Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-01-30
=. MYSTERIOUS CASE.
4 Complicated Affair OF PO'soninE Thoo
Has Never Been UnraveIed.

4 Complicated Affair OF Po'soning Thso
Has Never Been Unravsied.
S>reral years ago a trial for murder
took place in France, i'll which tho tes.
nony, on both sides, was SO strange
that the verdict of the jury left the
matter still involved in the deepest
m stary.
An old bachelor. Of great wealth, aud
who had peviously enjoyed excellent
health, was taken suddenly Ill. His
name was Peter Texier. Having no
wife, he was taken care of by Madame
Texier, the widow of his deceased
brother. She did not live in the house
with him, but paid him frequent visits.
When he had been sick about ten days,
she came to reside In the house alto
gether, bringing her daughters and
servant with her. The day after her
arrival NJ. Texier became worse, and
complained Of n burning sensation in
the throat and a heavy weight on tie
stomach. DR.. Gaune, the piIysicfaa who
attended him, could not account for
these symptoms. He began to suspect
that his patient had been poisoned. and
on calling In another physician in con-
sultation, his suspicious were confirmed
by his associate They accidentally dis
covered that NJ. Texier had been vom-
itiug. On requesting that some of the
matter from his stomach should be
given them, the physicians experienced
z. eat difficulty in obtaining it from the
attendants 1t was ascertained that NJ.
Texier was seized with vomiting gener-
ally in the evening, after he had par
taken of soup prepared by the widow.
About one month after he was first
taken sick NJ. Texier died in dreadful
agony. His screams, at the last, were
SO loud that they could be heard all
over the house.
The matter from his stomach, having
been analyzed, was found to contain ar
senic. The authorities, who had pre-
viously been notified Of the suspicious
entertained by the physicians, caused
the arrest of the widow, her father, an
old man of seventy, and her servant.
They were tried for murder. TIC sup
posed motive to the IN rider. on the part
of the widow, was to obtain the prop
crty Of NJ Texier for her children, WHO
woul inherit, he being their uncle.
The old man was not believed to have
taken any active part in the com m s.
sion of the crime, but merely to have
connived at the murder. The suspected
| motive on his part was to get rid of
w
| he owed to the deceased. On the other
| hand, it was shown that the old man
| was amply able to pay the debt, and
that he and his daughter, the widow,
| we're worth, together, about million
| francs.
The ground taken by the defense was
| that DR.. Gaune himself administered
| the arsenic through mistake. In proof
! of this the clergyman who atte nded NJ.
| TcXicr testified that on one occasion,
| during his sickness, NJ. TeXier sail to
him:
! "If I am poisoned, it is DR.. Gaune
who has done it. He accuses my family
| to cover his error. What n misfortune
that shoud d have admitted that fellow
to my house! If 1 recover my health I
| shall know how to deal with him
But the most remarkable piece OF
| tc stimony in the case was that of DR..
| Gaune himself. He protested that the
| mistake attributed to him never could
| have occurred: but when asked, on his
| crosse examination, why he did not ad.
minister antidotes as soon as he dis
| covered sympt ms of poison, he said
that he did not give antido.es because
it might interfere with the chemical an
alyses which might become necessary
| after death!
A more cold-bloo led and shocking
avowal can hardly be conceived of. A
skillfu', scientific physician knows that
patient is diving of poison. and ne
| elects to give an antidote lest it should
destroy the evidence of the poison! He
| virtually becomes accessory to 4 MUIR
| der in order to obtain evidence against
those who are trying to commit it. And
yet it appears that he was a man of
| good standing in his profession.
| The trial was protracted through five
days, and resulted in a verdict by the
jury of mot guilty" The verdict was
we'll received, but it left the question:
| Who poisoned NJ. Texier? as much q
mystery as ever-N. y. Ledger