The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1891-02-18
LOVE AND POISON.

Old DIR. Sylvester Baird does not prac-
tice now. He is retired upon o very
fne income, the result of long years Of
practice. very successful too, in med
ical point of view, and being a bachelor
loves to gather such of his old cronies as
time has spared about him, unawed by
the presence of petticoats or the domi-
neering of grown up children. whose
rapid modern views are intolerant of old
fashioned ways, and who, although they
do not express it in so many words, show
that they are weary waiting the indie
pendence and power that money brings,
and which they know must be their por-
ton 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 COM
Portable sitting room, comparing notes
ON q case of strychnine poisoning that
had startled the town. From this special
theme they drifted away to a general
discussion of the peculiarities of poisons
and then to prisoners, those who pur-
sued 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 CONJUNCTION
with his father, concocted the plan of
poisoning four of the wealthiest cardi-
nails at an evening party in tie Villa
Corneto; but by mistake the poison,
which was mixed with wine, was ad-
ministered 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
afterward overthrow and banished.
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 pois-
oners, and that every ambitious man or
woman made his or her way to power
through tho medium of tho poison cup.
And then, natural sequence to the
process of reasoning INDUCED in by the
cloth, he laid all the blame upon the
theological tenets entertained by the
people in those days, drawing from one
Of the retired merchants present the
IL, u4, alx,
like q woman the average clergyman
reasonsl"
Whereat all present, inclusive of the
good natured clergyman himself. laughed
pleasantly, while the latter continued m
his hit and miss observations. He was
satisfied from his reading that as rule
poisoning was originally confined among
the higher classes of society, and from
this he drew the homily that as rule
adversely drew families closer together
than prosperity; he was positive that
adversely drew friends together with
hooks of steel.
When ambition stepped in the hooks
of steel that bound friends together re-
Taxed their grip, jealousies were TO-
mented and the glitter Of gold dried the
dewy eye of friendship. He did not
think, barring insanity, that case Of
poisoning ever occurred 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 vol
uble Clergyman was talking, looked up
as he closed and said: "One of your con-
Guiding remarks somehow reminds me
Of strange case that came under my
observation while l was in practice in
one of the largest cities of the United
States. A Waterman was taken sud-
denly i'll while pacing his beat at 2:30
o'clock in the morning, and was carried
home.
"The nearest physician, myself as 1t
happened to be, was hurTiedly called,
and fastening thither found the man
in great distress. Administering some
thing to alleviate his pains. l came to
the conclusion that it was q case of
poison by strychnine. / put up the
proper medicine, and on inquiry found
that DR.. @. was the regular family ply
stefan. The watchman's wife was hand
some English woman, about SO years Of
age, who stood at the foot OF the bed
during my ministrations to her husband,
with nothing peculiar about her except
a pair of piercing black eyes. l do
not know that would have remem-
bered the expression of her eyes
but for the fact that the Waterman, in
an interval of his paeoxysms, groaned
out, oh, doctorl | was all right until I
ate that little piece of pork
~ happened to look up at the time and
found the wife's eyes bent upon my face
with sharp scrutiny Of suspicious in
spection. But there was trouble written
in her face, and l attributed the look at
the time to the natural anxieties Of q
wife. had more important case on
hand for that morning, and giving the
necessary directions to tho woman, to-
gether with instructions to call the fam
lily physician next day, and believing
that the Waterman with the necessary
attention was in fair way Of recovery,
Iretired.
"But the Waterman died. read Of
the fact in the newspapers, but found
that no suspicious attached in the case
poison was not even limited at. re-
member only entertaining surprise al
the time, but as the time went by the
affair grew upon me to such degree
that ! was constrained by curiosity
which amounted to partial mania, to In
vcstigate. One day happened In to the
health Office, where the record of deaths
and their causes are kept, and turning
to the proper name found that thu
watchman's death was attributed to tho
intense heat which prevailed upon tn.
night when he was found writhing upor
his beat.
lit instantly occurred to me that Or