St. Landry democrat., 1885-09-05
THE wALKuP CASE.


! The Mystery Still Unsolved, and no .EEi"
dence Conclusive of Mrs. Walkups "ui1|
Yet Adduced-Tho Deceased Had Been
Subject to Similar Attacks - voice
From New Orleans.
EMPoRIA, KAs, August 29.-Ihe
Walkup case has become more OF
mystery than ever Mrs. Walkup was
called before the Coroner's Jury yester"
| day at tine Courthouse, where the IN
quest is being held. She was com"
posed and easy in her manner, though
serious and careworn in countenance.
Her counsel, w. w. Scott, stated that
| while she was herself ready to testify
he took upon himself the responsible
ity of prohibiting her from testifying
before the jury at this time. She then
retired in company with Deputy
Sheriff.
D. S. Bell, who was Mr.. Walkup's
partner in the coal business, testified
that on Friday, the 2lst, when Mr.. Walk
up was first spoken to about poison be.
ing the suspected cause of his sickness,
he said that his wife had informed him,
week or ten days before, that she had
purchased strychnine to take the stains
| out of her clothing.
DR.. J. W. Filkins testified that he had
treated Mr.. Walkup in the summer OF
1883 for sickness similar in it's symptoms
to his late fatal illness, and had been in
formed by Mr.. Walkup that he was sub
ject to such spells of sickness.
Mr.. ]. r. Graham testified that he saw
Mr.. Walkup sick with severe stomach
and bowel complaint in the summer Of
1884.
Information outside the inquest so far,
but reliable, is that Mr.. Baldwin, we'll
known farmer near Lawrence, stated to
Sheriff White and Mr.. L. S. Every, in
Emporia, on the day of Mr.. Walkup's
funeral, that in December, 1884, on Mr..
Walkup's first visit to New Orleans,
that gentleman, with Mr.. Baldwin,
the two Mr.. Hatchs, nephew and
son, of Des Moines, Ia, and Mr..
Green, of Jacksonville, ILL.,, all went
from st. Louis to New Orleans on the
steamer Baton Rouge, and during the
passage Mr.. Walkup became seriously
i'll just as he seemed in his recent fatal
illness in Emporia, and DR.. Neal of Ne
braska, who was on the boat, prescribed
for him, saying to him that he could not
have many more such attacks without a
fatal result. When Mr.. Walkup became
sick on that occasion he entrust-
ed his money, $500 or $500,
to Mr.. Baldwin, and the latter said on
the day Walkup's funeral that it looked
to him now as if he might have been ar
rested for poisoning Mr.. Walkup; had
the latter died on the boat in December.
Mr.. Walkup had not then seen his wife or
any other member Of the Wallace family,
this being his first visit to New Orleans.
The following telegram was received in
this city yesterday:
NEW ORLEANS, LA, August IS.
judge w. z. Houston, En8p0Ti0:
In studying up the Walkup case I have
discovered that sub nitrate of bismuth con-
tains arsenic unless carefully made. Have
that prescribed analysed. See TAYLOR on
Poisons page 497; Woods Therapeutics,
Vol. l; Stiles Dispensatory, page 292.
sc. E. WHITNEY"
1t is understood that none of the pow
ders prescribed for Mr.. Walkup, and not
administered to him, have been pre-
served. The druggist from whom the
powders were obtained says his supply
of the drug in question is chem
icallV pure and free of arsenic.
The testimony yesterday, and the New
Orleans dispatch, is regarded as ray of
light out of the darkness which has
encouraged last night. The Kansas City
Medical College analysis of the remains,
begun last Tuesday, has not yet been
heard from.
New ORLEANS, La, August 29.-The
Walkup poisoning case at Emporia,
Kan, has naturally excited great inter
est in this city, where Mrs. Walkup is
well known. Few believe the wife
guilty, and testimony of the attendant
physicians yesterday is reported by ply
sicians here as clearing up the whole
case. They say sub-nitrate of bIsmuth,
which was given Mr.. Walkup, has often
resulted fatally, and quote authorities to
prove their statement. National and
United States Dispensary officials
say that the drug frequently contains ar
senic, and should be used with great
care. Prof. Roberts, of Philadelphia,
makes the same statement regarding
bismuth of commerce, and says practi-
TONERS should be very careful in its use
unless they are assured of it's absolute
purity. In Taylor, in poison
case reported, where the SUBJ
stance was taken in doses of two
drachms, caused the death of an adult in
nine days. The symptoms were burning
in the throat, vomiting, GOODNESS OF the
surface, with spasms Ia the limbs, in
famed larynx and Inflammation of the
stomach. These symptoms tally almost
exactly with the WalkuD case. IE is the
belief of many doc or here that Mr..
Walkup was poisoned by his physicians.
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