The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-10
IT WAS NOT ARSENIC
Hobby Poisoning Case Still
a Mystery.
@
AND THE MYSTERY GROWS
HOGS KILLED BY REMNANT OF
THE MEAL.
AND ARSENIC WILL NOT KILL A HOG
The Rat Poison Said to Have Been Bought by
George Lee Was Crude Arsenic and
Was Black. Was Sirychnine
in the Flour?

There no longer seems to be any doubt
THAT the woman Julia Hobby was pois-
oned. A new proof of this fact was dis
covered Sunday.
Burt with the new light ON this point
the mystery as to who did the poisoning
has become only the deeper. Certainly
it goes a long way toward proving that V
was not done by George Lee, the boy
now III Jail charged with it.
During the coroner's investigation into
The death he proceeded ON the theory
that the poison was i'm the coffee. This
may h!Ne been true, but it now seems
that it was in the bread also.
The coroner also proceeded, IN the hat
ter part of his investigation, ON the
theory that rat poison was used, and
on the boys own statement that me
bought rat poison the night before his
sister died he was held guilty of the
murder. This was week ago.
On last Saturday Mark Knight, who
married JUlia's mother, went to the
Hobby home and took away with him
some biscuits that had been left from
the fatal meal. These, on Sunday morn
ing, he gave to his hogs-two young
shoats weighing about sixty pounds each.
About 4 O'Clock Sunday afternoon the
smaller of the two hogs died. And Sui
day might the other one died ALSO They
had been given no other food, and be.
came sick soon after eating the biscuits.
When knight took the biscuits from
the Hobby house he also took a hGlf
sack of flour that he found there. This
H. 4. e..
of it was ever made into bread. As soon
as he discovered the effect the biscuits
made from alie -four had ON the hogs he
took the sack with its contents and
buried it IN a corner Of his yard
Mark Knight is an oil, colorei MIN
who lives on a lane leading from East
Davie street. near George lanes. In
the house with him lives Charlie Young
and his wife. They corroboratcd the
sboye story IN all its details.
Now the rat poison sold TO the boy
was dark brown colnr-alrnost black.
i box of it put into sack of -four. even
when well anixed, could easily be de-
tested in a good light. And in fact
it is doubtful whether it would escape
discovery in any SOFT Of light, even IL
MI the Small lumps were first crushed
ana then carefully mixed with the Hour.
Then again, rat Isuison IS crude arsenic:
and arsenic. certainly in ordinary guam
fity. viii not kill a hog. On the contra
ry it is a good tcnic for hogs, and they
will thrive and fatten on it. But with
stiychmine ii is different. 1t win kill a
hog quick enough. Ard s.rychnine put
into -four would never be detected, being
the same color.
Stryehnine also is hitter. The woman
said she tasted something bitter in tho
coffee. Her husband also complained
that the coffee was Ilsitte;. But now come
the doctors who were put ON the stand
ut the coronnr's investigation They
testified the woman. so far as they knew.
showed no symptoms of strychmine pois-
oning, burt that She did show the syEnEs
tens OF arsenic poisson.
1t is a most mysterious case, and no
body has been able to suggest a theory
that explains it.