Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-11-03
stock Of strychniaa" "ln the same cupboard

"AhW Belmore lcoSed up at tne jury WIFI
b face that spoke volumes. Everybody saw
the point at which he was aiming-every-
body except my darling, who sat looking
pale and fatigued, and almost listless, ss
though the whole thing were gastly farce
which wearied her. At long intervals she
raised her eyes and looked at me- It was
only then that any sign Of life or feeling
came into her dear face
Dissemination continued-"You say
the strychnia and bromide Of potassium
were kept in the same cupboard. Now do
You ever make mistakes, DR.. Carrick, In
the compounding of your medicinesT'
aWell, sir-I should not like to say posi-
lively"
aCome, come. Dr.. Carrick, be frank with
ua Tell me; did you ever make mistake
In making up your medicines!"
Bslmore stood like a tower among his
seated brethren. His long arm was out.
stretched, and his forefnger, which was
pointed direct at the heart Of the witness.
almost seemed as though 1t were rapier,
by which the unhappy man had been trans
fixed. There was something terrible, too,
In the eye of the great advocate as it flashed
upon the witness, something mer ciless In the
firmly closed mouth with which he waited
for the answer to his question. Everybody
in court, think, was fascinated BY the
spectacle. There he stood, motionless as q
statue, and unrelenting as an inquisitor,
while DR.. Carrick writhed visibly tefore
him.
@You must answer the question. sir" said
the Judge In peremtory tones
Breathing hard, and pausing moment to
wipe the perspiration from his forehead,
the witness spoke: II have made a mistake
ouce-it was years ago"
sWhat was itf" u used wrong drug In
making up simple prescription.
@Ths wrong drug! Tell me the name Of
that drug, sira' at was arsenic My lord,
this happened twenty years ago, and as
sure your lordship that there has been moth
ing"
4Answer my question, sir, and don't make
speeches" said Belmore. "You tell US that
you did make mistake once, and that you
put arsenic into your medicine instead Of
something else Pray what was the result Of
that mistaken Did your patient take the
medicine?" "He did, sir.
SAnd he dieda" ayes, to my lasting pain
and sorrow, he did. 1t was baby, sir"
1Don't make speeches, DR.. Carrick. You
tell me that once already you have made a
mistake in compounding your medicines
which cost one of your fellow creatures his
life. Now, will you admit the possibility OF
your having made another mistake2 You
know your strychnia and your bromide of
potassium were in the same cupboard in
your laboratoryg" mo, sir, can't admit
that made any mistake on this occasion.
got terrible lesson twenty years ago."
mo doubt you did; Tut, excuse me, did
not ask you whether you had or had not
made mistake on this occasion, but
whether it was or was not possible for you
to do sol" mo, sir; it was impossible"
@You are infalible now, chr Yes, SIR"
blurted out the unhappy man, who evidently
did not know whether he was standing on
his head or his heels
aWell, I mean to ask the jury to pro-
nounce an opinion upon that point, DR.. Car
rick You can 20 now."
But before he went he was re-examined
by Hawk
"Do you recollsct making up these par
ticular powders for Mr.. Maulevererl" @Per-
fectly well"
@Are you quite certain you made no mis-
take?' II am positive did not"
"In what part of your cupboard do you
keep your strychniaa" ION the top shelf,
SIR"
"Now, there were eighteen powders origin.
ally in that box. Were they all made up at
the same timel" Undoubtedly, SIR"
GFrom the same bottle Of bromidei" Ger
tainly."
"Were you interrupted while making them
up" "Not that remember"
"Have you examined the four powders
which remain In the boxi" ayes, in company
with my eminent medical colleague, Mr..
Allgood, have examined them"
@And do they consist Of bromide Of potas-
sium or strychniaT "Of bromide, Of course"
"Then We may take it for granted that
Mr.. Mauleverer had been using these pow
ders without suffering any Ill effect from
them down to the day Of his death, and that
all the powders left in the box after his
death are perfectly harmlesss" ~ apprehend
that is the case"
DR.. Carrick was followed by Mr.. Allgood,
F.RCS, the eminent toxicologist, who
gave convincing evidence Of the real cause
Of Mr.. Mauleverer's death. The unfortu-
nate millionaire had evidently taken large
dose of strychnia about an hour and half
before he was heard by the servant maid to
cry out He confirmed Carrick's statement
regarding the powders remaining in the box.
He had not discovered any trace Of bromide
Of potassium in his analysis Of the contents
Of deceaseds stomach.
After him came the chemist at Little
Lorton, Mr.. Smirke, who told how on the
7th Of October the prisoner had driven up
to his shop in her uncle's carriage, and had
explained that she wished for quantity Of
strychn:a, to be employed In poisoning the
rats which abounded in tho cellars Of the
hall. He had remarked upon the very dan
gerous character Of the poison, and had
recommended some other method Of getting
rid Of the vermin. Miss Stancliffe agreed
with him that the poison was an exceedingly
dangerous one, and had expressed her re-
gret that her uncle wished her to procure it.
She had further requested him to supply it
to her in sealed parcel, 50 that, in case Of
its being accidentally found by one of the
servants, it might not be opened by mistake.
Belmore only put one question to this
witness: @Supposing you were to see that
parcel again, would you know 1t at once and
be able to say if it had been tampered
withp ayes, I could not mistake that
parcel If saw it again"
Then came the evidence of the chief con-
stable, my acquaintance Eastmead. 1t was
terrible to hear him tell how, "in conse-
auence Of information he had received" he
had felt it to be his duty to make certain in
quiries regarding Mr.. Mauleverer's death.
At that moment dared not have faced
either Daisy or DR.. Branksome. I was
thankful when Eastmead passed on to tell Of
the result of his search through the house,
when he went there for the purpose Of ar
resting the prisoner. It was a negative re-
suit altogether. The only drugs of any kind
which he couli discover were the box Of
powders produced in court which he found
upon the dressing table In Mr.. Mauleverer's
room, and some simple medicament for the
teeth, which was in the bedroom Of Mrs.
Cawthorne. Nowhere could he find any
trace of strychnia or any other poison.
In the course Of his examination he recited
the statement made by the prisoner at the
time Of her arrest. after she had been duly
cautioned to the effect that anything which
she said might be used as evidence against
her. 1t was as follows:
u went to my dear uncle's room at about
ten o'clock, after being told by his servant
that he was ready to see me. I spoke few
moments to him, and then, according to our
usual custom, Tread to him from the Bible
for few minutes. After that I went to his
dressing room and mixed one of his powders,
taking it from the box supplied by DR.. Car
rick. 1t was ono Of the ordinary powders.
am quite certain Of that. He drank 1t of;
without making any remark, except that