The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-09-26
pOISONS IN MURDER.
The Use Of Tho Subler Drugs Seldom Heard Ct
tycspl in Novels and PaIs.

"a recent newspaper ast4ef-7 said a
physician to New Orleans Times DEM
ocrat reporter "called attention to Curl
Gus facts, or rather alleged facts about
poison First that it is SO seldom re-
sorted TO by murderers; second, that its
use is almost invariably followed 10y
detection. one might answer both
statements with the question, How do
we know? How do we know that the
few clumsy cases that come to light
represent the sum OF that kind of
crime? 1t is undeniably true that there
are certain drugs which,if administered
with Skill would be almost impossible
to detect. Their symptoms are practi-
caly identical with those OF familiar
diseases. and little while after death
TREY dgC0TnpOse, change form ana dis
appear. 1t would be possible, too, 10
innocculate victim with the
germs OF some deadly malady He would
then go TO his grave With a real case of
consumption 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 | believe also
that they are very rare. The real safe
guard OF a community lies in the fact
that SO few murderers possess the
requisite skill.
Educated people seldom commit de-
liberate murder" continued the doctor,
'and the uneducated mind instinctively
associates poison with two substances
arsenic and strichnine. They are the
deadly things most familiar to the pub
lie, and fortunately they are most easily
detected. Murder by arsenic is Infinite
ly clumsy TO begin with, the symp-
toms are marked and peculiar. and be-
ing a metallic product, its traces re- !
main in the body an indefinite time. /
Last summer a woman In Barcelona, |
Spain, confessed that she had poisoned |
her sister with arsenic fifteen years be-
fore. The grave was opened, and the
coffin found to contain nothing but dust
and ashes, but a chemical test showed
unmistakably the presence Of the drug.
Mrs. Maybrick was accused Of killing
her husband with arsenic, and the test /
revealed Il plainly not only In the re-
mains, but in certain medicines. The
demonstration was so conclusive that
she finally arose in court and admitted
giving him n white powder, but in
sisted that she followed his own eX-
press directions one of the most in
genious cases Of poisoning | ever heard |
OF occurred some years ago in another |
state. \ young physician plotted 10 4
kill a wealthy farmer. He knew the /
latter was taking quinine for a cold. /
and meeting him one day asked to sec |
what size capsules he used While pre- |
tending 10 examine them he slipped IN
one containing strychnine The farmer
happened on ~ nearly week later and
died i'm convusionS. An autopsy re-
vealed the poison, but the affair was "A
deep mystery until the doctor commit
ted suicide, leaving "A written confess
sion.
''The polsonings that occur In novels
and on the stage are usually very
amusing to a student of toxicology,"
said the physician in conclusion Il
remember In Samuel OF Posen.' which
was produced with such success by NJ.
y. Curtis. the drummer hero was tenn
porarilv knocked out by a poisoned ci-
gar He took two or three whiffs. and
over he rolled would like very much
go know the name of the drug that
would produce that sort OF effect
Nearly all the poisoning In fiction Is
equally surprising There is WE'LL
known English romance I'm which the
heroine inhales the fragrance off
bunch ot roses and instantly falls
dcad. Needless 20 saw the poisoned per-
t'ne is wholly unknown to science
Another story-hut could keen on cit-
ing instances an night History isn't
much better Most ~ the warns Of the
/ Bofg'as and Medicis are puro moon
| shlne. especially those about pois,ncl
gloves poisoned tapers and other an
! plicauons of drugs or things tba4 aro
/ touched or handled The tale az tbc
Dook that was annolnttd ON tho ,rsr-
gins with some deadly substance ,bat
/ kuled the nerson who mo'etonod bis
hngers 20 turn the leaves has n,ssibi,,
Foundation % truth but I corf.s, y
would be nu2zled TO know boo.
! prepare such n volume. Ainoet o,,.
] thlnR ihai might De itsal vro,i1 a.,
| FtanuN Mtray Itself hv us t,ot. -,
| the milule ages nowdered eiass al s,is
| 20 have been q favor.fa lnetofi,l ,,.i,t
| which 90 doctor f,1d. ana vn,,'u enn
some interestIrg data on tho eni,is, ss~,,
the autobi0gaphy OF Ceulnl tho goiI.
emih. n is occasionally usnd b,. ,'
groes right here in the eoufb az
course powdered glass isn't n trtie NOT
son II sometimes kills bv setting nm
an Internal Inflammation. Oftener M has
pa affcct M ailft - '-N~