Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-24
ARSENIC WITH THE CANDY
Enough Had Been Put in the Box to
Kill Fifty Persons.
WHAT THE ANALYSIS REVEALED
Candy Was of the Cheap Mix
ture Variety.
NO ARRESTS LIKELY TO Be MADE TO-DAY

"It was arsenic; you can say that"
was the statement Of Deputy Attorney
General Peter l.. Cooper, Jr. yesterday
morning, speaking with reference to
the powder that was in the box OF
candy found by Mrs. James @. Charsha
of No. 219 Franklin street ON her front
porch, last Friday morning. From DR..
+. Room Smith, who made the analysis OF
the powder, it is learned that there was
about q teaspoonful Of it, which would
ca ual 100 grains and would be sufficient
to kill so persons. The doctor said he
would not like to be one of the 30 to
share it.
Although the analysis was completed
yesterday, Deputy Attorney. General
| Cooper did not deem it advisable to
make public the result then. and to-
days announcement that the box cen
| tined arsenic is the first authoritative
announcement Of that fact. Meanwhile
State Detective Walter Witsil continues
as reticent as ever, with TINS excep,,
| ton, that he said he knew nothing OF
the statement in the Morning News of
a report that he would leave the city
to seek some information. All the in
| formation that the State authorities
need will probably be found in this
| city.
The exact name Of the drug found in
| the candy box is arsenious acid, and 1t
is evidently Rough on Rats" The
candy was Of cheap variety, including
pieces on the order of sour halls and
gum drops. Contrary to previous state
ments, no chocolates we're in the box. 1t
looked as If the substance had been
shaken among the candy. When asked
if a piece of the candy would hold
enough powder to kill a person. DIR.
Smith was not prepared to say. Some
powder would. as matter OF fact,
cling to the candy.
No arrests are likely to be made to-
day. The State authorities are in pos
session of the name of the person sus-
pected by Mrs. Charsha. Whether the
completion of the links in. chain OF
evidence will bring the crime home to
that person, woman, is one OF the
problems. MIR. Cooper takes no stock
in the theory that Mrs. Charsha sent
the candy to herself. -,
1t has not yet been made public
what was in the small china box,
found in the backyard of the Charsha
residence week ago Tuesday. IL,
too, was turned over to Detective Wit.
sill. 1t need not be surprising il 1T Is
. also found to contain a poison.
The paradox in scheming which
would cause a person bent on admin.
istering poison to another to give q
warming of danger at the same time is
! a part of this case that has caused
much discussion, and may be respon
sible for some of the talk that the
whole thing is hoax. 1t will be re-
membered that in the small boz was
note, reading like this: Eat today To-
! tomorrow you may die" and that TIT
9 candy boz contained the cheerful mes
, sage: eff this don't kill, something
!. else will and you won't say that l an
Jealous" Naturally, should sucl
!, things fall into the hands of person
. who could read they would avoid them
Q But what il a child had happened T.
pick up the box of candy? 1t woul'
be likely to be more interested in eat
ing as much of the contents as possibl
o before being discovered than in ascer
tanning whether it was fit to eat. Tn
/, Charshas have three children, sons
9 aged g. 8 and 10 years, and there woul
b be danger that the first two might ca
70 of deadly poison without thought.
: The finding of the powder and th
8 candy has recalled to Mrs. Oharsh
that after the blizzard of last Fe6ru
b airy, bottle was picked up in tn
l. ward. 1t was a new bottle, that &C
: cording to the label contained a stron
7, tipcture of arnica, and came from \
D B. Danforth's drug store. This bottl
was disposed of, which fate befell th
Is comb found in the yard by Mrs
% Charsha later.
., Since the receipt Of the candy las
al Friday, Mrs. Charsha has had n
,e more anonymous letters. She say
10 that the last one came she thinks POI
sibly month ago. She received
Z, letters while the person she suspect
10 was out of the city, but received son
IN after her return.
She realizes that her position is a
os unpleasant one in that should an arre'
., be made and trial follow, some Of u
10 anonymous letters, with their vi
statements, may be read In court; b'
sd she proposes, nevertheless, to stand ;
to her post. even il she shogld die Their
b, in order to see the whole matt
al ferretted to the limits. She is cheere
I'd by the fact that friends have seen
DO to send her letters of sympathy in th
ne time of unhappy developments.
20 Tho law that will probably
g. applicable, should criminal ca
ut grow out Of the present investigation
O. is found on page 924 of the Revise
%. Code, and reads as follows:
ry IF any person shall, wilfully
D. maliciously, administer to another,
n cause another to take any dead
its poison, or noxious and desttucti'
in substance; or shall unlawfully of
he maliciously attempt to administer.
od another any poison or destructi'
III thing. with intent TO commit murde
I'M such person shall be deemed guilty
felony and shall be fined not less thu
to $500 nor more than 5000, shall star
'el one hour in the pillory, shall
IS. whipped with 60 lashes and shall
imprisoned not exceeding four years.