Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-22


the anatomical cabinet, full of objects appalling
to the imagination Of her sex. was silent and
she said nothing; but her eyes were everywhere,
drinking in the strange surroundings with an
avidity which could feel without once looking
at her. Finally we came to a basement corrf-
dor, at the end OF which door, not often used
gave egreSS by an alleyway to the street. 1t
was through this door that subjects for dlsSec-
ton were brought into the building. took
bunch OF keys from my pocket and turned the
lock. "Your way is clear now" said.
To my immense establishment. Miss BOrgier
as we stood together at the end OF the dark cor
ridor, threw both arms around my neck and
kissed me.
"Good by" she said, as she DISAPPEARED through
the half-Opened door.
When awoke the next morning, after Sleep
ing for more than fifteen hours, found that
could not raise my head from the pillow without
nausea. The symptoms were exactly like those
which mark the effect of an overdose of lauda-
mum.
have thought it due to myself and to my pro-
feSSiOnal reputation to recount these facts be-
fore briefly speaking OF my recent testimony dts
an expert In the Ratciln murder trial, the cuaf-
acter OF my relations with the accused having
been perSlStently miSreprSented.
The circumstances OF that celebrated case are.
no doubt. still fresh in the recollection of the
public. Mr.. John L. Ratclif, a wealthy. mid lie
aged merchant OF Boston. came to st. Louis with
his young bride on their wedding Journey. His
sudden death at the Planters Hotel, followed by
the arrest of his wife, who was entirely without
friends or acquaintance in the city. her iniict-
ment for murder by poisoning. the conflict OF
medical testimony, at the trial, and The purely
circumStantial nature of the evidence againS5
the prisoner. attracted general attention and ex-
cited pubic interest to degree that was quite
extraordinary.
1t will be remembered that the state proved
that the relations of Mr.. and Mrs. Ratclif, as
observed by the guests and servants of the
hotel. were not felicitOuS; that he rarely spoke
to her at table, habitually averting his face in
her presence; that he wandered aimlessly about
the hotel for several days previous to his ill
ness, apparently half stupefed, as if by the OPP
preston of some heavy mental burden, and
the house he started as if from dream, and
answered 1ncoherently If at all.
1t was also shown that, by her husbands
death. Mrs. Ratclif became the sole mistress OF
large fortune.
The evidence bearing directly upon the cir
cumstances OF Mr.. Ratcliffs death was very
clear. For twenty-four hours before physf-
clan was summoned, no one had access to him
save his wife. At dinner that day, in response
to the polite inquiry of lady neighbor at table,
MIS-; RatcIh announced; with great self-pos-
session, that her husband was seriously indis-
posed. Soon after eleven o'clock at night, Mrs.
Ratclif rang her bell, and, without the least
agitation OF manner, remarked that her huS-
band appeared to be dying, and that it might be
well to send for physician. DR.. Culbert, who
arrived within very few minutes, found Mr..
Ratcliff in profound stupor breathing stersor-
ously. He swore at the trial that when he first
entered the room the prisoner, pointing to the
him.
DR.. Culbert's testimony seemed to point I'M
mistakably to poisoning by laudanum or NOR
phne. The unconscious mans pulse was full
but slow; his skin cold and pallid; the express
sion OF his countenance placid, yet CHASTITY pale;
lips livid. Coma had already superVened and ii
was impossible to rouse him. The ordinary ex-
pedlentS were tried in vain. FlagellatiOn OF the
palms of his hands and the sOleS of his feet.
electricity applied to the head and spine, failed
to make any impression of his lethargy. The
seen TO be contracted to the size Of pinheads
and violently turned inward. Later, the sterto-
rouS breathing developed into the ominously
loud rattle OF mucous in the trachea there were
commissions, attended by copiouS frothings at
the mouth; the under jaw fell upon the breast;
and paralysis and death followed. four hours
after DIR. Culbert'S arrival.
Several OF the most eminent practitioners OF
the city, put upon the stand by the prosecution,
sWore that, In their opinion, the symptoms
noted by DR.. Culbert not only indicated opium
poisoning, but could have resulted from no
other cause.
On the other hand the state absolutely failed
10 snow either that opium in any form had been
purchased by Mrs. Ratcl1tf in st. Louis, or that
traces OF opium in any form were found in the
room after the event. 1t is true that the prose-
cutting attorney, in his closing argument, Sought
prisoner. He argued that the disappearance OF
any, vessel containing or having contained
laudanum, In view of the positive evidence that
! !u had been employed, served to estab-
iSh deliberate intention Of murder and to de-
nolish any theory OF accidental poisoning that
the defense might attempt to build; and he pro
pounded half dozen hypothetical methods by
which Mrs Ratclin might have disposed, in adj
vance, OF this evidence of her crime. The court
OF course, In summing up, cautioned the Jury
against attaching weight to these hypothesis OF
the prosecuting attorney.
The Court, however, put much emphasis ON
the medical testimony for the prosecution, and
on the calm declaration of Mrs. Ratciin to Dr.
Cuiburt, 8 suppose that have killed him."
off
made qualitative analysis OF the contents OF
the dead mans stomach, l was put upon the
stand as a witness for the defence
Then | saw the prisoner for the first time in
more imam live years. When had taken the
cath and answered the preliminary questions.
Mrs. Ratclif raised the veil which she had worn
since the trial began, and looked me in the face
with the Well-remembered eyes of Miss Borgier.
confess that my behavior during the first few
moments OF surprise afforded some ground for
the reports that were afterwards current con-
corning my relations with the prisoner. Her eyes
cha1ned not only mine, but my tongue also /
saw Jerusalem again, and the face framed In
plue SKY, peerng down into the amphitheatre of
lhe OLD medical college. 1t was only after
struggle which attracted the attention of Judge.
jury, bar and spectators that was able to pro.
coed with my testimony.
mat testimony was strong for the accused
My knoWledSe OF the case was wholly postmor-
TEN. 1t began with the autopsy. Nothing had
Ceen found that Indicated poisoning by latlda-
mum or by any other agent. There was no
morbid appearance of the Intestinal canal; no
fulnesS OF the cerebral vessels, no serious efu-
sion. Every appearance that would have re-
suited from death by poison was wanting in the
subject. That, OF course, was merely Negative
evidence. But, furthermore my chemical analy-
SIS had proved the absence of the poison in the
81 stem. The opium OdOr could not be detected !
had tested for morphine with nitric acid perInrl-
rate OF iron, chromate of potash and most i'm
portant of all, iOdfc acid. had tested AGAIN for
iHeConlc acid with the permuriatc OF iron had
tested by LasSaigneS process, by Dublanc's, and
by tlandlnS. AS far as the resources OF organic
chemistry could avail, L had proved that not.
the symptoms of Mr.. Ratclins
case before death, death had not resulted from
or any other poison known TO science
1Ae questions by the prosecuting counsel as
70 my previous acquaintance with the prisoner
was able 10 answer tfuthfully in a manner that
dld not shake the force OF my medical testimony
And 1t was chiefly on the strength of this testi-
mony that the jury, after a short elaboration,
returned verdict OF not guilty.
Did swear falsely? No, for science bore me
out In every assertion. knew that not drop
OF laudanum or grain OF morphine had passed
Ratcnh lips. Ought to have declared my be-
lie1 regarding the true cause OF the mans death
and told the story of my previous observations
tce would have listened to that story for a sin
gle moment. knew that the woman did not
murder her husband. Yet believed and knew
as surely as we can know anything where the
basis OF ascertained fact is slender and the laws
obscur-that She poisoned him. poisoned him to
fedfh tcttt her el!eS.
think that it will be generally conceded by
the profession that am neither sensattonalist
nor prone TO lose my Self-conrnand in the moZas