New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-01
PRICE THREE CENTS.
WITTHAUS'S REPORT IN.
THE POISON FOUND IN MRS. ADAMS'a
VISCERA.
CORONER HART APPOINTS FEBRUARY . As
THE DAY OF THE INoUEsT-woRK ON
CLEws At THE KNICKERBocKER
ATHLETIC CLUB


The chief incidents in the Adams poisoning
yesterday were the fling Of Professor Witt
haus's report on the analysis OF the vlscera Of
Mrs Adams the setting OF the day on which
the inquest will be held. and the active work OF
Captain McClusky and his men along the line
of the evidence which they discovered before
the amateur detectives and other outside per-
sons Interested in the case attempted 20 solve
the mystery. In addition 70 this work there
was some display Of the circus parade variety
In which the police. fortunately Tor themselves,
did not take an active part This was the taxi
ing Of Mr.. Hickman. the manager Of the letter.
box concern at No. 2J7 West Forty second ST.,
on a round Of identification. which omitted ono
Of the principal suspects. as far as the police
are concerned. The greatest interest in the
case was centred in the report OF Professor
Witthaus. which. was made to Coroner Hart
This report was N substance alorg the lines
which have been indicated In a general way in
The Tribune ever since the bottle containing
the poison and the vlscera OF Mrs. Adams were
given to Professor WtthaEs for analysis-that
is, that cyanide Of mercury was In the bottle.
and that only a sufficient amount OF 1t was
there to cause the death Of one person
THE CHEMISTS REPORT.
The report in ietail Is as follows:
In the Matter OF the Death OF Katherine J; Adams
NewYork. January 81, 1889.
To Of Rf h1n Eq~9q Gy vi Or s cSone Borough
On Saturday, December 81, 1855 / received from
9niag: Ri T. "'''0" 'HF'' S's' AA~''''A Jars con-
/ The stomach and intesunes.
8 Liver Kidneys. heart and lungs
Upon the same day received from Captain
HevIhy a white paper envelope containing a blue
glass bottle IN wh.ch Vas a white powder r.,.
was wh,s gsnqlar si. po%der havng go marked marked
very distinct, odor Of peach kernels
pre!minary e%3,mnston , Of The powder made
tain mercuric cyanide. as / reported 70 you on the
A more complete examination Of the powder
showed the presence Of the following substances:
Potassium. sodium. mercury. carb0ric acid cyano-
gen. biomine, trace Of chlorine tartarc acid and
The potassium was probably present as potas-
SUM bromide the sodium as sodium b.carbonats
and the mercury as mercury cyanide
a portion Of the powder was taken from the top
termination Of mercury and OF cyanogeu by Rose
and Finkenor's method. (See Frensenius QUAINT.
Anal, 9Th Auh. p. 4g6) From O9es6 grains of ths
uercur1us chloride We're obtained Trese quanfi-
ties correspond 10 80 - per cent o. metallic mer-
from the amount Of mercury. the percentage u
moercuric cyanide IN mis- portion of ine powder Is
y j. per cent. and calculated from the cyanogen,
AGO per cent.
WHAT FURTHER ANALYSIS SHOWED.
There IS therefore an amount q mercury present
IN excess OF that required 10 combine with the
quantity Of cyanogen found. which would represent
055 per cent OF mercury cyanide This fact, coupled
with the existence OF the odor OF peach kernels
(mercuric cyanide berg entirely odoress) indicates
that II all The mercury present were introduced as
cyanide portion o. this sal, Is slowly decomposed
BY the actJn Of some other constituent oi ths
u4N1uIc "IsH 'I.s 4.Otl"uoH % Hte iyHfocyahc
acid or OF volatile cyanogen compound.
have not yet deteTmIle4 What constituent u
the powder causes this acuon but l nave found
Of mercuric cyanide ard bromo-sstzer
The decomposit on Of the mercuric cyanide would.
human system In different manner and more
rapidly than would merourc cyanide. either pure or
mixed wlth substances eXertng no decompos.ng
On January 3. in obedience to instructions from
you, transferred the contents Of thc bottle to
othtr vessel and delivered the empty ootte 20 De-
tectlye-Sergeant A A. Carey Subsequently took
another sample. which In c0nseq ence u the trans
ferral OF the powder from one vessel 70 another
had been lower part OF The contents OF the orig
MAJ bottle Tor the qualitative determination Of
other constituents and repetition Of the mercury
IN ths found quantity Of potassium core
spoaGing 10 ll33 per cent OF potassium bro~.uds
and quantity Of sodium corresponding 70 29' per
powder contained only G3l per cent Of mercury
determined as sulphide). representing 80 per cent
The upper layers Of the contents OF the original
bottle, therefore, contained much larger quantity
o. mercury cyanide Than the lower portion.
The percentages Of potassium bromide and II
ScCiun tic4rUOuate given above nearly such
would exist N mixture OF about per cent ot
mercuric cyanide and s. per cent OF bromo-seltzer.
me by the manltacturer Aeetanl! I'D, found 70 "a
present IN the powder examined. is also a constit-
The stomach was almos, empty containing only
2cc. Gis dm) Of reddish brown. senl-so!d mucous
distinctly percepube odor Of peach kernels. and
me stomach issue and the content. we're ex-
Tho stomach tissue. weighed 10 grams equal to
little over ounces drams) were taken for anay-
sis. method OF analysis different from that fol-
visable in the presence Of animal tissue although
Il was not expected that the total amount OF cy-
anogen present as mercuric cyanide would be re-
The hashed tissue was mixed with water and
oTanttr ~ Suri9cd silver cyan'do roao,e, ,sns ne
resented 23 grains ~ mercuric cyanide IN So grams
The stomach contents wers exsmi3.d bS ,hr..
methods one par. was submitted 10 i.aysls.
Portions Of the diaysate we're tested for fcuocy-
dental presence rnjeht be sources ~ rror Tbese
the d.aiysate were examined for msfcury and
SSi Szl"0S'" Dot" OF "'''' were round 10 Do pres
KILLED BY CYANIDE OF MERCURY
Another portion was treated BY Barfoeds method
for extraction OF mercuric cyanide by others which
process was found 70 be unavailable by reason u
the thick and tenacious character - the material
The dlalyzed material and that wi.h which Bar
foed's method had been attempted were united and
subjected to dlstllla,on with tartarc acid. HYDRO
cyanic acid was present in The distIate.
Cumulative determinations OF the amount OF
hydrocyanic acid obtained from tho stomach con-
tents are IN progress.
The quantity Of mercury In the residue OF dis
tillltiou Of the stomach contents was ootcrmlned
and found 20 correspond 20 D grain OF mcrcuric
cyanide and that IN the daiysate found 10
CORES pound TO II grain or .3j grain In the stom-
aCh contents.
The amount of mercurc cyanide. a grains. found
In ths stomach and its contents Is sum lent. M ths
obsence of other violent causes OF death, 10 war
rant the conclusion that the deceased died from
the effects OF that poison Respect fully sl1-
m.tted, X. \. WIITHAIs.
on receipt os this report yesterday Coroner
Hart. who is IN charge OF the case said that he