Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-02-18
LOVE AND POISON.

now. He is retired rpon very fine iu-
come, the result of long years Of practice,
very successful too. in medical point OF
view, and being bachelor loves to gather
such of his old cronies as time has spared
about him, unawed by the presence of pet
ticoats or the domineering of grown up
children, whose rapid modern views are in
tolerant of old fashioned ways, and who, al
though they do not express it in so many
words, show that they are weary waiting
the independence and power that money
brings, and which they know must be their
portion when hand and brain that patiently
gathered it are hidden away in the earth.
with their lying griefs cut in the cold and
| repulsive graveyard marble.
One night the doctor and few of his
gray cronies were gathered around the
blaze of his fireplace, in his solidly comfort
able sitting room, comparing notes on .
case of strychnine poisoning that had
startled the town. From this special theme
they drifted away to general discussion of
poisoners, those who pursued the dreadful
trade of poisoning others for lucrative gain
or place or power, in ages gone by. The
doctor of divinity was especially we'll versed
in all of the horrible cases of poisoning by
the Borgias of olden days, especially that
far famed prelate, Cesare Borgia, who, as
many historians allege, in coDjuction with
his father, concocted the plan of poisoning
four of the wealthiest cardinals at an even
ing party in the Villa Corneto; but by mis-
take the poison, witch was mixed with
wine, was administered to Alexander vi
and Cesare himself. But Cesare was saved,
having partaken of but little of the drugged
wine. All the rest died. Then Cesare
seized upon the papal treasures, but was af-
terward overthrown and banishcd.
1t would seem from what the reverend
gentleman advanced that he believed that
everybody connected with the noble classes
in those far back days were poisoncrs, and
that every ambitious man or woman made
his or her way to power through the medium
of the poison cup. And then, natural
sequence to the process of reasoning indulg-
ed in by the cloth, he laid all the blame up.
on her theological tenets entertained by the
people in those days, drawing from one Of
the retired merchants present the cynical
observation. "How strangely like wo-
man the average clergyman reas0nsP'
Whereat all present, inclusive of the good
natured clergyman himself, laughed pleas.
antly, while the latter continued in his hit
and miss observation. He was satisfied
from his reading that as a rule poisoning
was originally confined among the higher
classes of society, and from this he drew
the homily that as a rule adversely drew
families closer together than prosperity; he
was positive that adversely drew friends to-
getber with hooks of steel.
When ambition stepped in the hooks of
steel that bound friends together relaxed
their grip, jealousies were fomented and
the glitter OF gold dried the dewy eye of
friendship. He did not think, barring in
sanity. that case of poisoning ever occur
red among people in humble life. He had
yet to hear of such an instance. Talk as
you will, he asserted, the humber classes
are the closest to God and are the most
obedient to his will.
DR.. Baird, who had his eye bent upon the
fire while the not unpleasantly voluble
clergyman was talking, looked up as he
closed and said: "One of your concluding
remarks somehow reminds me of strange
case that came under my observation while
was in practice in one OF the largest cities
| of the United States. A watchman was
taken suddenly ill while pacing his beat at
2:30 O'Clock in the morning, and was carried
home.
"The nearest physician, myself as it hap
pened TO be, was hurriedly called, and has
| tening thither found the man in great dis
| tress. Administering something to alleviate
his pains, came to the conclusion that it
was case of poison by strychnine. l put
up the proper medicine, and on inquiry
| found that DR.. G. was the regular family
| physician. The watchman's wife was a
handsome English woman, about 35 years
of age, who stood at the foot of the bed
during my ministratioDs to her husband,
with nothing peculiar about her except a
pair of piercing black eyes. do not know
that would have remembered the expires
sion of her eyes but for the fact that the
watchman, in an interval of the paroxysms,
groaned out, "Oh, doctor! was all right
until ate that little piece of pork"
81 happened to look up at the time and
found the wife's eyes bent upon my face
with sharp scrutiny of suspicious inspec
tiop. But there was trouble written in her
face, and attributed the look at the time
to the natural anxieties of wife. I-had a
more important case on hand for that morn
ing, and giving the necessary directions to
the woman, together with instructions to
call the family physician next day, and be-
lieving that the watchman with the neces
saIy attention was in a fai. way of recovery,
/ retired.
"But watchman died. read Of the