The Portland daily press., 1896-01-17
THE PARTRIDGE CASE
The Arsenic in the Child's Stomach Came
from EmbaIming Fluid-Mrs. Partridge
Completely yindicated.


Completely yindicated.
The death of the Partridge child at
Freeport ON December 10, which was at
tended with circumstances deemed sus-
picious, and the.subsequent investigation
by coroner's jury have received more or
less attention in the newspapers, but GER
tain facts that appeared at the inquest
and entirely relieve the mother of the
child, Mrs. Blanche Partridge, from the
suspicion which rested upon her, have
not been made public 1t is but simple
justice to her that they should be known.
The child died ON the morning Of
December TO- During the day COM
plaint was made to Coroner Littlefield of
this city, and IN the evening he went to
Freeport to investigate. He ordered an
autopsy, which was performed. The
child's stomach was removed and sent to
Professor Robinson of Bowdoin college
for analysis Of its contents. The pro-
fessor's analysis disclosed very small
quantity of arsenic In the stomach. This,
of course, increased suspicion that the
ohild's death had not been due to natural
causes and q eoroner's jury was empan-
neled the ohild's body exhumed and the
kidney's sent to Brunswick for examina-
tion. The jury adjourned to such time as
Prof. Robinson's analysis should be COM
pleted.
Before Prof Robinson's examination
| Of the kidneys was finished very i'm
portant fact came to light. 1t seems that
just after the child died its grandmother
had used embalming fluid,
furnished by an undertaken, in accord
ance with his instructions, very freely
about the child's face and parted lips.
Analysis showed this fluid to contain 20
per cent of arsenic. These fact were COM
municated to Prof. Robinson.
On January II, Prof. Robinson, being
ready to report, the coroner's jury met
again. His report was, in brief, that he
had found in the kidneys no trace of any
foreign substance; in the stomach he had
found one hundred and twentieth of a
grain of arsenic, and in the intestines an
amount so small that he was unable to
weigh 1.-THE made an approximate esti-
mate of one twelve hundredtn of grain.
the kidneys made it certain that the
arsenic entered the stomach after death
and must have come from the embalming
fluid, for the kidneys would have revealed
it if it had entered the stomach of the
child when alive. Prof. Robinson said
that il he hid known when he made the
examination Of the stomach of the use of
the embalming fluid he should have been
able to account for what little arsenic he
found there and should not have called
for the kidneys. He expressed surprise
that more was not found after, he knew
the circumstances.
OF course this statement of facts con-
ing in the case, and completely exonor-
ated the mother of the child. Unfortu-
nately the evidence was not disclosed to
the public and the completeness OF Mrs.
Partridge's 7indioation has been known
to but comparatively few. In view of
the fact that all the circumstances which
tended to cast suspicion upon her were
given wide publicity, it was only simple
justice that the facts that established her
innocence beyond all question should
have been given equal circulation.
1t may be stated further that the child
exhibited no symptoms of poisoning.
Just what caused it's death is not certain
ly known. but all supsicion o. foul play
was completely removed by the testimony
at the inquest
The selectmen Of the town did not set
on foot the inquiry, but an individual on
his own responsibility.