The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-16
sTnYoHNIA PILLS
Givon to Two Young Women In London-A
iiHs Sensational Murder. Hfr !

. .
LONDON, May 15.-Just n month ago
Alice Marsh and Emma shriyoll, two
young women OF decent family and loose
morals, were found dying in their lodg.
inga in Stamford street, Blackiriars.
They lived Just long enough 10 state
that q mysterious person, whom tlley,
know as George Clifton, gave them
"three long pills." and that they bo.
came Ill Immediately after taking them.
A post mortem examination proved
Tint each pill contained three grains OF
strychnine, SO that the girls actually
swallowed, between them, nine grains
OF deadly poison, or sufficient to Kill at
least-s0ven or eight persons. 1vg
There Is no room for doubt that these
young women were foully and deliber-
ately murdered, and n mass OF circurn-
stantial evidence points to the ,conclu.,
sion that George Clifton was tho mur-
derer; but although this man, who is in
apparently good social position, was
socn IN the girls company upon moro
than one occasion and BY quite half a
dozen persons, and although the police
have in their possession letter written
by him to Miss Marsh, dated from the
hotel at Chatham, hc is stillat large.
ACCUSED OF ANOTHER MURDER.
The probabilities are that ho will
mover bo arrested, except possibly in
connection with somO fresh crime. It,
is believed that he murdered girl
named Ellen Donworth. who was found
dying in tavern near Stamford street,
last October, from strychninc and NOR
phine given to her in glass Of wine
by n casual acquaintance answering the
description.
London newspapers have reported in
perfunctory fashion frequently ad.
journcd inquest on tho Stamford street
victims, but they have quito failed to
grasp the fact that there Is at this mo-
mcnt at large in this big city another
atrocious criminal differing from the
Whitechapel iiond only in his methods
of work. London newspapers Seem to
require blood and mutilation to stifnu.
late them into appreciation OF a great
crime.
FROM A MEDICAL POINT OF VIEW.
The British Medical Journal to-day,
commenting on the case from o medical
point OF view, says:
1t has been suggested that the pills
were really capsules, q supposition not
improbable. II so, they must surely
have been either prepared by the per.
son himself or by some pharmaceutical
chemist. If by chemist, he would
probably have been told thatthe strych.
nine was TO poison hoise or some AMI.
NAL. Should chemist have received
such an order, it is his bounden duty.to
come forward and assistin thohiscoYery
ofithe criminal. Capsules arc difficult
to prepare by amateurs. 1t takes a
knowledge of pharmacy and some
little skill. But whether the long pills
were ready capsules, or whether they
were bulky pills prepared by hands
unaccustomed to pill making and there.
fore devlating considerably from ordi..
nary pills in shape, hegwho prepared
them hacla considerable storeof strych.
nine and a knowledge ofits effect. Such
knowledge argues no special medical
education, for arsenic, phosphorus,
laudanum, carbolic acid, oxalic acid
and strychnine are known by. every
one to be poison. Tho very, largeness
tho unnecessary largeness oflthe dose,
indeed-rather argues againstEthe doc
tor theory. A doctor knows very we'll
that dose OF over a grain is fatal, and
would not be likely to give nine times
that amount. i.,$.5. E. Hi {; sJls5. 7