Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-03-01

er, at the bagatelle board, in the back
room. He asked for the old man, MIR.
Domer, who with his family lived IN
the same house, up stairs. Nield told
him where he was, and he said he want
to give him some apples, and went up
stairs and distributed some TO MIR.
Domers folks. He then returned to the
saloon and taking two apples, one ayel-
low and the other red one, from his
pocket handing them to Nield aud told
him these two were for him. Nield at
forwards thought it strange he should
have given him two apples aud have
handed none to Smith; but the stranger
asked for half pint of whisky and
some cigars, and Nield putting the APP
Piles in his pocket took no notice OF the
proceeding.
The stranger then started ont to 60
up to Mr. Domer's, and as the doors
were locked Nield heard him blnnder-
ing about over head, and thought he
would go up and give his wife the red
apple. he at the same time making
couple of bites into the yellow one.
Before he got up the front steps and as
soon as he swallowed the apple he felt
it cutting like caustic, and throwing the
apple which he had bit into the adjoin-
ing yard he spit out what he had not
swallowed and almost Immediately com
menced vomiting. He found the
stranger and took him back to the
saloon, and there he continued to vomlt
most violently until the blood spirited
from his nostrils
In an interval between his sickness
the stranger made for the door, but
Nield, who began to suspect something
wrong, tried to induce him to go up
stairs and stay all night, as he had en-
gagged lodgings; but the man made tor
the railroad station, and Nield, after
first running up stairs to tell the folks
there not TO eat the apples, as his had
made him sick, followed the man, al
though very much exhausted by vomlt-
ing. Just as he reached the railroad
the last train for Hagerstown drew up,
and the stranger made for the cars. He
jumped on the platform, and Nield fol-
lowing him, he jumped off on the other
side. At this Instance the train moved
off and Nield held Oh 10 the stranger,
who in the presence of Jacob keedy
broke loose from him and ran down the
platform, as if to catch up with the
train. Beyond the reflector the plat
form suddenly terminates in the dark,
and on reaching the end Mr.. keedy
saw him fall and thus lie disappeared at
that point.
An hour or two after, however, the
same man called in at the confectionery
Of Geo. w. Kelley, above referred TO-,
and saying his name was Riley, got into
talk and stayed there until after l
o'clock. Mr. Kelley recognized him as
above stated, and as an act of munifi-
cence he promised him barrel Of oys-
tiers and barrel of whiskey, which
would come by express to him from
! Washington marked "molasses,' and
several other bounties. The next day
he turned up in Boonsboro' under the
name of O'Reiley, drover, and made
extensive arrangements with Henry
Smith for the care of a herd of cattle,
= which never arrived, and took dinner
with Mr.. Smith. lie also engaged and
had packed up dozen horse collars,
and talked and operated largely. And
/ it is proper to add that he had plenty of
money and freely exhibited it. That
night he got drunk in Boonsboro', and
on Saturday morning he disappeared
! and o. his whereabouts now we are not
advised
Mr.. Nield continued very sick and
Dr. Geo. Hoffman, a practicing physi-
clan almost next door, was called in,
who Immediately, from the symptoms
found some poisonous matter had been
taken, and upon examining the red sp-
! ple which was handed him was confirm
! ed in the belief first formed, but not
having the proper test at hand he was
unable to determine the character of the
deleterious matter Mr.. Nield was in
! his hands until Sunday, when the nausea
was overcome and he found relief. The
probability appeared to be that an over
! dose had caused the poison to act as an
emetic The red apple showed pune
tureS and presence of a mineral, and on
Saturday it was sent by DR.. Hoffman to
DR.. II. b. Wilson, of Boonsboro, with
request that be would analyze it, if he
had the means at hand, and if necessary
get Professor r. S. Henry, Of the High
School, whose family was temporarily
in Boonsboro on Saturday night aud
was at once seen by Dr.. Wilson. So
far as their joint means were available
the tests were applied without positive
results, and on Sunday Prof. Henry re-
turned to Hagerstown and applying
some of the tests which the Academy
laboratory afforded, no doubt Of the ex-
istence of poison remained. On Mon
day afternoon he went to Keedysville,
saw DR.. Hoffman and procured what
remained Of the yellow apple which had
been picked up in the yard and which
was puncturcd and poisoned in the same
manner as the red apple bad been found
to be, the poisonous matter by this time
throwing out fetid smell.
On Tuesday, Prof Henry requested
DR.. II. U. Onderdonk, of the College
of St. James, to bring in his microscope
and join him in the anal ysis, and those
gentlemen have, since then, made very
interesting discoveries.
At the time of going to press the
analysis is not flushed, but the results
are sufficiently definite to show that the