The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-09-20
A POISONED BULLET
Theory Advanced That McKinley's
Assassin Used Poisoned Bullet

Buffalo, N. Y, September 14.-Imme-
diately after the president had been shot
rumors were rife that, acting under a
general order Of anarchy, the assassin
had probably poisoned the bullets,
The early days of splendid improve
ment in the patients condition dispelled
these rumors, out they were renewed
when the final collapse shegan. This
morning they found their way into the
autopsy room and when the gangren-
Gus condition of the tissues in the
course of the bullet was discovered,
discussion was had as to whether or
not the assassin had used poison to
make more complete his deadly work.
Of the doctors who have attended
President Mckinley through his strug-
gle for life and who were at the au-
topsy this morning, but one can be
found who positively states it as his
belief that the bullet of the murderer
was poisoned. This doctor is Eugene
WaSdin, an expert in yellow fever cases
who has lately made this city his home
and who is familiar with the action of
poison in the human body.
DR.. Wasdin's opinion durirs. the
by the other physicians and his theory
bullet are herewith given:
1.-The breast bone wound showed a
big impact. Still the area Of infiirra.
ton of sub-cutaneouS tissues was en-
tlrely too extensive to be accounted
for from confusion or the force of the
bullet. The sub-cutaneous tissues were
in a partially gangrenous condition.
''The bullet that went into the abdo-
men and penetrated the stomach, also,
w f011 Nv avfo nciy ic Of
tissue wherever it passed. The skin
wound on the point of entrance was
livid gengrenous and this process ex-
tended to the entire line of invasion
made by the surgeons through the abb
dominal wall. The point of entrance
into the stomach was necrotic or gan
grenous. The sutures made by the
surgeons were still intact at the au-
Topsy, but the line of sutures was SUR
rounded by a necrotic area through the
entire thickness of the stomach wall
and extending on all sides about one
and one-half TO two inches.
The same is true of the wounds Of
exit of the bullet on the posterior wall
of the stomach, which was also still
closed by sutures in the centre Of an
extensive area of necrosis.
THE further passage Of the bullet
through the soft tissues of the back
where it became imbeded was also
surrounded by necrotic tissue. These
different necrotic areas all had the
same appearance as to time of duration
that is they were due to the same in
huence acting at the same time.
'All these conditions lead me to be-
ieve that. there has been an influence
exerted by the passing bullet through
these tissues entirely dissimilar to that
influence exerted by an ordinary mis-
sile. In this case there was not the
appearance of a single effort at natural
repair at any point along the track of
the bullet.
The influence 1 speak of might be
either bacterial-the microbe being
carried in on the bullet and giving rise
to a growth Of bacteria in the abdom-
inal cavity with resulting peritonitis
and possible abscess or, in the case OF
some rare germs, to necrosis of tissue.
From meteorological observations made
thus far this does not seem to be the
case. There was no peritonitis or pus
formation at any point within the alb
dominal cavity. only the gangrenous
influence from the bullet, which from
these facts I believe to have been due
to some possible organic poison placed
on the bullet.
Further meteorological tests are in
process and possibly germ capable OF
giving rise to this gangrenous condi-
ton Of tissues may be found; but the
presence Of gangrene only at the pas