, 1883-04-19
DE.IDLy DRUGS.
A~ E"f",ssiinO Cb"picr On PoisonS az
fUiSUhCTN,

lAi!lGf nm aristOcratic method OF CRIME
Dr. Pri'chard, of Glasgow, dosed hi
wife TO death with tartar emetic. Pal
mcr, OF Edgly, was highly successful il
removing his victims with strychnine.
The most remarkable case, however,
among tho British gentry was that OF
Capt. pouellan, which, indeed, bears a
close parallel with the recent tragedy.
Doncllan poisoned his brother-in-law.
So did Lamson, and in each instance the
death OF the victim brought an inher-
itance to tl" wives of the murderer.
Lamson's victim (Psrcy john was an
invalid youtl "f ~. Donellan's victim
t5ir Vheodcsins BOugElon) was an in
valid OF q. Both prisoners were ably
defended and had sufficient medical tes.
timoDy to have insured an acquittal had
tney been trielin this city. British juries,
however, are not so lenieut rs Amer
lean. The poison administered by each
was original and hence admitted of many
points Of defense. Donellan used laurel
water which lie procured by means of
small still which he kept in his room,
the leaves having been obtained from a
tree in the garden. He secretly SUBJ
stituted the potion for the medicines
which the patient took, and the latter at
once noticed the difference in taste. In
less than half an hour he was dead. 1t
was noticed that DoneIlan emptied the
bottle and washed it, also the tumbler
which had been used. Suspicion arose
soon after interment and the corpse was
exhumed and examined. The famous
physician, Sir John Hunter, was wit
ness for the defense, and his testimony
was so favorable that, on reading it, 1
was satisfied that an American jury
would have acquitted the prisoner. The
latter, however, was convicted and
hanged in nine days. One of the most
striking proofs Of his guilt was the fact
that after his death volume of the
philosophical transactions was found in
his room, several of the pages being cut
out. On comparing this book with other
copies, it was found that the missing
pages contained directions for distilling
laurel. After the lapse Of q century the
Donellan case finds parallel in that of
LamsOn, and thus deep calleth unto deep
in the chronicles of crime.
Arsenic poison has been the more
common method, and (in this country at
least) there are many cases on record.
The present Malley trial brings before
the public q long and tedious testimony
on this point, and though the prisoners
may be acquitted, public opinion will no
doubt pronounce them guilty. One of
the leading authorities on poison is
Orfila, whose works were once brought
into New York court to elucidate some
points in murder trial. He was
famous Partisan medical lecturer and his
treatise on poisons has never been
equaled. 1t was said of this work by an
English. physician that sit is vast
mine Of experimental observation on
the varied symptoms of poisoning, or
the appearance which roisons create on
the dead body, and on the means of de-
lection" Orhla was frequent writer
on poison cases, the most remarkable of
which was that OF Count Bocarme in
1850, and which created an intense in
terest throughout Europe. Bocarme
poisoned his victim with nicotine, the
essential oil of tobacco. He expert
inented on birds and ON animals to as
certain the strength OF the poison, end
their dead bodies were dug up and in
creased the damaging testimony. He
Was convicted and only escaped the
gullotne by committing suicide. It
may now be said as the direct conclu-
sions OF science that no poison can be
given which will not leave an inevitable
proof III the very body OF the victim,
and the latter thus becomes the most
dangerous with men in the case. Ar
senic, for Instance, il readily identified,
rs may be learned from the Mulley trial.
Strychnine reveals itself in the rigor
mor,es Gas it is termed) or rigidity OF the
corpse. PrusSic acid tells its tale in the
condition OF the llood, aud hence there
can be no coDcetlpeut i'll such cases.
Tbe capital ccn,.cl uns in this country
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10 1osISau pus au0wlpoIl qsIsq penuH
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