Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-02-07
P0IsONs IN MURDER

POISONS IN MURDER.
THE USE OF THE sUBTLER DRUGS
SELDOM BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
strychnine and Arsenic Are Clumsy
Agents of Death. ms Their Traces
Remain In the Victim Indefinitely.
Peisons In Novels and Plays.
"a recent newspaper article" said
physician, called attention to two
curious facts. or rather, alleged facts,
about poison. First, that It is 50 SOL
dom resorted 10 by murderers, and,
second. that Its use Is almost invaria-
bly, followed By detection. One might
answer both statements with the ques-
ton: How do we know7 How DO we
know that the few clumsy cases that
come to Light represent the sum Of that
kind of crime?
"It Is undeniably true that there are
certain drugs which, If administered
with skill. would be almost impossible
to detect. Their symptoms are practl-
cally Identical with those Of familiar
diseases, and little while after death
they decompose, change form and dis
appear.
ut would be possible, too. to innocu-
late victim with the germs Of some
deadly malady. He would then go to
his grave with real case of consump-
ton or pneumonia or lockjaw, and
there would be nothing to arouse the
shadow of suspicion. believe firmly
that such crimes are committed and
never discovered. but l believe also
that they are very rare. The real safe
guard of a community lies in the fact
that so few murderers possess the req
uisite skill.
nberate murder" continued the doctor,
"and the uneducated mind instructive
ly associates poison with two sub
stances-arsenic and strychnIne. They
are the deadly drugs most familiar to
the public, and fortunately they are
easily detected. Murder by arsenic is
infinitely clumsy. To begin with, the
being metallic product, its traces re.
main in the body an indefinite time.
Last summer q woman In BARGE
lona. Spain. confessed that she had
poisoned her sister with arsenic Is
years before The grave was opened
and the coffin found to contain nothing
but dust and ashes. but chemical test
showed unmlstakably the presence Of
the drug.
Mrs. Maybrick was accused Of kill
ing her husband with arsenic. and the
test revealed 1t plainly not only in the
remains. but In certain medicines. The
demonstration was so conclusive that
she finally arose In court and admitted
giving him white powder but Insist
ed that she followed his own express
directions.
poisoning ever heard Of occurred
some years ago in another state. A
young physician plotted to kill
wealthy farmer. He knew the latter
was taking qulnine for cold and
meeting him one day. asked to see
what size capsules he used. While
pretending to examine them. he slip
ped in one containing strychnine. The
farmer happened on 1t nearly week
later and died In convulsions, An au-
topsy revealed the poison. but the af.
fair was deep mystery until the doc
tor committed suicide, leaving writ
ten confession.
"The poisonlngs that occur IN novels
and on the stage are usually very
amusing to q student of toxicology,"
said the physician In conclusion. II
remember in 'Sam'l of Posen,' which
was produced with such success by NJ.
B. Curtis. the drummer hero was tenn
porarily knocked out by poisoned ci-
gar. He took two or three whiffs, and
over he rolled. would like very much
to know the name of the drug that
would produce that sort Of effect.
Nearly all the poisoning in fiction Is
equally surprising. There is q well
known English romance in which the
heroine inhales the fragrance of
bunch Of roses and instantly falls dead.
Needless to say. the poisoned perfume
Is wholly unknown to science.
another story But could keep
on citing instances all night. History
isn't much better. Most of the yarns
of the Borgias and Medicis are pure
moonshine. especially those about pol
soned gloves, poisoned tapers and 9TH
er applications Of drugs or things that
are touched or handled
"The tale Of the book which was
anointed on the margins with some
deadly substance that killed the per-
son who moistened his fingers to turn
the leaves has possibly foundation in
truth, but. l confess. l would be puz-
zled to know how to prepare such
volume. Almost anything that might
be used would Instantly betray itself
by Its taste.
"In the middle ages powdered glass
Is said to have been favorite material
with which to doctor food. and you'll
find some Interesting data on the SUBJ
ject in the autobiography Of Cellini.
the goldsmith. 1t is occasionally used
by negroes right here In the south. OF
course. powdered glass isn't true
poison. 1t sometimes kills by setting
up internal Inflammation. Oftener it
has no effect at ALL" - New Orleans
Times-Democrat
Waste of Water.
! V1-A L..