The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-05
STORIES IN POISONS,
Lies Misery Told by Those In
COroners' ONCE

Lies Misery Told by Those In
COroners' ONCE.
From the New York Mail and Express.
Enough poison to kill half the inhabi-
tants of Manhattan was stored away to-
day in the Coroners' office There were
more than a thousand packages and bot
ties, and back of every grain or drop of
the deadly stuff lies a story.
Under an old law, the chief clerk to the
Board of Coroners is responsible for all
poisons that reach the office. Where sui
eide has been accomplished by pistol or
knife. the weapon generally finds its way
to the Public Administrator, who later
sells it at auction. Whenever poison is
used, however, whatever is found in the
bottle or package near the victim is sent
to the Coroners' office, where it is
stored away as evidence
Every time the coroners move from one
office to another the poisons 90 with
them. Some of the evidence" dates back
TO the time when the business was trans
acted over Kosmack's saloon, near the
old Frenchs Hotel at the BROOKLYN
bridge entrance. From there the poisons
were carried to an Office on Second ave-
nue., then down to Chambers street
then to the fourth floor of the Criminal
Courts building. Now the poisons have
been moved again to the ground floor of
the same building.
Care in Storing
THE best we can do" said Chief Clerk
Reynolds lis to see that all the poisons
are carefully put away. All are now
under lock and key, so that it is not
possible for any one to fool with them.
The law says we must keep them for a
certain time. as sometimes suits occur,
often over insurance, in which every
scrap of evidence is called for.
Attached to every bottle or package
is tiny slip of paper which gives the
name of the unfortunate who found life
not worth the living. Then comes the
date and whatever other facts are deem
ed necessary, as we'll as the result of
the inquest.
Yes, L believe it is possible to find
every conceivable kind of story in that
lot of poisons" Mr.. Reynolds continued
Take this one, for example" and he
held up a short package.
There was a man." he said, after
reading the name, who was reputed to
be the nephew of a former Governor of
the state. He was married and lived
happily with a wife and two children
Ill luck came his way. He lost money
and position, and one day he found him
self penniless.
He left the house in the evening after
kissing his wife and saying he would find
a position before the day was over or
do something desperate. He failed to
find the position.
Along in the afternoon while al Mount
Morris Park he snatched a pocketbook
from woman. She screamed. Policemen
gave chase and after a brief run he was
captured. only to fall dead at the police
mans feet In that short run he had
swallowed some of the most deadly poi
son known.
4 Morphine Story.
There is another bottle labeled NOR
phine, Mr.. Reynolds went on, with
which is connected a strange story. A
few years ago several women. all claim
ing 70 be sisters. engaged in business
and went from city to city. They made
considerable money. Only one of them
was married, and to her husband was
intrusted the money. He began to play
the races and lost most of il. They were
at st. Louis when his wife upraided him
and he took poison. He was saved by
his wife's efforts and they came to this
city.
Two days later she reproached him
again. as about SIS had disappeared,
Half an hour afterward she founnd him
dying. The policeman she called sum-
moned an ambulance surgeon, who work.
ed over the man for an hour.
No use; he is dead. and have other
patients 10 attend to-" the ambulance
surgeon said. and hurried away.
THE woman called on another physi-
clan. who also said her husband was
dead. She would not believe II, and sum
moned two American District Telegraph
boys. She made the policeman teach the
boys all about artificial respirntio and
then made the boys work for two hours
over her husband. but the man was
really dead.
There IL n bottle that tells you Of
Lille Lowe. the little girl who was
found dead IN the woods NJ is5th street
and Washington avenue. A child IN years
her death has never been satisfactorily
accounted for. Perhaps the jury was