The New York herald., 1879-01-03
KATE C0BB'S TRIAL.
Conclusion Of the Testimony Of
Chemical Experts.
DEATH FROM ARSENIC.
Traces of Strychnine.Fou in Mr..
CObb'S InteStineS.
ATH FROM ARSENIC.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. ]


intelligent people who seldom attend criminal
trials. There is still considerable anxiety on
the part of the community for fear the lax
judgments in other criminal cases may prove an
index of the results TO be attained in this Among
the intelligent middle classes BLUM energy is shown
in words that in State further West iaght end in
open violence should the trial fail to convict. About
the most that be expected by tho defence
in the case of Mrs. Kate NJ Cobb now
on trial. is to produce disagreement of the
jury which will lead to an abandonment OF the case
by the State, account of the attendant expenses,
which in this double case must reach about $4,000
On the jury there is said to be who on the
jury the Dwight trial in the Superior Court
in 1874, in New London, and that in that
OF premeditated murder he distinguished him
self by being the only OF the twelve opposed to
capital punishment, and forced the other eleven
jurymen 70 bring in verdict in the second degree
because he would not coincide in verdict in
the first. There is no probability of hang
ing The last century has witnessed but
four hangings in Eastern Connecticut, and
there were hafbreeds and ignorant men who were
without friends and without money. The criminal
history of the State does not show the execution of
woman.
THE PRISONERS APPEARANCE.
Mrs. Kate Cobb appeared i'll court to-day accom-
panied by her little daughter and her mother. and,
for the first time during the proceedings sat with her
heavy Grape veil raised. The testimony of Professor
Doremus relating to strychnine and arsenic brought
the color to her face which seemed to show consid
cradle internal agitation. with dogged determine
tion to show womanly weakness by tears She
looks fresh and fair, and, far physiognomy
goes, tine jury will not esteem her fit subject for
the galows, ana it is quite certain her appearance
will increase rather than diminish doubts in her
o1ts he ncGitl of hnva
srRycuN1SE INDICATED CHEMICAL TESTS.
Professor Dorenus took the stand at fifteen
minutes after nine o'clock and continued his profess
sional evidence by explaining the nature of organic
posons and the agents by which they may be
S in ad h'h they have
ing to the jury the chemical processes
by which he operated on the remains submitted to
him tor analysis and announced, as the result of
special method strychnine reaction from the con-
tents of the stomach the contents of the ntestnes
and blood extracted thorefrom were submitted to
treatment by the Stass process, after the failure
of trial by animal charcoal, which yielded
q residue. imperfeetly chrystaized. which
the alcohol from of the liver heart and kidney the
charcoal process gave reaction OF strychnine all of
these results corroborated by other tests; the
indications that white arsenic had been given
in large amounts and distributed throughout the
system poison found in the contents OF the stomach
is not the portion that produces DEATH but the
poisons found in the tissues have been the cause
death; the question is always asked il the
that is OF minor importance the part
found is but = fraction of what has been
taken it is being constantly eliminated by natural
proeesses. He cited from .'Elwell Malpractice"
from Taylor on poisons,' "Wormley on Poisons,"
..Tsrdien on Poisons" as authorities for the
by analyses was index tor the amount
Of poison taken that sometimes where
in the system at DEATH the larger part having been
eliminated; that the analysis OK the whole body was
impractcable and assured no positive results but in
the absence of all other causes for death the concu
sons to the cause of death could be safely based
upon such indications
At quarter before eleven the prosecution closed
their examination of Professor Doremus, and a re-
cess given to enable the defence TO consult with
Professor Johnson, of Yale College, to the conduct
of the cross-examnation.
PROFESSOR DoRKMus cRoss-Sx,MrSED.
At FIVE minutes past eleven the court again pro-
ceeded with business. with Professor Doreinus
under cross-exarnination conducted by Mr..
S. s. Thrcsher. He testified his ability to
weigh down 10 twelve hundredth of a
grain of arsenic and pronounced the of sui
phur remaining ia snlphde of arsenic unweigi-
able and inappreesnle In ostas tests he pro
comparison with which he approximaed the
weight Of the arsenical mirrors in his tests
his, chemicals in all his operations. The arain
OF Mr.. Cobb examined more for scientific pur-
poses than for any relation it had in this
weighed quarter of grain, and approximate the
mainder or my tests TO equal tnree-fourths of
twice much poison in five times the amount OF
remains examined by me ut the
minimum as have already discovered; having
dex that he took that amount, although there have
been cases where have died of arsenic when no
traces could be found in the system, and Pro-
fessor Barker says in his testimony ia the sherman
case, the amount found is no index whatever the
Gull amount taken by the victim Recess taken
The after dinner session opened at ten minutes
past two o'clock With Professor Doremus still on the
stand sharply catcchised in relation arsenic eaters
and the effect of the poison in the system. and cited
several authorities TO show that the habit
ouired could not be abandoned without resulting
fho daafh nf tha llxF md hon fAl
Professor Taylor on poisons, that the prac-
tce OF arsenic eating as cited among'the mountain
eers of Syria could not be nduged in with any safety
The cross-examnation was finished at three O'Clock
p. NJ, without olicing any Information or con-
trovertng any OF his evidence.
TESTIMONY OF PROFESSOR wHrrEHoTsE.
Professor rudolph A. whitehouse. of New York.
professor OF chemistry and toxicoogy in the Ncr-
mont Medical College, testified that his connec-
ton with the assistant TO Professor Doremus
he was present at the analysis made, with the ex-
ception of two, which were in the preliminaries OF
the case before his engagement affirmed that
All of Professor Doremus chemicals were Thoroughly
tested in his presence and he did not hesitate to
swear they pure he had q full memoranda OF
all the analyses made by himself and Professor
was sufficient evidence that charles II. Cobb,
Jr.. died OF arsenical poison he present at the
examination OF the tissues OF Mrs. Bishop remains,
submitted tor analysi and indications that she
died of overdose of arsenic other posons
being present There was slight cross-cxanlinaton
without any favorable results for the defence.
s1RYcHSIsE IN MEDICINE.
Professor Dorcmus was recalled to give the result
of analysis of medicine submitted by DR. Paddock
as the prescription ordered for Mr.. cobb. In -four
ounces of iuid lac detected and iyo one
hundredths grains of siryciinine. Tie mcdcin,
was 70 be given in doses OF spoonful three times
daily. which would give TO the patient per diem three
thirty seconds OF grain OF strychnine per deIu a
dose not fatal.
rvrDgscE FOR THE DErrrcr
Prof. Samuel w. johnson, of New Haven, Profcs.
vor Of chemistry in Yale College for the past twenty
tour years, was put upon the witness staud tor the
defence. He testified that he had had considerable
pxp.rienc detecting posons and had recently the
remains Of Mary Stannard. The arsenic mirrors
obtained by the Marsh process did not themselves
Indicate whether the poison was administered in
large small doses he did not have much faith in
the process and did not think II was pener
ally approved OF by the authorities. although
supported by Professor Charles a. DOrcmus and
his father; he thought the purity OF chemicals
could not be thoroughly tested excepting in art.,
quantities; he thought quantity Of arsenic found
In the system indicated a larger amount admins
tered: white arsenic soluble in water and
might be indlssolyed in the nuils OF ths