Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-14
THE POISONING CASE
Against Dempsey Still in Court in
PittSburg.
GIVE THEIR EVIDENCE.
They Assert That the Patients
Showed Every Symptom Of Ar
senical Poisoning-The Defense
Unable to Shake Some OF
the Most Important Evidence
Against the Prisoner.

PITrsBURG, Pa. January l3.-The court
room was too small to-day 70 accommodate
the crowd which poured IN 10 hear the pro.
ceedings in the trial Of Hugh Demp-
sey for completely in the Homestead poison
ing.
The morning was almost entirely taken
up with the examination OF men who had
been taken III while working at Homestead
during the strike aud physicians who at
tended them. Thephysicians all expressed
the belief that the men had been poisoned
Among the number were George w.
Army, Louis Craig and II. Il. Thompson.
The defense objected 10 the latter's test-
mony, aud Judge Stowe said the proceed
ings were somewhat irregular, but II some
one would swear that the defendant was
guilty OF furnishing the poison and ma
terial which caused the sickness, the evil
dence was admissible. District Attorney
Burleigh replied that IL was proposed 10
show this very fact. There was specific
evidence connecting the defendant with
the poisoning.
I'VE propose" said he, Ito prove by tho
witness that while he war at work in the
Homestead mill he was taken sick; this 10
be followed by this testimony. that the de-
fendant employed certain persons TO use
poison, and that in pursuance Of this en-
ployment, poison was used
The testimony was they admitted.
Dr. j. l.. Campbell OF Chicora, Pa, at
tended Army and Craig and treated them
fer mineral poisoning. The treatment was
partially successful, but the men ne, n
fully recovered
AT the afternoon session Stephen V.
Loves. VIM. Ii. Johnston, Benz. Weaver,
Wibert Heard. Chss II. Smith, Louis G..
Wolfe, Jr,, w. Il. Bullock and VIM. r..
Griffith testified 10 having been seized with
sudden and severe illness after eating in
the Homestead mill. Griffith, who mado
che information on whicn the cases rest,
gave his evidence as follows:
III went 10 the mill August %. | came
from New York ! went there 10 work In
the restaurant. / was chief waiter in NO.
8 restaurant. / remained there I'LL sep
tember -. | know Patrick Gallagher.
was taken sick September III. had ter
rible burning pains, vomiting and .diarr-
hua. This came on about an hour Etcr l
ate supper. was attended by two doctors 4
came back TO the mill October 8, but not
entirely cured, and went 10 work again.
worked there till October 10. Gallagher
came there 10 work October as a cook.
He was there when / left. | was taken
sick October6 6, about the same way as bo-
fore. This was after midnight lunch.
Gallagher was cook at the time. | was
even sicker than az the first. ] was SICK
the last time about five weeks In bed"
Grifith's evidence was not shaken by tho
cross-examination. Doctor II. 5. Nc.
Geary who treated VIM. III. Johnston stated
that arsenical poisoning alone would pro-
duce such marked symptoms as Johnston's
case presented. Witness also attended
Benz Weaver, whose symptoms he said
could have been produced only by some
| strong irritant poison. On being cross-ex-
amined DIR. McGeary said: "The condi-
tion found these men In could not have
been caused by impure water or meat,
neither could climatic changes. Had the
diarrhRa been caused by some such thing
IL would have soon passed away
DIR. A. p. Fogleman who attended Smith
and Griffiith, testified that the cases did
not yield 10 treatment as they should have
done. He said the symptoms In the mons
diseases could have been produced oy some
corrosive poison On cross-examinatiOn
witness said: "The cooking Of food In
large quantities, the drinking OF water
such as the men were not used 70 and cli-
mate changes would tend 10 produce dis
ease similar 10 what affected these men.
Dr.McGeary was recalled and said he
had treated anWinkle, one OF those
alleged TO have been poisoned. He was la
terrible condition. His temperature was
~ and bis pulse lJo. te WAS kfehIJ eA-
hausted and suffering from fearful yomit-
ing and diarrhoea. He continued: 1--WE,
the other doctor and myself, after consul
tation came TO the conclusion he was suffer-
ing from srsoncal poison. He rapidly
grew worse and was almost dying
when we sent him 70 the
his case entirely on the symptoms. After
Homeopathic Hospital. took
careful study Of the case. the symptoms,
and the patient, say II Is my opinion that
tne man was suffering from arsenical
poison. reported the case as being most
serious, and that be should ne removed. IL
is not fact that there will always be an
eruption OF the skin in cases Of arsenical
poison. have heard Of cases where per-
sons bad been poisoned with arsenic where
the skin was smooth and yellow"
III you believed this man was poisoned
why old you cot notify the coroneri"
'The case did not die under my hands.
il was not my duty 70 do so"
"Was not the reason you did not because
you were not certainf"
'.No. sir"
DR.. i. w. Dean. who also treated Van
Wrinkle. said that be was strongly suspic-
iOus that his patient was suffering from
arsenical poisoning. Court here adjourned
until Monday.