The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-21

brothers, Herbert John, had already
died in 1879, and DIR. Lamson had then
received as his share of that child's
portion the sum of about SO, 500. 1t was
proved at the trial that the doctor was
III very straitened circumstances and in
the most urgent need of money. Never
theless the trial awakened widespread
questioning of the value of circumstan-
Viai evidence. and particularly of tho
medical testimony. which was of ancx-
tremely scientific and technical charac-
ter.
nat Was clearly proven was this
that about = o'clock in the evening oS
pcccmbcr =. 1851. DR.. I.anson paid a
VISIT 10 the school at Wimbledon. and
lIad an interview with Iris Young
orothcr-in-iaw. bat was never once
alone with HIM. as the principal OF the
school, DR.. Bedrock, was present tho
Whoic tune. seeing every thing that was
Gone and hearing everything that was
said: that DR.. I.nmSon, after warm ,x-
prcSsions of pleasure at seeing l;4
brothcr-in-laN. III whom he li;ld al,vuvS
appeared to take Z most atfcctionatc
interest. produced some swcctmeati
ana Dundee cake, and invited loti,
DR.. Bedbrcoll ANA his brotllcr-in-l.s to
partakc Of them. and all three munchri
the cake and tasted OF the candy to-
gethcr; that in the course OF conyrrs;,-
ton DR.. l-amSon produced some gclatinc
capsules. which ne said he had h;on~ht
from America. and the use ri which
he explained To the principal OF tho
school, saying that they would he very
convenient for his usc in giving his
pupils unpleasant medicines: that h,,
prevailed upon IL. Ecdhrooll TO take
one ol these ,criatinc cnnsulcs himself.
having first sent fora howl of powdered
sugar 10 hc used in filling them: ,hut
Will" DE-. hanson was ;alhinw OF the
convenience of the capsules and ;hc
schoolmaStcr was listening. l.amsou
apparently filled anoi her of them with
sugar from the bowl in front of him
amt handed il To his Young brother-in-
law. with these words: Here. Percy.
you are swell pill tal,cr: take this
and show DR.. Bedrock how easily il
can be swallowed" The boy placed it
Iii his mouth and swallowed il with one
gulp. That is soon gone my boy"
said the doctor. and then he added
quite careless v: Il must he Going
now" DR.. I.amson went Oft almost
immediately from the school. say
ing that he intended to catc:,
the tidal train for Paris With
III twenty minutes from the time
of his departure Percy John COM
planned of pain and was carried up TO
his bedroom. lie became rapidly
worse. showing all the symptoms of
acute poisoning. and, after suffering
great agonies, died within less than
four honrS from the time he swallowed
the capsule. Ills death at once aroused
suspicion and the dead toy's room was
carefully searched. Among his effects
WAS found pill box which contained
several pulls and was labeled: 'Gcorwe
Henry Lamson. NJ. d.. care of Mrssrs.
Gilling II TO-. 1870 Strand" nciu.r
analyzcd these pills were found To con-
tain aconitinc. The post-mortcn cx-
animation. however, failed to disclose
any clear cause ofdeath
The contents of the stomach and
other parts of the body were submitted
To two expert analysts. and they. after
conducting number of very dclicatr
chemical tests declared their belief
that the boy died from having s,vnl-
lowed ii quantity Of the irritant veyrtn-
bl" poison known as aconitinc, and THAI.
DR.. l.amson had bought and tried to
buy aconitinc mt several drug stores.
This WAS all HAT was clearly proved bv
The evidence. All the rest was mcdicnl
speculation, opinions Of chemical cx-
pertS, conjcctures of anal stS and alyu-
mcnts of lawyers. The famous Mr..
Montague Williams ably defended
l-amson, and the case for the govern
mcnt seemed to he so imperfectlv
proved that Il verdict of Not guilty.
would have surprised no one
Nevertheless. the jury found Lam
son guilty. and though lie stoutly pro-
tested his innocence until all hope of
saving his neck had vanished. he con-
fcssed Mt the last not only to the pois-
oning of Percy Malcolm John, but also
to the poisoning of Perey's brother,
Herbert John, who had died without
exciting any suspicion in 1879
And yet, if Lamson had never con-
fessed, but had had the nerve to die
with lie on his lips. it is certain that
he would have left behind him IA ghost
that would have haunted the castle OF
circnmStantial evidence. with "A halo of
martyrdcm around its mead, to the end
of time. JAMES w. CLARKE, a. NJ.
Fashion Notes.
Guipnre and all the beautiful laces