van Alstine under tho
fed Il letter he wrote Tor Van Aistine in 1866
This WAS written n Mrs. Augusta J. Kelder
flbiAiNttNih ANNAlts OAHfkb county, N I. van
Alstnc SAID the woman was his wife The lnt-
Yer w'~ produced in court, and identified by tho
wllness.
Flora Eta Van Alstine, the fourteen yonr.old
daughter ol the prisoner, WAS caiisd for the de-
fence She said thut her father. during his life
had chest I'm his room which he kept locked.
Aitrr Nc wns sent 70 the pcnitentiary she and
her mother opened the chest They found
book entitled A Christian Minister'S Adyicn to
Ilage c"rli0aate declaring that A. JncNs"n
kcder was married O.. Augusta J. Andrews. at
Slrnsiltld Centre y Y. on the 24th Of Decnm-
yer, 1900; Inc letter written bv Postmaster
Lewis IN 1860 was also found in the chest.
tRrmorandum book that. had belonged to
Augusta ). Andrews WAS also found. An entry
mad" Dec. %. 1868. reads: " A. J. kilder called
To-day Tor the llrst time There was also u
ncmurandum oil the death OF IA child born TO
TINS couple.
This evidence created great sensation in
Astino had no motive in getting rid OF her hus-
band by murder. as she could readily have pro-
cured divorce ~ the County Court She had
been married 10 Van Alstlnc twenty eight years
Hn had been away much ot the time.
J., Today ~ summing NJ the defendants
lawyer exhibited 10 the jury a bottle OF puro
h,pnesct tea, such rs il was sworn was given 10
Van Alstinr. and a bottle of tho tea in which
have Ia be To prov" fatal. Tho puro tea was
cirar ana tho color Of beer; the poisoned tea
went out At I2:O5. Mrs Van Alstine was 't toS
nervous 10 hold her baby and handed IL 10 her
Hn9Enl't flora, VINO sat at her side with her
l'ile brother Ira. The Jury returned in fifteen
minutes Win a verdict OF not guilty judge
waller then told Mrs. Van Astnc that she
could 70. She burst into tears and said She had
n, no , piacG9 10 60. "pd was without, n penny
court mad been adjourned meantime H. b.
sampson. WHO had been u witness Tor the pros-
ccuton, pnccd two half dollars in Mrs Van
Alstln9s minds ms he PASSED by her outside tho
hhr. H. NJ S"clY. one OF Mrs. Van Alstues
lawyers, sprauE 20 his feet and asked MD for
her Instantly silver coins began 10 shower
upnn the table near which she sat Judges.
ihWy'rs' wltn'ssrs Jurors, aud spectators threw
III quarters. lniN"s. and dollars until there was
sd'h ll' that some of the pieces rolled ON the
ilonr Lawyer S"rly swept tho money into Tho
iap ol the weeping woman, VINO returned tear
lul thanks, 0nd presently left the court room.
carrying her babe and followed by her wonder
ing son and daughter.
The counsel tor lhe defence desire THE SuN
10 state that the 500 they ask from tho county
j. Tor the prisoners expenses. not for counsel
Tees. They give thoir services 10 the defendant
Withdrawing Their Plea OF Not Guilty.
NEw ORLEANS. Feb. G.-J. Madison Wells
Louis VI keuncr and q Casanavc. OF Returning Board
h"orcN appeared to-day before the Superior Criminal
Court withdrew their plea OF guilty ami hled de.
hNfi % ihe iiiiUrWatu a-alust them Their