The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-26

great number in the criminal annals of
all countries says the Globe Democrat. The
case of Carlyle W. Harris is the lineal
successor of long catalogue of celebrated
cases in which the terrible questions, lis
he Innocent" SIS be guilty." perpezed
and tormented the minds of the genera
tions to which they belonged. and SKILL
walk like uneasy ghosts among the dusty
alcoves of the law Libraries. haunting all
aftortime with the horrible suggestion of
Judicial murder.
No one. for example, will ever lay the
specter of Capt. Doneilan. which from the
time of his trial in 17S1 to the present day
has persistently revisited the gim pses of
the moon" and shaken his CORY locks at
every judge and jury in Christendom be-
fore whom anybody has been tried for
murder by poisoning on circumstantial
evidence. Impanel a jury of the best
lawyers in tho United States today.
read over all the evidence IN the case just
as it was recorded l02 years ago, and there
is not the slightest earthly chance that
they will be able to agree upon a verdict
Yet Capt. Donellan was choked to death
TO death by an Enelish hangman over a
century ago on the verdict of jury of his
feiiOW-men and most able Iudge Butler),
none of whom had the slightest doubt of
his guilt. There Is an aristOcratic aroma
about this ease. Burke, the author
of the famous book of the peerage,
included it in his book OF famous trials
connected with the British aristocracy. IL
was a family tragedy IN high life. Sir
TheOdosius BOuRhtOn was a young man
possessed OF q large landed estate Capt.
DOnellan was bis brother-in-law and heir
apparent to the large estate. At the time
Sir Theodosius died CSpt. DOnellan was
living with him in his country house and
occupied adjoining apartments. The
young man, who was in delicate health,
had sent to an spothecary shop for
draught OF medicine, which was sent back
10 him IN an ordinary VIA. This draught
WIS presumed 10 be q CONF position of rhu-
bard, jalaD and lavender water 1T the
time he took the draught other walls of
similar size appeared to have been in his
chamber. He had only swallowed the
drRught few minutes when ne was seized
with violent pains IN the stomach,
and was soon il commissions ond iOamin2
81 the mouth. de expired shorty alter
ward without making any statement
awakened IN the mind OF the young mans
mother, who was present at the death
scene. and she Immediately ordered ev-
erything IN the room. including the med
icins walls, to be left untouched Capt.
DOnellan persisted. however, in going
into the death chamber. and, against the
express wishes ana strong protests of the
mother, rinssd out the vial from which
Sir TheodOsius had taken his last drink
Lady HOughton immediately took up the
Tinssd vial and held It TO her nose At
the trial she testified that its Odor was
like that Of bitter Amends. Several phv-
sicians had testified that a glass which
had contained laurel water, which is a
deadly poison. would, after rinsing, give
an oder like that of bitter almonds. That
was the nearest approach TO evidence that
was offered 20 the Jury 20 snow that Sir
Theodosius had in fact taken drink of
the deadly laurel water. Sir John Hun
ter was the most eminent English physi-
clan OF the time, and be Was 4 witness at
the trial. Ee swOrs most positively that
there was nothing in the circumstances
attending the death of Sir Theodosius as
described by the physicians who were
called in at the time 10 warrant the Arser-
ton that his death was caused by poison
ing. All this symptoms described were.
Or. Hunter said. entirely consistent with
the belief that the young man died of
apopleXv. The autopsy made on the body
by the four physicians who testified for
the prosecution was pronounced by Sir J.
Hunter TO have been so irTegularly con-
Quoted that its results could not be
trusted.
The Evidence Against DoneIinn.
How, then. was Capt. Donellsn con-
victed? In the first place it was shown
that he had g strong motive Tor poisoning
his brother-in-lGw in the fact that he was
the next heir to q fine and valuable estate.
Next it was shown that in his own apart
ments, carefully guarded under lock and
key, be had a private distillsry, with all
the appliances necessary for the distills-
ton OF laurel water. An abundance OF
laurel leaves were growing In the garden
surrounding the house. The private still
IN which 1t was believed the deadly poi
son WAS prepared was found soon after
the death of Sir Theodosius covered with
quick lime, which would have effectively
removed al traces of laurel water. assum-
ing that any bad been lett in it. Further,
it was proved that Capt. Donel had
thrown every possible obstacle in the way
Of an examination of the body, and that it
was not until forcible means were taken
to overcome his objections that the body
was exhumed and dissected. 1t was
proved also thatfor many weeks before the
death of his brother-in-law he had taken
great pGins TO tell everyone in the neigh
borhood that he feared the young IAN
would not live long. that he expected his
death at any moment, while no one else
in the family had entertained such fears
His refusal TO respect Lady HoughtOn's
wish and his rinsng out Of the vial in op-
position 20 her earnest rsmonstrances was
also held % be a most damaging TACT. In
short. IL was claimed by the government
that from first to last Capt Donellan's
action was thoroughly inconsistent with
his innocence, and that ali the facts of
the case were ex plicable on the theory OF
his guilt. while on no other hypothesis
could they be satisfactorily explained !;
and 90. upon the tissue of presumptions,
without any bette proof that poison of
any sort had been instrumental in the
death Of the young man than the recollec-
ton by one woman of the smell of a rinsed
ont glass, this men Was convicted aud
sent to the scaffold In the ants-cham-
Der Of death, just before he Was taken out
to be hanged Capt. Donsllan. in the pres
enee of the chaplain. who had given him
the last consultations of religion, solemnly
declared that, a. he was shortly TO meet
his God and as he hoped for forgiveness
be was about to die entirely innocent of