The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-24

her general health being good, and none
being required. If poisoned, the poison
was placed in her food. The day before
the wholesale poisoning, she went to her
dinner just as she had done for years.
Whilst eating soup, she suddenly jumped
up and fell to the floor. DIR. Butler was
called and administered restoratiyes. NO
one else was affected by the soup.
l cannot conceive how either patients or
attendants could have gotten poison from
the dispensary. My regulations, up to the
time of the poisoning, were equally as
strict as they had ever been, but have been
stricter since. The patients referred to
by Andrews in his testimony before the
Coroner, as having. been allowed to fire.
quent the medical Office, were Byers and
Albert Meade. l do not think Meade was
there often, and am satisfied that no patient
was in the office during the absence OF the
doctors, except Byers and he but twice.
At that time DR.. Pendleton was sick in
his room just across the passage, and Byers
was sent by DR.. P. into the dispensary to
get some whiskey and quinine from bot
tie. DR.. Crockett was also sick at the
same time and that is the reason Byers
was sent. The key to the dispensary which
hangs in the dining room has been for years
under the charge of Mrs. Beers, supervisor
of the dining-room, land has always been ac-
customed to hang in the same place. 1t was
taken by the servant in the morning to un-
lock the dispensary when he went to clean
it up.
| Nearly all of the drugs have been pdr-
chased in Staunton since my administra-
ton. We buy alternately of DIR. N.
Wayt s. Bro, and George W. May &
Co. Know of none having been bought
in Harrisonburg. From DIR. Wayt & Bro,
| believe, was bought fluid extract Of AGO.
mite. but no aconitine has ever been pur-
chased. nor has there been fanny in the dis
pensary. Last summer year, the medi-
cal office was thoroughly renovated. This,
for purposes of safety, was regarded as
necessary many Of the medicines had
of course, we could not judge as to their
strength. AS stated. the entire office was
renovated and the medicines destroyed
were thrown into the sink under Dr. But
| ler's supervision, and thence passed into
| the sewer
TAT this point the witness related an in
cident which occurred i'll the Asylum in
regard to whiskey being added to dose of
medicine. Subsequently, however. the COM
mittee agreed to expunge all testimony re-
lating to this particular subject.l
| But three patients besides refused to
take medicine prepared by DIR. Butler
| Christian, Wendle and L ackland. Wendle
| is rational at times and has been let out on
| furlough. but was returned again to the
| Asylum. These three were the only ones
that have manifested the least distrust of
DR.. Butler. and they constitute but small
per cent. of the patients, there being $50
in the Asylum. The patients divide up
into little societies and discuss all kinds of
questions. AS a matter of course the poi
soning has been thoroughly canvassed
among those who are sane enough to for
get for the time their special hobbies.
Some take one view of the case and some
another, and at times the debate grows
warm, but there has bee n nothing like dis
trust of the c0mpounc,er except in the
| three cases mentioned.
Cross examined by N. F. White, Counsel
for Asylum. There was no i'll feeling be-
tween Nelson Andrews and myself, as far
as 1 could judge, about the time of the
poisoning. Almond s presence in the ward
was unknown to me and his being there
was against my rule.
| I regard DR.. Butler as the strictest Of my
assistants. He is extremely firm and will
never allow patients to have whiskey with
out orders. Not only this, but 1 look upon
him as an expert in the position he occu-
pies. l believe he is one Of the best drug
gists in this or any other State. He is
an enthusiastic lover of hi profession and
unusually well posted. HI has never to
my knowledge been drin king man. On
one occasion, last fall year ago, noticed
that he had taken some yvhiskey. / said
nothing about it, but the next day he came
| to me and stated that he had been under
the influence of whiskey. He then said
| if 1 would overlook the matter. that not a
drop of Intoxicating liquor should pass his
| lips while he remained at The Asylum, and
| from that day to this the promise has been
scrupulously kept. On the evening pre-
vious to the poisoning, 1 saw DR.. Butler
| just before he prepared the medicines which
were afterwards poisoned. and he gave nc
evidence whatever of any stimulant. 1t
| frequently occurs that patients refuse to
] take medicine. They take up prejudices,
without any reason, against officers and at
| PENDANTS, and decline to receive any atten-
tion from them.
Immediately after reaching the Asylum,
on the morning of the poisoning, locked
| up the cyonide of pot ash, prussic acid and
aconite. The amour is in the bottles cor
responded with what was in them the day
before. The only act)nite which we had
purchased since the re novation was pound
bottle of the fluid extract. From this
three ounces had bee taken to make eight
ounces of the tincJure. The remaining
portion Of the extract was still in the bot
| tie, and the same W as the case in regard
to the tincture, with the exception of a
small quantity which had been taken out
| by the physicians. If the three ounce
mug, which is used to convey the medi.
icine to the patients, we're filled with the
fluid extract to the brim, that e1uantity
would not yield as much aconitine as was
found in the stomach of one of the pa
tients. There are sorne preparations Of
tincture of aconite of which four or five
drops would probably prove fatal.
CUES. by Mr.. Opie.- Have you reason tt
suspect any particular person outside o.
the Asylum with having done this poison
ing?
Ans.-I have no reason strong enough tt
enable me to name. any particular indi
vidual.
Cues. Have you any reason outside 70
Pinkerton's report.
Ans.-No definite reason.
Continuing, the witness said that, hi
contract with Pin7kerton stipulated tina
S. per day should b 9 paid the detective. I
OF course, have to- depend upon his wor'
as to the length OF time he is employed a
/ do not know VIII en- nor where he is opel