The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-18
THE HOMESTEAD CASE.
pempsey's Trial ON Charge Of
Poisoning in Progress.
DAMAGING TESTIMONY PILED UP,
The Public Interest Steadily In,
ereasos-Tho Prosecution Rests and
the Defense Opens its Case which is
Presented ,by Tom MaFshall-PoIson
Found by Two Expert Chemists.

PITEsBURaH, Pa, Jau, 1l,-Interest in
the Homestead poison cases is increas'
ing aud when court opened to-day the
attendance was larger than any previous
day. Tho greater portion Of those pres
emit seemed to be Of the laborlng class
and that their sympathics were largely
with the defendant, was evidenced by
the fact that anything favorable to him
was greeted by hum OF approval. Sew
eral times the court had to warn the
crowd TO preserve order. The defend
ant, Dempsey, appeared more nervous
and intently listened to all the testi'
mony,
Chemist A: Z, Hunt gave tho most
important evidence NJ the morning
session, and caused something Of SEN
sation by stating that he found croton
oil and arsenic in the excrement OF a
Homestead workman named Hebron,
which was given to him for analysis.
Hebron was taken i'll on September 10
and died five weeks later,
In his testimony Capt, Hunt said;
~ made tho analysis and found the
stool contained about nine drops OF oil,
which contained large proportion OF
croton oil. ] also found that it contain
cd about half grain Of arsenic, BY
arsenic / mean the white powder COM
monty called arsenic acid. Tho analysis
was made by me and under my super
t,tatny, aud nm oo,n nhlauf m fnutifU no
TO the proportions Of arsenic and croton
oil. / have no hesitation in saying the
excrement contained that proportion
OF arsenic and croton oil"
Cross examination-"Doos not brown
paper contain arsenicY
s'This paper does not. ! made an
analysis OF the paper for this very pur-
pose, and 1t contained no acid"
Tho witness was sharply cross OK
amined, but his evidence remained un.
shaken.
James o. Handy, chief chemist OF
Hunt & Clapp, was called. He had
told of thoRnalysis made and the re.
suit showed the presence of croson oil
and arsenic in tho proportions men-
toned by Captain Hunt They made
four tests for arsenic, which demon
sttated beyond a doubt tho presence OF
arsenic. He never had made a tost for
croton oil. before. He weighed the
arsenic. He made an analysis OF the
paper and found it free from arsenic.
Part OF the paper was newspaper, but
this also as analized and found to con-
tain no arsenic.
At the afternoon session, after some
unimportant evidence tho prosecution
rested and Thomas Marshall opened for
the defense.
The frat witness called for tho de.
tense was DR.. Richard T. McCord, OF
Pittsburgh, who described tho effects OF
arsenic and Croton oil on the human
system, and showed the similarity be-
tween symptoms caused by those poi
sons and those brought on by tho otdi-
nary causes Of disease.
DR.. Purman, OF Homestead, being
called, said that he had two patients
now under his care who became afillct-
ed with diarrhea last July and whose
cases had not yet yielded to treatment.
j. I. Little, a member OF battery B OF
the national guard, and nine Of his
comrades testified that shortly after ar.
irving at Homestead on July II they
became i'll, vomiting and being seized
with diarrhGa.
Courthere adjourned until tomorrow.