Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-08-31
LOVE AND A POISON.
A Young Man Unable 10 Take His
Young Lady 60 Places OfAmuse-
ment Commits Suicide--A Re-
markRble Inquest.
New York Herald. a7.l

citing incidents, as VIII be seen by the
report of the proceedings. All the
chairs were occupied by ladies, and
the jury, most Of the spectators, the
reporters and the witnesses were com.
PEELED to stand up. Coroner Parker
endeavored to expedite the business
as much as possible, but the disagree
ment OF the jury rendered a late YER
dict inevitable.
The first witness was DR.. A.. NJ.
Burns, a practicing physician, who
was called to visit the deceased at the
residence of Mrs. Stillwell, at No. 100
Newell street, on the 10Th inst; when
he arrived deceased was not very i'll,
and witness told him to call in another
physician if he became worse; witness
then left deceased in company with a
friend and started for Williamsburg;
on the 18th inst. witness was called
| again by deceased's mother; then he
found him suffering from mania, dur
ing which he showed the empty box,
which, he said, contained the poison
which be had taken of his " free
will; the cause of his death was acute
mania.
DR.. Ernest G. Metcalf testified that
he had attended deceased for taking
poison labeled Death on Rats at
No. 301 South Fourth street, and,
after he had treated him, he had been
taken home to Greenpoint by his
mother.
Joseph H. Matthews, q young lad,
cousin of deceased, was next on the
stand, and gave a graphic description
of the incident connected with the
taking of the poison by deceased, who
| spent all his time at Mrs. -Stillwell's,
emptied a box Of the rat poison, which
she brought him at his request, in his
hand and then took it in his mouth;
after holding it a while he said,
"NeHie, shall l swallow it-say yes or
ne2" and she answered just as he said,
"Yes or no." and then as he made an
effort to swallow she said NO." and
his instant reply was, 1T is too late
the poison is down." all in the room
told him to spit it out, but he would
not do it; alter be had taken the poison
the eldest sister of Nellie Stillwell
sent for a doctor, and DR.. AN. Burns
answered the call.
William Il. Kniffen, of No. 3Ol
South Fourth street, testified that
about eight o'clock on the evening of
the 10Th inst. he was told by young
George Stillwell that deceased had
swallowed poisonand he hadtaken him
down to their boarding house, when
the deceased became slightly delir-
ious. The witness then stated that
the mother on the Saturday previous
to his taking the poison had spoken
to witness bitterly of Johnny, and ac-
cused him of embezzling from his un-
Gle. in whose employ he was, the money
with which he took Nellie Stillwell
out carriage riding, tc.-especially as
he was paid only Sc per week. The
only thing that led witness to think he
intended suicide was the remark, IF
this doesn't suit me | can get some
thing that will" which he made to
witness and others in his room at No.
301 South Fourth street after witness
had taken him home he did not seem
respondent before his suicide until he
overheard his mother make the re.
marks witness testified to, which was
two days before he took the poison
and from that moment he seemed very
respondent.
The next witness was the young
girl, Nellie Stillwell, to whom the de-
ceased was attached, and for whose
sake he was supposed to have died.
She was neatly dressed. She said she
had known deceased for two years aud
a halt, ever since he came to the
house, and last winter, tor the first
time, she went out with him to the
thoaters and sleigh-riding on a hand
sled; he never said anything about
any feeling on the part of his parents
until the Thursday before he died;
last Monday week he asked her to 90
to Rockaway by the boat; her mother
was sick up stairs, and she told him
she could not leave her; he said:
This is the last time I'll ever ask you
or want you to go with me-" she told
him mo-" and he said AL right"
This was about eleven o'clock in the
morning; he. remained in the base
ment, sitting on the lounge, and about
two o'clock he dropped a silver dollar
on the floor. Mamie Blau-
welt, who lived across the
street, picked up a dollar, and deceas-
ed asked for it, saying he wanted it.
She asked him for what, and when he
answered, 81 want it to buy poison
with" she said, you are talking SO
foolish you can't have the dollar" and
added, "Why we have got poison in
the house" and she then went to the
closet and got the poison, which was
in a box. She was "foOling," and did
not think he meant anything, but he
ran after her, and taking it away from
her, dumped the contents of the box
in his hand, then put it in his mouth,
and twenty minutes after swallowing
it. On the Wednesday he said in the
back kitchen, Nellie, it is no use fol
you to cry; this will not be blamed on
you; l took it only on account of the
treatment of my mother and father;
don't you worry" Two weeks before
that they had turned him out of doors
and sent his clothes into her house.
and her mother had sent them back
again. To the Jury, witness said that
the families had been intimate until
about three weeks since; there had
been trouble previous to that.
A REMARKABLE JURY.
The coroner then addressed the
ljary briefly, and, leaving the papers
with them, he and the audience re.
tired to the floor below. 10 about an
hour he was called up stairs, and the
crowd, including the Stillwell famil,