The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-24
OFFICIALS STILL RETICENT
RESULT OF RATHBURN POISONING
CASE STILL IN ABEYANCE.

Expected Coroner MIX VIII Not Dis
cuss the Case Until Investigation is
Completed aud Medical Examiners
Report is Submitted.
Speculation still holds the public in
terest in the Rathburn poison case, and
the mystery is still as far from being
solved as 1t was at the death of William
Rathburn, one 81 the victims of the
poisoned coffee.
The body of the latter was removed
from his home at 1870 Chestnut street
Saturday morning, and was taken to
the Yale medical school where DIR,
Bartlett, the medical examiner, began
an autopsy In the afternoon. The re-
suit of the autopsy cannot yet be learn
ed, as 1t is not completed, but enough
Is learned to warrant the statement
that Rathburn died from an irritant
poison taken in some manner into his
stomach Where, or how this was In
troduced into the mans stomach re-
mains as much a mystery as ever and
will probably not be known until Coro-
ner Mix makes public his report. The
coroner will not say So but 1T Is general
ly believed that Rathburns death was
caused by arsenical poisoning.
John F. Hart, who was also victim
Of the poison, has been discharged from
the hospital and Is now at the Rathburn
home on Chestnut street, He has not
yet fully recovered from the effects of
the stuff, complaining Of pains in the
head. When seen by a reporter he gave
as his theory the fact that the dinner
pail in which the coffee was carried
was comparatively new, and although
1t had been thoroughly washed, he Is of
the opinion that some portion Of the
metal must have contaminated the cof-
fee Hart says that when he reached
the caboose of his train he felt chilly,
and thought drink of coffee would
warm him. He set his pail in the ca
boose and went into the freight house,
and 1t was after he returned that he
drank the coffee. He complained of
peppery taste to the liquid and asked
Rathburn to taste 1t. This was done,
and, as printed In the Journal and
Courier of Saturday morning, both men
were taken seriously Ill few hours af-
terward.
| Whether the poison was put in the
pail while Hart was absent is a dues-
| ton that Is being looked up but there
seems to be a lack of a motive, on the
| part of anyone connected with the
train. There is another statement made
that the coffee was sweetened with SUI
tbot in on
another that some wild cherry wine Is
| in the hands of the medical examiner,
who win make an analysis of 1t. When
asked concerning any of these Coroner
Mix answers that all he can say Is that
the cause of the mans death is being
looked up, and further information is
denied
DR.. Bartlett has in his custody a
sample of the coffee, and samples, also.
of the sugar above mentioned used by
Mrs. Rarthburn in sweetening the cot
fee
IF any enemy had designed to hurt
Rathburn," said Hart, "why should the
poison be put In my coffee. He drank
but little, while drank goodly guam
t.ty."
Hart, himself however. has several
enemies, 1t is said, and also 1t is stated
that Rathburn's friend was repeatedly
engaged in arguments with those whom
he met and dealt with.
Hart was detained a Coroner Mix's
office Saturday afternoon, and he was
ordered to again report to the coroner
this morning at Q o'clock
Interesting developments In the case
from the police are looked for to-day.
One authority said Saturday night:
ut is about concluded that the poison
that was contained in the coffee in
Harts dinner pail was nothing less
than arsenic, and this opinion Is shared !
by almost all the medical men interest
ed In the case Whether this theory
is well founded will depend almost en-
tirely upon the result of the chemical |
analysis Of the stomach of Rathburn, |
Medical Examiner Bartlett, 1t is given |
out from reliable sources, had taken |
the stomach of the dead brakeman In |
an autopsy made Saturday afternoon. |
The medical examiner and probably DR.. |
Herbert e. Smith, dean of the Yale |
medical school and the state chemist, |
VIII make thorough analysis Of the
of the stomach as soon as pos
sible, and search for further traces Of |
the poison. Should there be arsenic in |
the stomach it would be revealed by |
spots peculiarly noticeable in such
cases. of poisoning, and this will furli-
ish the basis for investigation in GER
tain directions by the police
The Illness that attacked the two
men and terminated in the death of |
Rathburn had all the characteristics of
powerful poisoning. AT first lead poi
soning was suspected. but there have
been some things connected with the
illness of the two men which throws
the physicians off the theory that it was
lead poisoning, and makes their belief
more firm that it was arsenic that was
dissolved in the coffee. A friend of
said Saturday night that 1t
was quite likely that the coffee was
1osed with the poison after the men
lad reached the railroad yards
Medical Examiner Bartlett Saturday
hight had a conference with Dr. Henry
9. Klenke, the physician who attended
he brakeman when they returned to
heir home on Chestnut street Friday
morning. The medical examiner and
he physician were in consultation I'M {
i 2 1atn hour 4" y
The ARRANGEMENTS for tho b,,,;oI 80 |