The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-12-24
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On cross-examination she said For two years
up to the summer preceding his death my husband
was very dissipated. | thought his sickness, when
he was first taken ill., might have been caused from
the fumes from blasting in well he was SINKING
for Mr. HaineS gave Nun nm o0s as OF Dill Hron
Each of the physicians who attended him gave
him several kinds of medicine They did not know
what remedies were given by each other. Charlie
threatened if he was not permitted to have wills
key that he would take something that would
max us all sorry 1 was told by the grand jurors
the arrest of Nelson and sent the letter to him AT
Hagerstown to decoy him to my house gave Inc
after Nelson got in the house This sign was 10
hang newspaper out of window
SON OF THE DECEASED
William David Reaver son of the deceased, called
by the prosecution stated that he is nearly thirteen
years old. He was asked whether he remembered
when Nelson first came to his fathers house. He
replied that he did not know whether it was in the
spring or fall. Bert was there about two months
He left in the morning and mother OF witness lelt
in the afternoon of the same day. She was absent
about two months.
Continuing, he said: Nelson came to our house
on Sunday night, October ID, and stayed until
about eleven O'Clock Monday night While mother
was getting supper on Sunday night Nelson sat by
the stove. Nelson showed me small vial with
white pills in it. l asked him what it was. He did
not tell what it was. but said II L took one IL
would fix my business The pills were Ter not quite 1 aS
asked him what it was. l saw the powder i'll the
envelope which he showed my mother on Sunday
night. He showed me the pills on Monday
Witness father took water freely, and complained
of mains in the stomach and in his limbs Witness
heard his father cry out when he had the spell on
Monday night. ~ was sleeping with Bert" he
said. land when got awake, Bert was getting up.
Before he went down he was hunting for something
white in it. He found the bottle, and then went
down stairs, and ont to the stable. | went to the
was there putting on his shoes. He told me to tell
my mother to write to him at Hagerstown, to Jesse
Deman, and tell him how pap got along after 1t was
all over.
Il saw something that looked like paris green.
1t was nearer our house than 1t was to Mrs HulneS
side of the garden. Mrs. Haines had part OF our
garden"
Nelson talked to witness about witness father,
with sledge hammer. He said on another occa-
sion that he only wanted good chance to push
him under the ice. Heard Nelson say that he
wished his father dead, and that he ought to have
been dead long ago.
TESTIMONY OF PHYSICIANS.
Drs G. r. Markell, NJ. NJ. Norris VIM. d. Brown
and Dr. JOS T. Herring all testified to the autop-
sy, to pOiSons. &C. but their evidence was not
very important and in no way connected Nelson
with the cause of Reayer's death. DR.. W. b. d.
who examined the contents of Reaver's stomach.
He said the condition of the parts such that
no pathological examination could be made. He
examined about one-third of the stomach for
Senic, but found none. Took another third and
examined for all the poisons, but found nothing
but traces of alkaloid poison which might have
been generated by decomposition. The witness also
stated that an examination of the kidneys indi-
Gated no arSenical or other mineral poison. He
said that is possible that an animal may die from
poison which has been eliminated, but it is not
likely. If poison had been administered to Reaver
on Monday sufficient to cause death on the follow
ing saturday, witness did not think if it had been
ola mineral character, it would have been elimin-
ated.
Other witnesses were examined, but nothing of
Importance was ELECTED. The defense did not have
any witnesses, and neither side made opening
statements nor argued the case.
OPINION OF THE COURT
The choice of counsel to try this case before the
court has imposed upon the court very Welghty
responsibility, which, under the law, 1t was Obliged
toaccept and we hope that we have attended to the
evidence 1t developed upon thewitness stand with
all of the care and deliberate thought that the gray
ity of the case required. 1t is nOtnecessary
that we should review the evidence i'll detail and
we would not undertake to do that; nor Will we
undertake to explain or to account for some OF the
features of the case which are involved in good
deal of mystery, and we simply will content our
selves by stating the conclusion at which we have
arrived The party is indicted here for poisoning
any of the evidence has pointed at at all, and in
the expert testimony which has been given i'll the
case there was an absence of arsenic and there was
absence OF all other kinds OF poison as well as IN
the investigation that was made of the contents of
the stomach, etc, after the DEATH when the usual
tests had been applied. The entire absence of the
poison after death and upon this examination. and
the fact that the evidence does not distinctly con-
meet this party here with the origination of this
mans sickness. are facts that we think would not
justify us in coming to a conclusion of his guilt.
He taken sick on Tuesday, under the circum-
stances detailed in the evidence and in a somewhat
mysterious way. The fact that poison-this paris
green-which is the only poison which has been
connected with the case directly by proof OF the
witnesses who it, and all of these facts, that
the sickness of the originated OH Tuesday, the
9th of September, and then followed along in the
way described by the witnesses until the list to the
3rd of October, when this other occurrence took
place and all of them before the party accused was
brought upon the scene and without any proof by
which there is a connecting link of these occur
rences, do not think will justify us that he was
guilty. The suspicion that the facts give rise to
and the mysteries of the case probably never will
be explained, at least we are not able to explain
them and we shall not attempt to do that, and for
the reasons we have stated, we shall have to enter
in this case verdict of not guilty.
The Nelson case attracted large atten-
dance of people and the court room was
packed on both days of the trial. The jury
was discharged on Tuesday, and court adj
journed on Wednesday.