The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-21
WAS POISONED ALL RIGHT.
HOW CARLO PARENT CAME TO
HIS DEATH.
But the Coroner's Jury Could Not
Guess How He Got the
Poison.

Poison.
Coroner McMullen last night con-
Quoted an inquest on the remains OF
Carlo (Charles) PARENT, the Italian
tailor who on the morning of the 4tn
inst. died at Heitman's establishment
at Sixth and streets, evidently from
strychnine poisoning.
The evidence that death RESULTED
from poisoning was conclusive, but
there was a sharp conflict in that OF
the three physicians who attended Pa
remit before DEATH and Chemist Crack
bon of San Francisco, who analysed
the contents of PARENTS stomach, sent
to him by Coroner McMullen for that
purpose.
Drs. G. NJ Dixon, Henry w. Wagner
and H. L. Nichols each testified posi-
lively that death resulted from strych-
nine pOisoning-that no other known
poison produced a similar effect, and
that while it was probable that both
drugs had been administered-the prob
ability being strengthened by the fact
that death followed an hour and a
quarter after he left Pieri's saloon
where he is supposed to have swal-
lowed the dose-strychnine was beyond
doubt the drug which caused death.
On the other hand, Mr.. Crackbon,
who is chemist and druggist, and
who impressed his hearers as under
standing his business, said the analysis
showed no strychnine, but that about
five grains of morphine had been found
in the stomach.
nd ri CT
morphine was an antidote for strych-
nine, and vice versa, and that while
the former caused relaxation of the
muscles, the latter caused violent con-
fractions, resulting in spasms and also
that a quantity Of strychnine might
have been taken into the stomach and
absorbed, SO that none would have APP
peared in the analysis.
Indeed, Chemist Crackbon said that
morphine would interfere with a strych-
nine test, but that strychnine would
not interfere with a morphine test, and
from sentences dropped by him, to the
effect that the newspaper accounts
spoke of PARENT having had only slight
spasms, the impression was left that
he had made a morphine test only. The
impression was strengthened by his
statement that some of the best ply
sicians had told him that morphine
poisoning occasionally caused slight
spasms.
So it happened that the jury in
bringing in verdict, carefully elm
mated any specific poison from their
verdict, bringing in a general verdict
as follows:
we, the jury, find that the deceased
came to his death on December 4th.
from the effects of poison administered
either by himself or by parties un-
known to u.s."
Z. Pieri, who conducts the saloon at
~ street, where PARENT drank a cof-
fee punch an hour before he died, was
the first witness called He knew Carlo
PARENT during his lifetime, and last
saw him the morning of his death. He
called at witness saloon at 223 J
street, and asked for a punch, COM
monty called coffee punch" Witness
prepared the drink which was COM
posed Of teaspoonful of sugar, two
fingers of rum and black coffee.
Witness said he saw PARENT put moth
ing in the cup after he gave it to him,
and thought if he had done so he
would have seen him do it.
PARENT, witness said, frequented the
place, but never took that class of drink
in the morning before. PARENT seemed
cheerful. Witness and the oecea sed
had always been good friends Wit
ness was present all the time PARENT
was in the place.
DR.. H. W. Wagner was next called.
He had been called in to see PARENT.
ha
tailor shop. Every muscle was con-
tracted and his heart was beating Spas
medically. The teeth were tightly
clenched and he went from one spasm
to another.
Witness said he was certain that
death resulted from strychnine poison
Ing. He knew of no other poison which
would have produced similar results.
Morphine would have had exactly an
opposite effect, and was usually given
as an antidote for strychnine poison.
The pupils of the eye were distendad,
whereas in case of morphine poisoning
they would have been contracted
Roger Giorgi, who worked in the
tailor shop with PARENT, was in the
shop on the morning of December 4th
PARENT came in and asked for work to
do. and witness gave him a coat to
mend. After he had been at work a
short time, he complained of feeling
ILL., and said he had gone to Pieri's sa-
loon and got coffee punch. He shortly
after went to the rear of the place
and attempted to vomit, but could not
do so.
Witness asked Parenti If he had
watched Pieri when he made the
punch PARENT replied that he had
not-that he played the nickel-in-the
slot machine. In a few minutes Pa
remit said to witness, 81 can't see YOU,
l want you to go for a doctor" He
subsequently said, 81 believe they must
have poisoned me-
PARENT, witness said, grew worse,
and Drs. Wagner and Dixon came in
and said the symptoms resembled
strychnine poisoning, and that he could
not live. PARENT showed the first
symptoms of distress about ten minutes
after he went to work PARENT, wit