The herald., 1893-02-19
PINK, VIOLET, AND THEN YELLOW,
A Chemical Test for Strychnine
Made in Court.
Evidence Given During the Bentley
Examination Yesterday.
The Evidence Given by Physicians Goes
to Show That Mrs. Bentley's Re-
mains Contained Large Quanti-
ties OF Strychnine.

The preliminary examination of Henry
Bentley, charged with the murder of his
wife, Mrs. Nordholt-Bentley, was re-
sumed yesterday morning before Justice
Seaman. The testimony taken during
the session was largely technical, includ-
ing the statements of the chemists who
analysed the stomach Of the deceased
and found strychnine therein, and Of
physicians who examined other organs
of the body after 1t had been exhumed.
The same interest manifested in the
case upon the preceding day was
observed, the court room being crowded
SO that standing room was at premium.
The first witness examined was John
Vorwork, the superintendent of Rose
dale cemetery, where Mrs. Bentley was
buried. He testified as to the examine
ton of the remains of the deceased,
stating that he participated in that
operation.
DR.. R. Wernigk testified in regard to
the condition of the organs which were
submitted to him. He said that he
found the heart, the weight of which
was 141s ounces, was healthy con-
sidering the age and size of the deceased.
He found no symptoms of hemorrhage
in the brain, which he examined. He
did not think that the rigid conditions
found in the body of Mrs. Nordholt i'm
mediately after death could be sttrib-
uted to any other disease than tetsnus,
or lockjaw.
Coroner Gates testified that he had, in
pursuance Of the orders of the district
attorney, given directions to have the
body of Mrs. Nordholt exhumed. He
was present when it took place, and also
during the examination of the different
organs of the deceased, but took no part
in the examination.
DR.. West Hughes, who had also been
called in to examine the portions of the
body of the deceased subjected to exam
nation, testified that he found them in
a normal condition. He stated that he
believed death to have resulted from
strychnine poisoning, and gave test Of
the manner in which the presence OF
strychnine is determined. The test
was from the contents OF the bottle
found in Mrs. Nordholt's trunk when
the effects of the defendant were being
examined. The colors which appertain
to strychnine we're all produced, the
small portion of the crystals used turn
ing first to pink, then to violet shade,
then red and finally showing lemon
color. The test was observed with great
interest by all in the court room, and
DR.. Hughes gave quite chemical lee
ture upon the properties and character
istics of strychnine.
DIR. G. H. Hance, the druggist who
r,ado tha obop,iool onolvato of tba
stomach OF Mrs. Nordholdt. Bentley, was
kept on the witness stand longer than
the other witnesses, being subjected to
quite long cross.examination. He
found upon the examination of the
stomach that there was strychnine to
such an extent that he was convinced
that there was at least one grain in the
stomach, and be said that one-quarter
of grain had been known to cause
death. He failed to find any strychnine
in the liver.
The last witness for the day was Frank
M. Kelsey, public administrator. He
related the circumstances of finding the
bottle of strychnine in a leather trunk
at the Nordholdt residence, and swore
that it had been in his possession, locked
up, ever eince its discovery.
The examination lasted until shortly
after IL o'clock, when Justice Seaman
adjourned it until Monday morning, at
8 80 o'clock.
1t is not expected that the examine
ton will be concluded on Monday, al
though it is said that the prosecution
does not intend to put in very much
more testimony. 1t is believed that the
defense does not intend to put in any
testimony upon the preliminary exam
ination.