The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-15

. man guilty OF murder by poisoning un'esh !
there 10 direct evidence OF the fact. Palmer I
10 famous As tho fifst OF n lonR linc Of mod
crn poisoning doctors. lie Was nnoh given I
maintain his absolute life no poisoned his
wife. his brother, and finally his friend. .
NJ. !Cook. for whose murder alone no was
Bst when he was arrested and charged
ousnsss q every point OF the proceedings
that he gave the fury . good reason, by his
own behavior alone. TO believe that he WAS
guilty. He tried 10 bride the coroner. no
offered ElO TO = driver Of . carriage IN
Cooks stomach was to be taken to London
for analysis, on condition that he would
q. set the vehicle and break the jar. Yet
on his trial, which took place IN 1866, he
showed the greatest coolness and predicted
his own aoquittal with the utmost conh-
dence.
The doctors wsrs obliged to admit on
their oaths that there WAS no trace OF
stryehnia found in the body of Cook, and
the best egg opinions Of the county sad
him nevertheless. Palmer repeatedly de-
clared in his condemned cell that he was
going to his grave a murdered man. 30
steaofast did he seem TO DO In his assertion
Of innocence that public opinion whvefed,
bnt at the last moment no tnrned to the
chaplain and admitted that he had not
only poisoned Cook, but had also poisoned
his vito and brother in the same manner.
II he had had two minutes more OF the
hardihood and bravado which had charac-
terizcd him all through the trial and up to
the very brink Of eternity he would have
joined tho other o. ecters that throw thelr
wsird shadows acrosa the annals OF the
courts and make %iuro.s tremble at the
possibility OF doing a wrong that never can
DO lighted.
It IL curious that in all the talk about the
Carlyle W. Harris case no one should hays
recalled the famous case OF Stevens. the
New York wife poiaoner, whose trial before
Judge Roosevelt in 1853 was one OF the
greatest sensations OF the day. Stevens
WAS apparently an honest and thrifty me-
ehanic ind a member of the church. He
WAS employed in y carriage factory and
within sight OF his workshop Was his home
in which he. his wife. his wifo's niece and
one child lived together. & ~.
MIS-. Stevens became Ill. and her niece
undertook, the task of nursing her. The
husband affected great concern for the re-
covsty of his wife. and pretended to be 80
fearful lest her sickness would take a fatal
turn that he insisted upon giving her the
neaieine prescribed by the doctor with his
own hands. Under this p strxt OF devoted
affection he caused the niece to signal him
with handkerchisfs from the window Of his
apartment when the time had come for the
medicine TO bs administered. On seeing
this signal Stevens would leave his work in
tbs carriage shop and 10 to has wife's bed
side, and with man expressions Of endear-
ment prepare her medicine himself and see
that she took II. At the end of three weeks
tho woman died I'M was buried. the hus-
band displaying the greatest grief.
The niece who had nursed the dead wo-
man was new made the object of the hus-
bands affections. But she was already I'M
der engagement to be married to . young
man who lived in another part of the city.
and she declined Stevens attentions. he
found out the young man to whom his late
sent him a series of anonymous letters de-
siousd to- blacken this character OF his
sweetheart. Under LONG and bitter perse-
oution the Young woman sought the aid OF
q brother who lived in Ireland. and to whom
she " ote reoeunting the oircumstances OF
I her aunt's death and urging him to come
out here and help her In hor trouble.
The brother started for New York, and.
! hearing the details of his sisters shameful
treatment. determined to exact satisfaction
from Stevens at sight. do found him on
the street, shot At him and missed his mark.
Even at this point. il Stevens had been
! wise, there was yet time for him to have
avoided detection and punishment as a
. murderer. But he brought the young man
into court before Judge Welsh, who was
, about to commit him for a felonious assault
q upon Stevens, when the former asked leave
to make y statement. Judge Welsh told
him to say what he desired to the court
. and hs thereupon releted the story Of his
: ~sister's wrongs and incidentally mentioned
q suspicion. arising out of all the facts, tia,
= her aunt had been poisoned.
Q The court ordered an inquiry made into
the story. The body of the woman was ex-
? hunsd and was found to contain sufficient
arsenic to have killed six men. Stevens
was put upon trial. convicted and hanged
Feb. 8, 1860, but not before no had almost
s killed the warden in a desperate attempt te
: escape.
Cnriously like the case of Carlyle w. Har
ris in many respects was that OF George
Henry Lamson. a young medical man who
was tried in London in 1882 on the charge
Of procuring the death by poison OF hif
: young brother-in-law, Percy Malcolm John,
. pupil at the school of Bedrock at Vim
: bledon. He was seriously crippled by &
curvature of the spino 90 that he had to be
carried up and down stairs at school. but
n otherwise was In fair health. One of the
= sisters of the boy married Lamson, VIII
q was 4 youne doctor with a poor practice q
Bournenouth. Each of the children Wal
. entitled to one-eiRhth of an estate ON com
ing OF age or marrying and the share of an!
one of them who died was to pass to tn
survivors,.
10 The murdered boys prospective inherit
sncs was valued at about $500 Thil
z amount would pass to his two mar. led sis
d ters in case of his death, and ono of them
10 as stated, was tn0 Vile Oh 1n0eO0. Mr6
Q. Lanson. at tho time of her marriage. ha,
II settled all her property upon her husband
N so that the boys portion. il he died, woul
o. 10 direct to DR.. Lanson. And that va
, tho motive for the orime. Ono of Percy
40 brothers, Herbert John. had already die
in 1879, and Dr.. Lamson had then receive
ID as his share OF the chila's portion the sul
he of about $3, 500. II was proved At the do'
n tor was In very straitened oircumstance
sd and in the most urgent need of money.
i'd DR.. Lamson paid . visit to the school 6
nj Wimbledon and had an interview with b
or younQ brother -in-law, but was never ont
it, alone with him. as DR.. Bedrock WAS pre-
n ont the whole time. In the course Of COL
ill versation Dr.. Lanson Produced some gcll
on tine capsules, saying that they would
en- very convenient In giving unpleasant me-
ioinss. He prevailed apon Dr.. Bedrock
take one of these golatine capsules, haviI
mt hrst sent for a BOWL Of powdered sugar
lis be used In filling IL. and while talking
Of the convenience OF the capsules Lams'
10. apparently filled another Of them wi
,as sugar from the bowl in front Of bim n
these words: Here, Peroy. you are a swe
Nd pill taker; take this and show ~. boobrs'
in hsw easily IL can be swallowed"
ad The boy placed the capsule in his mou
at and swallowed 1t with ono gulp.. THAT
TO soon gone. my boy" said she doctor. al
no then he added quite oarelessly: II must
bv going now" d.. Lsmson went OIL alnio
ess Immediately from the school. saying tn
ma he intended to ontch tho tidal train fro
Ihe Paris. Within twenty minutes from t