Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-05

appearance Oi pOWucH. II uhu Tue
appearance as if licked out. The
breakfast things were on table in
dining room. The plate and spoons
were on table in pantry. The pow
der was ON the corner of the table in
the pantry. 1t was red jelly. The
powder ON the paper was un-mixed-
couldn't tell whether the spoon had
been full. Did not examine jelly in
jar. Don't know whether the Jelly
was in liquid form.
Catharine Rooms sworn: I live in
Port Royal, right across the corner
from Mrs. McMeen. Did not see her
before death. i saw her in front
room on lounge. 1 saw o paper with
powder in it, saw tin plate, two large
spoons and small spoon, noticed
Jelly and powder in one spoon. The
spoons looked as if they had been US
ed. They appeared like as iftherehad
been medicine taken from them by the
lips. Cross examined. Did not no
tice Barlow knife. The tin plate was
in pantry. No one called my atten-
ton to them. did not examine the
plate or spoons particularly. / told
DIR. Shelly saw the dark jar.
DIR. A. W. Shelly sworn: 1 am
practicing physician in Port Royal.
Have practiced eleven years. Edgar
Moist, son of Mrs McMeen by first
husband, attracted my attention, 1
went over Mrs McMeen was lying
on back porch in convulsions. She
was very rigid, I put my arm UNDER
her to help her in the house Mrs.
Oliver and 1 carried her in, laid her
on lounge, applied the remedies to
help her over the commissions. She
was ivid. After two or three min
utes she partially relaxed, I said to
Mrs. Oliver, now we'll get history
Of this case. Mrs. McMeen winked and
muttered, I thought she was rational
and wanted 10 talk.She soon took an
other convulsion in which she died.
1t all took place in ten to fifteen min
utes- Her body from head, to heels,
WAS curved backwards, her hands
were clutched, her feet curved upon
themselves, the toes curved inward
toward the heel, the muscles were
very tense. The symptoms Indicated
poisoning, or lock jaw, it indicated
strychnine poisoning, or lock jaw. l
don't know when I saw her before
that time A wound generally pro-
duces lock jaw. I saw q tin plate af
ter her death. Mrs. Koons called my
attention to white powder in Foutzs
liniment paper. / tasted the pow
der, it was bitter Afterwards 1 SAW
a plate, two table spoons, q tea spoon,
a Barlow knife and Jelly dish with
jelly like in the spoons. One spoon
contained jelly and white powder,
looked as II licked, the other spoon
looked as If it had contained molass-
es Took them to my Office and lock
ed them in O drawer, and afterwards
! handed them TO Squire Stimmel for
The inquest. The paper that the pow
der was in was part of Foutz lini-
ment advertisement The powder
was white with @ yellowish tinge The
paper looked as If it had been opened
and some of the powder taken out of
the center We made post mortem
examination thirty three hours after
death. We opened the body took ou.
the stomach. emptied its contents in
a vessel / know what are tests of
strychaia ns laid in Bowman's Medi-
cal Chemistry, applied the testsein
presence of other physicians to con-
tents Of stomach. found indications
of strychnia- / never had such case
of poisoning. l formed the opinion
that she died from the effects of TAX
ing strychpia. Women have disease
called Hysteria, the symptoms are
are somewhat like that of poison.
Hysteria is not suddenly fatal. l am
not an experienced chemist, my tests
would not be conclusive. 1 would
want corrobcrative tests. Ordinari-
ly there il state of consciousness at
intervals in which the patient will
talk. | knew there was a Barlow
knife, when l made the second visit.
The Jelly seemed to be the one that
was licked, the other spoon seemed
to be the one used to mix Saw no
bottles. Tie powder was lying open
on the table in the paper, the jan was
on the right side of the paper, the
three spoons and plate on the other |
side. 1 estimated the powder at four
grains. l gave the powder to the Cor |
oner. In the examination or test of |
strychnia we used potash. We got
the violet color. 1t was the color
test.
DR.. Graham sworn: I live in Port |
Royal, have practiced medicine thirty |
three years. Had a case OF q man
who died of strychDine poison.
saw the man five minutes before he
died. He was on bed, his head
and heels were touching the bed. l |
could have passed under the curve of
his back The spasm relaxed, the
rnan became sensible. Strychnine
produces twitching, an intense suf-
location, the patient feels rs if he
cannot live, becomes convulsed, and
is bent back Mrs. McMeen was dead
when | saw her. / believe from the
history of the case that Mrs. MchGeen
died from taking strychnia. Any or
dinary physician could tell from the |
symptoms if it was strychnia poisoG.
animation. Her stomach was taken |
out. The test used on contents of |
stomach was sulphuric acid and pot
ash, ii produced violet blush tinge,
changed to red. The indications
were of strychnia poison. The stom-
ach was taken to Squire Stimmel's
Office and sealed up in a bottle Il
have not seen it since. The stomach |
had but little groundy like fluid in |