The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-23
SELMA LARSEN'S DEATH.
DIR. DAWSON SAYS IT WAS CAUSED
BIZ CORROSTVE POISON.

n. Tn,nEs she Might Have raken n in Tablet.
in mistake FOR Potash. which she Epnd Bees
rnLIrE for n Ceid-The stomach ana Con-
tents TO ne submit cd to Chemical Analysis.
MArrEAwAN, July 22..The mystery sur.
rounding the sudden death of Selma Larsen, the
pretty parlor maid employed by Mira. Clarence
a. Dlnsmore is no nearer solved tonight than IL
was before tho meeting OF tho Coroner's Jury at
Fishkill Landing yesterday. The body Of the
dead girl has been buried, her many friends have
taken their last look at Solma's face. and Coro
ner Bevier's jury has taken page after page of
testimony, but no one as yet Is under suspicion
OF having caused the girls death. Yet the belief
remains that in some manner q corrosive poison
found It's way into the stomach Of the girl and
that It's action caused her death. This belief ia
founded on the testimony given by at least two
Of the physicians Of the General Hospital staff,
DR.. J. @. Dawson and DR.. Frank Tetamore.
Both doctors we're present at the autopsy over
the dead girls remains. and testified to that be-
lief at the inquest yesterday. In part Of his tes-
tiinony DR.. Dawson said:
From the autopsy performed by mo on tho
remains Of Selma Larsen on Monday morning I
believo that her stomach contained a corrosive
drug In tablet or capsule form. The condition
OF the lining Of the stomach indicates that It
was corrodod by poison. The history Of the case
and symptoms shows that 1t was not caused by
an ulcer. She showed no symptoms Of peritonitis
until after IL o'clock on Sunday morning. The
poison suggested bichloride Of mercury"
DR.. Dawson, in an interview with THE SUN
reporter at his Office tonight, said that
Miss Larsen had been suffering with u cough,
and had been In the habit OF taking potash
tablets to stop the cold. Sho might pos
sibly have made a mistake and taken some of
the corrosive sublimate tablets which had been
used about the Dinsmore residence to rid It Of
the insect pests. AT tho autopsy of the girls
stomach l found that these tablets lay in the
one position and ate through the mucous cover.
ing OF the stomach, which 10 but one-sixtconth of
an inch in thickness. The poison caused conges.
ton OF tho posterior tubes OF the lungs, and
this accounts for their condition as shown by
the autopsy"
Each ono of these tablets contained the requi-
site amount of corrosive sublimate. to make a
! to 100 solution when added to a pint of water,
although for ordinary use / to 200 is tho proper
strength.
Coroner Bevier went to Poughkeepsie carly
this morning. where q consultation was held
with District Attorney Wood. They both de-
cided to accede to the desire of the Coroner's
fury to have the stomach and Its contents sub
mltted to a chemical analysis. and Coroner
Bevier proceeded to Albany. where the analysis
will be made by Edward ]. Wheeler, q chemist
who has held official positions under the State
Board OF Health and other important organiza
tions. The District Attorney at Pou hkeepsie
is firmly Of tho opinion that the girls death
was caused by the breaking Of an ulcer in hel
stomach. which produced peritonitis and tn,
symptoms Of poisoning which the physicians whc
performed the autopsy found in the stomach. II,
believes that he ia warranted in the conclusion
by the medical testimony ndduced at the in
quest, although he respects the opinions of Drs
Dawson and Tetamore, who testified that they
believed the girls death was caused by q zorro
Of mercury. The District Attorney says that tn,
Coroner's Jury does not hold Butler Charville il
there is no known motive for suicide be cal
form orr y no other opinion than thar that That her sIn death wa
tor EDsiand on SATURDAY. eApe''S Sal
There is another theory advanced to-day t.
e %sifs Dr. for He s9s h Whit. in of 'h Fish itHpa si1
et tho ofhoe Of Dr.; Poucher in POUCH
sn esp', atome eIAi for STATE Chemist Eeward ; ;
Waeele-, DR.. white made a eursory inspection
that the so-called ulcer was nothing more thar
an incision in the wall of the stomach caused b,
held I to the ulcer Ill sp1 theory asaypi has been sent Tor Tf &c
have his attention called to the discovery, DIR
P pIse : ssiS Tf fo-d Snse ,b thought Sa w there Ieo mTTis6' b, be al a.
'heve that the hole in the stomach was only
cut made ut the autopsy.
STAATsBURG, July 22.-Clarence G. Dinsmor
Of the "Locusts" said to-day, after having beef
Informed of the testimony brought out at tn
inquest in Fishkill:
II think that the physicians at the Matteawal
Hospital showed little judgment In having al
lowed Selma Larsen to die without taking he
ante-mortem statement. Had the young womai
been told that she was going to die, and had sh
been confronted with an examining officer, sh
would no doubt have told how she came to tax
poison. think that any now light thrown oil
the case will show that the girl swallowed a car
Bule in the train without leaving her seat. l an
convinced that death was not due to blood poi
eoning resulting from the bursting of an ulcer
She appeared to be too healthy TO have had al
ulcer. What puzzles me Is a motive. She di
not intend to commit suicide. that is certain"