Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-23
THE MADELIA MYSTERY

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Whore Did the Poison Come From Which
Chemists Found in the Raisins Mr.. Fisher
OF Madelia Received From His Partner.
Rev. A. j. Davis-The Pending Trial at
st. James.
The trial of rather interesting case of
alleged poisoning has been in progress at
st. James, the county seat of Watonvan
county, during the last week, the arguments
in which will probably be made to-day.
Rev. A. j. Davis of Madelia ia accused of
attempting to poison his partner in the mill
ing business at Madelia, Watonwan county.
John Fisher, by giving him raisins which
had been cut open and had crystals of strych-
nine inserted in them. 1t appears from the
evidence that Davis and Fisher, and their
families, were fond of fruits and sweets, and
treating to apples, raisins or candy was not
an uncommon occurrence among them. Miss
Davis, daughter of the defendant,
for instance, in the fore part
Of the day of the alleged
poisoning, which was by raisins presented
by Davis to Fisher, gave to Fisher piece
of candy which he said made him sick. On
former occasion Davis gave Fisher an
apple, of which he took only bite, and
thought that made him sick. Davis testifies
that he afterwards ate the rest of the apple
and suffered no evil consequences from it.
The circumstances of the alleged poisoning
| as testified to in the court, are, that on the
3lst of March last Davis, having bought
| small quantity of raisins and given some to
the women Of the two households, after
wards went into the mill, eating of the
raisins, and gave some to Fisher from one
hand and some to an employe in the mill
from the other hand. The employe ate his
raisins and digested them without harm.
Fisher chewed some of the raisins given
him but thought they wore bitter and spit
them out. He preserved the others and
soon, imagining himself poisoned, went to
the house and drank coffee as an antidote.
Then he worked while at repairing pump,
and went back to the mill, after which, i'm
agining himself suffering from symptoms of
strychnine poisoning, first going with load
of wheat to the elevator,) he went for
physician, DR.. Cooley, who took him to
druggist and gave him an emetic and other
remedies. Fishers symptoms, as described
By himself, might have resulted from strych
nine but could all have been produced by
imagination and the remedies taken-ac-
cording to the testimony of DR.. G. b. Board
man, of st. Paul, and DR.. A. II. Sails
bury, of Minneapolis. But DR..
Cooley, of st. James, found traces of
strychnine in the remainder of the ralsons
submitted to him by Fisher, and Prof.
Peckham, of the State university, also testi-
fed to the presence of strychnine, both In
the raisins and in the vomit Of Fisher. The
wife and son of Davis, however, testify
that Fisher, when complaining of the effect
of the raisics and declaring he was poisoned,
said to Davis. 81 have got things fixed solid
for you," and all the medical experts are
agreed that the quantity in the raisins given
to Fisher by Davis, SO far as they know,
could not have been enough to produce fatal
results. The average of evidence as to the
character of the two men, 80 far as We
have learned, is against Fisher, the
accuser, and in favor Of Davis, the
accused. The former Is represented
to have been several times in business part
nerships which did not last long, and to be
of an extraordinarily suspicious and jealous
nature, as manifested towards and concern
ing his partner, Davis, and the latter's fam
| lily. He had also contemplated dissolution
of the partnership, of which Davis was not
informed. The character of Davis is sus-
tanned by the evidence of men who knew
him in Minneapolis and Madelia, and no
! motive whatever has been shown for the
alleged poisoning.
The prosecution is conducted by the
county attorney, Mr.. Thornton, assisted by
Mr.. Buck, of Mankato, and Mr.. Jones, of
Madelia. Tho lawyers for the defense
are W. 81. II. johnson of Madelia; G. H.
Barton, of Minneapolis, and J. W. Seagar
and F. L. James, of Watonwan county. Tho
trial has been matter of great interest in
Watonwan county, but it is now generally
thought there that the most the prosecution
can hope for is disagreement of the jury.
The friends of Davis anticipate an acquittal,
believing that the jury will conclude that
Fisher furnished all the poison the chemists
found in the raisins and in his vomit. But,
presuming that the chemists did find strych
nine, there is mystery about the case in
that the evidence does not show the posses
sion of poison prior to the date of the alleg-
ed poisoning by either party.