Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-26
The Riddle Case.

Wethersheld, SeptemDer 70, 1S6o, naVlnR | gained 8 considerable communication for good behavior. T.
 The Riddle Case. Patent Medicines and Arsenic - The
 Theory of she Defense-New London
 to be Stirred Ups
 The case of William B. Riddle, of Norwich, who is accused of murdering his wife by the fayorite arsenic method, will come before the grand jury at the opening of the January ses- sion of the Superior Court in New London to- morrow. If the grand jury find true bill, it is understood that the trial will be proceeded with at some time during the January term.
 The case promises to be one of much in terest, though it can scarcely attract the pub lie attention to such degree as did the Hay den trial.
 The line of defense will be a somewhat novel one, as it is understood that the claim will be made that the arsenic found in the stomach of the deceased woman can be satis- factorily accounted for by reason of the quan- titles of patent medicines that she took during the years immediately preceding her death. If this defense is set up some of the popular patent medicines of the day will be placed on
 trial as well as the accused party.
 It may safely be predicted that the prosecu- tion in this case will not weary the jury with g mass of expert testimony which they cannot
 understand without having previously gradu- ated at medical college. In fact, the neces-
 sity which existed in the Hayden case for the
 introduction of expert testimony as to the diff ferent varieties of arsenic is wanting in the
 Riddle case. The only questions that will
 arise in connection with arsenic are-whether the quantity found in the remains of the de-
 ceased was sufficient to produce death, wheth :
 CT it came there through the agency of patent | medicines or was administered directly, and
 whether the accused party administered it.
 The trial will not probably occupy more than
 three weeks.
 | The prosecution will be conducted by State
 Attorney Waller and the defense by Daniel
 Chadwick, of Lyme.
 Church Notes.
 | At the First M. B. church the pastor, Rev. B. M. Adams, preached an impressive dis
 course yesterday afternoon. His theme was based on Hebrews Ri, 19: "A better country | that is, @ heavenly" The speaker held the
 undivided attention of his audience during the I delivery of his sermon, which was one of his | best efforts.
 At St. Paul's church last evening the pastor.
 Rev. MT. Lines, preached 8 preparatory ser
 mon for Lent, an earnest discourse full of practical truths and wise counsel.
 The Third Congregational church was crowded to excess last evening. The pastor, Rev. pr. Dennen, repeated his discourse on
 the power and influence of music, and some l very fine music was given by the choir. At Calvary Baptist Sunday school 8 deep
 religious interest prevails, akin to that shown l there some time ago. Twenty children rose
 for prayers yesterday.
 At Dwight Place church yesterday the pas l tor preached fine discourse, in which he
 inculcated the lesson that Christianity was to ! be judged by it's fruits, and not by occasional cases of departure from the truth by men | who had fallen into evil example. The vocal | and instrumental music is great source of pleasure to the large congregation in attend ance, and the church is fortunate in having
 such an organist and director as Prof. Wehner. | Last evening Mss Fannie Howe sang 8 solo
 at St. Mary's church with fine effect. Rev. I. 0. Meserve, of Davenport church, preached to full audience in the morning | yesterday from Romans 12 21: 'tBe not over | come with evil, but overcome evil with good"
 Be not overcome in spirit or practice. Certain kinds of soldiers are good for certain kinds of | duty. Raw recruits sent to the front to re- ! connoitre the enemy are vanquished when the | outworks are taken, and only the tried vet ereus stand firm when the battle is hottest. [ vh he siv aP sis, in which the world was said to have been
 made, were proven by scientists to be periods i instead of days, thought the whole Bible | was gone. The theory of evolution | now being discussed, but not yet proven, making man a descendant of the mon- | key,-admitting it to be true, this nor all the discoveries of science can ever capture single outpost of that citadel of truth center | ing in Jesus Christ the Saviour and Redeemer l of men.
 Some things cannot be proven. We cannot prove that God exists, but all proof we have on the subject is on the side of his existence; then faith comes in and makes this proof posi- | tive to every Christian mind. East Rock may be enveloped in mist, but nevertheless it isnot gone. So with this great fact of the existence | of God. Science orskepticism may for time
 envelop this great fact in mist of doubt,
 but when the mist shall clear away, which it surely will, then it shall be plain to all. Some
 say they believe in God, but the question is, | IS He my God. Yes, He is your God and | trust and hold on to the fact. Form the principle of resisting evil instantly. The
 Puritan consciences were clear They obeyed | their leadings instantly and laid foundations for an institution which will last for all time. Evil comes in three forms. Assaulting evil l comes like the waves against the coast. At Savin Rock the slight waves coming over the
 harbor wear away the sandy beach, even en- oI,S h,,fk ,A 0o
 hasset stand firm where the fury of the storm-beaten ocean has beaten against them for centuries. Christians must stand like rock planted upon rock against the tide of evil, however it comes. Sometimes assault
 must be met by assault, sometimes in silence and sometimes by passive resistance. An odd sexton in my first church, in country parish where they always had quarrels, said that if when some threw fire at others the others would throw water in return, the trouble
 would soon end and the fire be quenched, and so sometimes we are merely to throw
 water on evil. Enslaving evil was met by
 Christ when He came down from Heaven to save souls and must always be
 met in tender and trustful spirit. The clearer and simpler the faith the better. Im- pending evil must be met in spirit of watch fuiness. Watch and pray Impending evil is over our homes and the land. The year 1880, ushering another presidential election, will be one of the most important in it's results of any in our country's history, fraught with the gravest con- sequence of evil or good. After the British attack on the patriots at Fort Griswold, New London. in 1874, they laid g train of powder from the fort to the coast where their vessels were moored, expecting by this means to blow up the fort and all the patriots remaining in it. Two wounded patriots who had been left for dead, seeing the train of powder, proposed to crawl to the train and wet it with their blood. They started; one died on the way, the other reached the spot and died there. The fire burned to his dead body, but not beyond. 1 Thus his blood saved the fort and his comrades in it. There is patriotism for you, and shall the patriot outdo the Christian. Every Chris 1 tian must stand firm as rock against the tide l of evil, and when the tempter would capture l the citadel be willing to pour out his life's l blood for the cause of God. The audience | listened with rapt attention throughout the | whole sermon. In the evening MT. Meserve | madea powerful appeal against intemperance. |
 Personal.
 Hiram Camp, Esq, is i'll at his residence in | Ferry street with lung fever Mrs Camp is |