The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-20
A NEW THEORY DEVELOPED
II Is Possible That the Koesters Family
Was Not Poisoned at All.
Absorption of Arsenic from the Undertaker's
ClOths-Annie Wagners Preliminary
Hearing To-Day.

This morning the preliminary examina-
tion of Annie Wagner will DO held in the
Police Court and su bpenas have been issued
for Coroner Beck, DR.. Eisen beiss and others
who have had part In the investigation.
DR.. Eisen beiss will briefly give the result
of his analy ses, with the exception of that
OF the infant. He stated last night thar he
was not quite ready to report on the
snaly sis of the child's stomach.
The impression is growing that Annie
Wagner Is Innocent and the impression is
also gaining ground that the family was
not poisoned at all A new theory devel-
oped yesterday. and 1t Is one that DR..
Eisen beiss Will thoroughly investigate.
The Doctor has proven that arsenic was in
the stomach of the Koesters when their
bodies were inferred, but he has ventured
no opinion as to how it got there. 1t is
not within his province to make
such statement public until he il
called upon in court OF justice to give his
views as to how the poison got into the
stomachs. Then it would be somewhat of
q matter of surmise 1t has been asserted
that undertaken Grnsteiner did not en-
balm any of the bodies except that of the
wife. This Is true. and no arsenic got
into the stomachs OF the Others III that
manner. Had there been a probability
that the poison reached the organs In this
way the evidence against Annie Wagner
would have been considered very slight
and not sufficient to warrant lengthy de-
tention. The undertaken was put on oath
before the coroner and. OF course. gave true
statements as TO the preparation or the
bodies for interment. He also stated that
he had put cloths over the face. These
cloths give Dr. Eisenbelss the clew for his
future work in these cases.
DIR. Eisenbeiss stated last night that it
was possible for arsenlcal poison to get
into the organs after death through what
Is known Osmosis, OF. to be palmer,
through ABSORPTION. That ls if there was
arsenic on the cloths used in spreading
over the faces of the Koesters, it was pos
sible for the poison to pass through the
skin ana flesh in Co the organs. An expert
ment common In high-schOol chemistry Is
recalled to illustrate. If certain fluids are
put in q parchment cup. and the cup sus-
pended In a jar of water, it will only be
short time until the fluid has passed into
the water and a part of the water into the
parchment cup. This seems 9 bit curious
on account of the tough tiber Of the parch-
ment. DR.. Eisenbeiss will shortly expert
ment to determine the minutise of this pro-
cess on human body. He did not think
| it could be positively determined whe thor
or not thS arsenic went Into the bodies In
| this manner.
Undertaken Grinsteiner was asked last
night about these cloths placed over the
| faces of the Koesters. He said that che
| cloths had been used in each instance. He
had given the coroner this information.
What preparation Is put on these
| clothsi" was asked Mr.. Grlnsteiner.
81 DO not know of what IL is composed"
| he said. 1T is Known as the M. IL l. fluid
| aud is poisonous. / do not know whether
| or not there Is arsenic In it, but in those
kinds of fluid there generally 49,"
There IS another element of doubt in
| Annie Wagner's favor. DIR. Eisenbeiss stat
ed last night that some OF the mixtures
| known rat poisons contain arsenic and
| some contain, in lieu of arsenic. phosphor-
| Ous. The box which it is alleged Annie
| Wagner bought at Borst's drug store has
not yet been snalyzed. and it is not known
| whether IL contains arsenic OF phOsphOr-
Gus. 1t is quite proba BILE. however, that
| arsenic Is the deadly Ingredient.
| In examining the body of the old man it
| was found that the stomach was infiamed q.
| This would operate against the theory of
| arsenic reaching the stomach through the
skin from the cloths. for arsenic is irri-
| tant poison and would have caused the in
| fammation. but of course il could not have
caused it after death. This might indicate
that the arsenic was introduced into the
| body before death. Yet there might be
| other causes for the irritation other than
/ from the effect of the arsenic.