The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-02-07
MINORITY REPORT.

To the General Assembly of Virginia:
The undersigned member of your Joint
committee to investigate the Western Luz
matte Asylum, begs leave to make the fol
lowing report as deduced from the sworn
evidence OF witnesses summoned before it.
After an exhaustive examination of wit
nesses called by your committee and by the
officers of the Asylum, and after carefully
reading the evidence given before the Cor
oner's jury, we agree with the report made
by the honored chairman thus far, that
mo new discoveries were made as to the
the poisoning and death of the six inmates,
and the whole affair is still shrouded in
doubt and mystery" But we beg leave to
dissent from that much Of said report
which states that ''There exists not the
slightest scmtilla. of evidence to show that
the poisoning was done by parties outside
of the Asylum, +" for the reason that al
though the guilt is not fastened upon any
one, nevertheless there is strong presump-
tion of suspicion as shown by the report of
the detective employed, viz ''And the con-
clusion arrived at *9* is that the
80 poisoning was evidently theworE
of design. and has been perpetrated by par
ties outside Of, the Institution, whom it is
unnecessary and would be injudicious to
mention at this time.1' 5 a ie9Wgus
And in this connection your committee
beg leave to quote the evidence given by
the Superintendent, as follows:
Il have reason to believe that the de-
tective has other information than that re-
ported ; and also had some suspicious that
he had other information which led him
to suspect a certain individual.'' And in
confirmation of this evidence the Com
monwealth's Attorney, Of Staunton, testi-
fed that the Superintendent expressed a
willingness to give him the name of the
suspected party.
And further, your committee begs leave
to call attention to the fact that DR.. NAL
let, an eminent chemist of the University
OF Virginia, upon careful, scientific and
patient analysis of the StomaohS of the
poisoned persons, found dlkdloid dconitiRe
only. ''',.3 5t as.li 3
Your committee deems it proper to quote
the evidence given by the Superintendent,
as follows "Immediately after reaching
the Asylum on the morning Of the poison
| ing, l locked up the cyonide of potash,
prussia acid and aconite. The amounts in
! the hotties correspondent with what was in
| them the day before. The only aconite
which we had purchased since the removal
| ton when DR.. Butler took charge) was a
pound bottle of the ttatad ectauct; no aeon
stlae ,uds euer purchased, nor has there been
| al1y IN the Asylum. From this three ounces
had been taken to make eight ounces Of
the tincture. The remaining portion of
the extract acas stu IN the bottle, and the
same acots the case az regard to the tinct,tYe.
If the three ounce mug 1.-THE vessel from
which the fatal drug was supposed to be
administered ,eds filled ,cSth the fluid er-
tract to the brina, that quantity would not
yield as much aconitine as was found in
the stomach of one Of the poisoned par
ties.'' a,save- a,.,,sss1 t.tiis AN rs
And your committee beg leave to call
the attentionto the evidence given by DR..
Butler that. From the same bottles and
at the same time, were poured 40 or SO
doses for the female wards. These doses
produced no unusual effect. There was
no aeonitine in the Asylum we had fluid
extract and tincture of aconite. The fluid
extract was kept in a dark case, and on
the shelf behind me and behind anOthe1
row OF bottles. The tincture was also in
q case, which was behind me as stood at
| the prescription counter. On;the day be-
/ fore the poisoning (when the medicine was
mixedD. Ihad no~ceasion to use aconite
or any OF the medicines in the case behind
me. The sesqlli oxide Of iron and
all the medicines Which were poisoned
j acere In front Of me rs | stood at the pre-
! scription counter In preparing these
\ had no occasion to get any medicine from
the rear M .sI'....-ss AZ .,l5ajssi
~ y our committee therefore, from tn
evidence taken before it Ia portion of whicl