The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-06

oAAAo 0Opo hOt iHCdu dHYlnlng In tllS
CASE cut off the stomach and a por-
ton Of the intistines, a greater portion
OF the liver and the right kidney and
they were placed in fruit jars with glass
tops and wire clamps. The jars we're
thoroughly cleanscd by me with pure
water, as was the bucket. DR.. Phillips
held the jars for me and after they
were filled | placed them in the
buckets. In subsequent work l used
the scissors only and threw the knife
away. Every possible precaution
against the introduction of extranevas
matter was used, even to securing tho
jars by Irvine, SO l could detect any
effort or success in tampering with
them. The bottles now before me were
given me by Colonel Summers. who OBJ
tanned them from DIR. Barr. l pus new
corks in and marked the bottles so |
could identify them. | took them To
Richmond in satchcl, keeling this and
the bucket under my eye After reach
ing home q week elapsed before began
the analysis, and the bucket and
the buckets were locked in closet
after the former was sealed.
When begun the analysis l took all
the minute precautions, using new
plates for manipulations. clipped
with the scissors used at the grave a
small piece of liver for test Here he
explained now tho test was conducted
which indicated the presence of arsenic.
This was Reinsch's cost. a subsequent
test OF matter obtained from the piece
OF liver revealed arsenic. In order to
remove every doubt another test was
made and satisfied me that the liver
contained arsenic beyon doubt.
made another test of the liver by
another process and found arsenic
took this and subjected it to Reinschs
test with the same result. Every pre-
caution was taken to keep any foreign
substance from coming in contact with
the arsenic extrac ted from the liver
DR.. Taylor explained next how he
treated large piece of the liver, sub
lccting IL to process of distillation to
extract arsenic. The product revealed
peculiar aromatcd order he had never
noticed in arsenic. Continuing his in.
designations he got about a thirteenth
7of grain of white arsenic from two
ounces OF liver, but this did
not mean that any other two
ounces of livor would contain
more or less arsenic A portion of
the distilled fluid was subjected to
Marsh's test. (Ife exhibited "a piece Of
porcelain containing arsenic spots, OBJ
tanned by Marshs test) In order to
determine whether the result obtained
was antimony he employed further
tests, which satisfied him OF the pres
cnce OF arsenic. The various tests
made left no doubt upon his
mind of the presence of arsenic
In the liver. The only difficulty
was to determine where it came from
The stomac was OK amined and tested
but his main relinance was upon the
loin. He found no other poisons, not
outstanding elaborate tests were made
To ascertain the presence of strichnync,
but found none After twenty one
months, the time Mrs. Bakers body was
lald In the ground, it would be almost a
hopeless task to undertake to find
strichnyne. He had no reason in the
world TO suppose she was kille1 by this
poison.
The walls of the stomach had glued
themselves together and it was difficult
to perform the work. There was red
ness which may have been produced by
an irritant poison, or it may have been
due to inflammation existing in life in
dependent of poison, or to putrefac ton
ground II months. If sh , died of innam-
nation the attack was of short duration
and very severe. would by no means
assert that the color of the stomach
was duo to arsenic, but the natural in
terence from its presence in the liver
makes 1T appear that it was. The
arsenic in the body may have got thore
through suicidal. or homicidal intcn-
tons, or it may have been put there
after death.
heard that Mrs. Baker had been
embalmed and l foresaw at once tho
difficulties in the way of analysis III
had found great deal of arsenic would
have been justified in attributing it to
the embalming fluid, but finding but lit |
tie was left in doubt. The peculiar arc
matte, or mint odOr resembles the odor
OF certain embalming fluids and
think pcrtaincd to it. | should not have
expected TO find more than one thir-
teen.h of a grain of arsenic in two
ounces of liver if Mrs. Baker had been
poisoned. Arsenic does not belong -
the lady and its presence there is proof
that it came from some outside source
as the arsenic found is the overplus, or
more than was necessary to produce
deatfA The arsenic that Ills is in the
blood and cannot be found in dead
body.
Inc witness was subjected to n very
short crOSS-eXamination, but nothing
new was brought forth. In answer to
the defense DR.. Taylor said Whartons
Medical Jurisprudence was recognized
by the profession as a standard work,
but he did not rely upon it as it was
written more ior lawyers than anything
else. He preferred Taylors.
The State res. d its case and court
adjourned to Thursday at a. m, to
give attorneys for defense an oppor-
tunity to confer together and with their
witnesses.
NOTES