Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-07

come to light represent the sun of that
kind of crime? 1t is ~undeniably true
that there are certain drugs which, if ad-
ministered with skill, would be impos-
sible to detect. Their symptoms are
practically identical with those of fami-
liar diseases, and a little while after
death they ~decompose, change form and
disappear. 1t would be possible, too,
to inoculate a victim with the germs of
some deadly malady. He would then
go to his grave with a real case of con-
sumption or pneumonia or lockjaw. and
there would be nothing to arouse the
shadow of suspicion. l believe firmly
that such crimes are committed and
never discovered, but I believe also that
they are very rare. The real safeguard
of a community lies in the fact that so
few murderers possess the requisite skill.
Educated people seldom commit delib-
crate MURDER continued the doctor,
and the uneducated mind instinctively
associates poison with two substances
, arsenic and strychnine. They are the
deadly drugs most familiar to the public,
and fortunately they are easily detected.
! Murder by arsenic is infinitely clumsy.
! To begin with, the symptoms are marked
end peculiar. and. being a metallic pro-
duct. it's traces remain in the body an
indefinite time. Last suInmer a woman
in Barcelona, Spain. confessed that she
had poisoned her sister with arsenic fif-
teen years before. The grave was open
ed and the coffin found to contain MOTH
ing but dust and ashes. but a chemica
test showed Enthusiastically the presence
of the drug. Mrs. Maybrick was accus-
ed of killing her husband with arsenic,
and the test revealed it plainly in not
only the remains, but in certain medi-
cines. The demonstration was so con-
| elusive that she finally arose in courS
and admitted giving him a white pow
\ der but insisted that she followed his
own express directions. One of the
most ingenious cases of poisoning | ever
heard of occurred some years ago in
another state. A young physician plot
ted to kill a wealthy farmer. He knew
the latter was taking quinine for a cold.
and. meeting him one lay asked to see
what sized capsules he used. While pre-
tending to examine them he slipped in
one containing strychnine. The farmer
happened on it nearly a week later, and
NE died in commissions. An autopsy
revealed the poison. but the affair was
a deep mystery until the doctor commit
ted suicide, leaving a written confession.
The Doisonings that occur in novels
and on the stage are usually very anus
ing to a student of toXicolosy," said the
physician in conclusion. II remember
in 'sam'l of Poscn.' which was produced
With such success by M. b. Curtis. the
drummer hero was temporarily knocked
out by a poisoned cigar. He took two
or three WhiffS and over he rolled. |
would like very much To know the name
Of a drug that would produce that sort
Of effect. Nearly all the poisoning in
fiction is equally surprising. There is 4
Well known English romance. in which
the heroine inhales the fragrance Of a
bunch Of roses and instantly falls dead,
Needless to say, the poisoned perfume il
wholly unknown to science. Another
/ story-but I could Keep on citing in
4 stances all night. History isn't much
better. Most of the yarns Of the Bor-
gias and the MediciS are pure moon
shine-especially those about poisoned
1 gloves, poisoned tapers and other APP
plications of drugs or things that are
touched or handled. The tale of the
book which was amounted on the margins
with some deadly substance ana killed
II the person who moiStened his fingers tt
turn over the leaves has possibly il foun'
dation of truth, but I confess ! would b.
puzzled to know how to prepare such E
volume. Almost anything that Nigh
be used would instantly betray Itself
by it's taste. In the middle ages pow
dered glass is said to have been a favor
tie material with which to doctor food
and you'll find some interesting data
on the subject in the autobiography OF
Cellini, the goldsmith. 1t is occasions
ally used by negroes right here in thu
south. OF course powdered glass ism
a true poison. 1t sometimes Kills by
setting up internal inflammation. Of
tener it has no effect at all"