, 1881-01-30
A. DRUGGISTS BLUNDER
Two Children Killed by Substi-
tuting Morphine for 'Qui-
Testimony Before the Grand Jury--Hald to
the Criminal Court.

Testimony Before the Grand Jury-Held to
49,, the Criminal Court
Coroner Matson and a jury OF SIX men yester-
day made an official Investigation Into the case
of Martha and Ella Blank, the tWo little girls
whose deaths were caused BY swallowing
murIate Ut morphine In powders which were
supposed to contain, instead, muT1ate or qul-
nine, the prescription having been wrongly
hued by Dir. August Kussmnn, druggist at fhe
corner Of Canalport avenue and Halsted street
Tie inquest, which was held In the Cann!port
avenue engine house. near Union street, com
menced at o'clock, but the jury did not retire
to t1nd verdict until nfter 7. The de"
lay was caused from the fact that both
sides Of the case were represented
By attorneys who cross-examlned Witnesses
made arguments on law points to the Coroner
and indulxed In 40 much talk across the table
that the Jury complained. while the Coroner
threatened to exclude the legal features entire
". Mr., 4. Van Buren, was the attorney TOE
Kussman and Mr. William Woke Was his oppo-
uenr-
The first witness was
AUGUST BLANK.
he testified; am the father OF the two de-
ceased children, Nartba and Ella Blank. The
former was :s,1hz and the other 81 years old Ella
died Jaa. 8, and her sister died on the day fot-
lowing. Ella was taken sick Friday. Jan I, buc
Martha was nor taken slck until after she had
been given some OF the medicine as pre-
ventive. Rosa Engert was called To ut
tend Ella Saturday night at 10:3o- She
wrote Il prescription and took If 70 hussmanS
drug store; then went there quarter or an
hour later to get the medicine, hut It Was
not ready. kus5nRu said he would have II
ready In twenty minutes. but; the twenty min
utes heightened Unto IN hour. noticed that
while he WAS putting up the powders he kept
handling tW0or three different bottles as thuuxn
in doubt which to choose from: There we're
three kinds Of medletne,-powders a, Mqnid ;aa
~ lie taken internally. We first gave El!n Il
teaspoonful Of the liquid med'ci1e, and about
tSe the po%aers %aalss whieh were in 4 Waters The
6as %Ss' s%allowed W wed e eeoash . 1t 70 pat t
until 4:3D the next murn!ng, und when she woke
up her eyes appeared dun. while her breathinR
was very hard. We could not aroul, her from
menced crying, md then my wife gave her
another powder. This only resulted IN milking
the stupor more profound. and ut about o clock
meantime, and while he was there kus5nan
sent bis clerk to house and demanded the
powders, saying that they had not been put up
my child Was dead. and did not need any new
medicine. About MON Kussman asked me at
his brn n% he f S tnas aetas
the powders t. the second child he begged
ne for tor aoas sake nos :, ts to do It.
to Martha. and wnen had returned from kuss-
mans the itts gtri had commenced to look like
a ara cetoF RE see no:rs wese
scaled up In the presence of DFs. Braun and
ster and taSen away. There were nine Ia the
puckaye, these being whur were left OUT OF the
original twelve. Martha died about O'Clock
On the following morning tMonday}.
DR. THEODORE BLUTHARDT,
who made post-mortcm examination Of the
bodies of the children testified as to the condi-
ton and appearance OF tho brain. lungs, heart,
etc, and said that his conclusion WAS that deuth
10 each case had resulted from paralysis OF the
heart and lungs. due to congestion OF tho brain
produced Dy narcotic poison.
M1. J. slEBEL,
af No. Sc La Sale street, the chemist who anal
yZed the contents OF the stomacns Of the deud
children. testitted that that OF Martha indcnted
pnia. The powders contained morphia in the
rur,n OF nuriute. obtained from Capt Ron-
held some powder, which be took from what ap-
round this powder to contain norphia and muri--
attc acid-pure murIate OF mqsphia,
Drs- Sterl and Braun testified to the condi ton
T the children during their last mou,euts: and
he efforts made to resuscitate thom- The iudi-
salons were of narcotfc poisoning.
LIEUT.. AUGUST DLATrNER,
Who arrested kussman. testified that the pris-
,ner had appeared very much excited at the
line. The prisoner had said that tho morphine
gas taken from Quiniue bottle, but that he
:ould not explain how, it got there.-thought !
t>tne Of bis discharged clerks had managed to |
'luy the trick on him. /
sERGT. JOHN REHM -,
estiled that Kussulann had explained his action |
n asking Blank to return the powders by say
nK that he and Blank belonged to the same
>rder ttorestersl and that he wished to save bis !
ruther members the expense Of paying for the
emaining powders, they being quite costly.
DR. T. D. WILLIAMS
esttded that at the request ot Superintendent |
feGnrigfe ne bad submitted the powder from
ne Of the wafers and also froua the bottle,
. chemical and mtcroscopical tests Had
ound borh to contnin muriatc Of morphia, bur
rom the color ind form Of the. CRYSTALS !
scertatned that the powder in the wafer hud
ot been taken fr,m that In the bottle. The
bile that in the wafer had evidently been IN
tock II year Or two, aud subjected to the aedop |
light and air. The bottle which contained the
lorpnla was quinine battle. and had. 1utely !
3atafned murlate OF quiniue. as somo CRYSTALS
nuriAre of qunIne were found in the scrap
igs from the bottom.
ADOLpH WISE,
ussman's clerk, testified that he had gone to
lAnk to get the powders because Drs. Engert |
I'D told him always TO send powders to her pu-e
enty 1t;, 10 p4per 70 80 that they could arterward
il sbe s 9t Of bo pasas q Mas
sls not at the store when the powders were put
p. and when he came to the store the next |
orn!nE he found that Mr.. Kussmun had made |
mistake By putting them in the waters in
10 house. |
Mr. KCSsMAN.
This witness and bis attorney were both ready
admit that the deuth OF the children had been [
used by morphine. The witness stated, how
er. that he had taken the morphine frnrn the !
|inine BOTTLE and that 1t wus a mystery TO
N how 1t had gotten in there Several bottles
qutnine had been stolen from his store about
at time.
The bottle obtained by the police which con-
lned the morphine was labeled Inuriate Of |
ntne; @ and w4s shown to the jury. The resti-
ohg OF Dr. Williams, however. showed that
i5 morphine was fresh and that the morphine !
the Wafers was not. and had evidently been ! $
Ken from different hottie entirely. :
lhe Jury were about nn hour in reaching
4 VERDICT.
ey found that the chitdrcn had died from the | :
ects OF narcntic poison (nur,ate of NOR |
tll; that this poison was given as n,uriate OF :
fntne bs August kus5.nanl, and that the said |
gust kuSSnan WAS guilty Ut criminal care |
ness. and should be kept In custody 10 await |
action OF the Grand Jury: :.
IL. kussHan was tMken to jail. |