The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-06
DRANK some TEA.
Then Became Unconscious and Soon
Afterwards Died.
INQUEST SHOWED THAT DEATH
WAS DUE TO MORPHINE.

A Case That is Exciting All Nova Scotia
How Alexander Cameron Came to His
Death-His Wife, who Bought the
Morphine, Is Maine ri.
BRIDGETowNs N. S., February 1.-The
western section of Nova Scotia is pro-
foundry excited over sensational NOR
phine poisoning case, which almost par
allels the famous DR.. Buchanan ease in
New York. ss.
twenty-five years ago Jennie MeNichol
vivacious 16-year-old, but fully devel-
oped, girl came down from Eastport,
Me-, to visit her married sister at Col
denyille, Guysboro. She was well con-
nected, and is sister of A. McNichoi,
lawyer. of Calais. Me-, ana Colin Nc
Nichol, lawyer, of PASSPORT.
The gold mining boom was at its
height in Goldenvilie, and there were
many eligible suitors for the hand of the
handsome Yankee girl. She chose Alex
ander d. Cameron, well-to-do merchant
and gold miner, who was double her age.
Cameron was madly in love with hi
wife, and settled money on her. Subse-
quently he met reverses in business, but
Mrs. Cameron's nest egg constantly in
creased, until today she has $4,000 in
her own right.
Fifteen years ago they came to Bridge
town, started in business and did well;
but all the property was in her name, and
the husband completely subservient to
the imperious will.of his wife. He, was
a prominent Free Mason, an active poll
tiCian, and became very popular, but
their social acquaintance were limited,
and Mrs. Cameron had but few friends
Subsequently she became intimately &C
quainted with o. T. Daniels, a young
lawyer, and made him her attorney for
the management of her property.
The Camerons had no family and
Daniels went to board with them. Three
years ago Cameron began to break up
from nervous troubles, became COM
plete wreck and addicted to quinine
wine. The domestic relations Of hus-
b nd and WIFI became most wretched,
and it is alleged that Mrs. Cameron cruel
" i'll treat ID her fast becoming demented
husband. and publicly expressed the
hope .Aat he would die, saying her life
had been ruined aud she was tired of
him. Various stories are told of her
cruel treatment. Meanwhile, Lawyer
Daniels, who is also municipal clerk of
the county of Annapolis, continued to
be her intimate friend.
Last year Cameron assigned and
Daniels arranged the compromise of so
cents on the dollar with the creditors.
It is alleged that the policy on Cameron's
life was also made payable to Daniels as
trustee. Mrs. Cameron sold out the
store and went to Maine to visit her
friends. f5
Soon after her return in October,
stories of renewed i'll treatment were
current, and then she sent her husband
over on the bay shore to live with a
fisherman's family, telling her friends
he would only live short time, and she
continued to board in town. She paid
his board some months in advance, but,
though only five miles distant, never
visited or wrote to him.
Meanwhile he began to recover. Three
weeks ago, on the strength of an old pre-
scription from an alleged doctor at East
port, she obtained some laudanum and
morphine from a local druggist. A few
days later, on the excuse that she had
broken the bottle, she obtained 80 grains
of morphine from the same druggist.
Two days after this she started to visit
her husband on the seashore. On the
way she remarked to the driver that she
had dreamed that her husband would
not live until February l, but she found
him in fairly good health. She remained
there a week.
On the morning of the 26th ult they
quarrelled and he left the house. He was
brought back and she gave him cup of
tea. She says his hands were SO feeble
that he could not hold the cup, and she
held it while he drank. Very shortly
after drinking it he fell into a comatose
condition, remaining SO for IS hours, and
then died.
After his death Mrs. Cameron arranged
to forward the remains to the other end
of the province, Pictou county, for inter
ment; but the Free Mason lodge investi-
ed the body at the railway station. had
an inquest and post-mortem, the result
of whichwas to show that the deceased
died of morphine poisoning. Thereupon
Mrs. Cameron was arrested.
She has not friend in the community.
He. brother has been telegraphed for
from Calais, and the examination has
been postponed till Tuesday. She ad.
mits taking the morphine with her, but
SAYS it was for b r own use; that he1
husband had often said that he was tired
of life and wanted to die, and if NOR
phine is found in the stomach he mus
have got it himself out Of her valise.
When the stories of foul play circulated
she destroyed the unused portion of the
poison.
Mrs. Cameron is handsome woman
in middle life, and is locked up in hel
room at the hotel. Your correspondent
hada long interview with her; and,
while she stoutly protests her innocence,
she admits that chain of circumstan-
tial evidence has been wound around hel
that places her in most dcplorable posi-
ton. The people are unanimously
against her, and were so excited that
many would have resorted to lynchine
upon the slightest encouragement.
uPhysicians are respectfully invited, ito ties