Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-05-19
TERROR no THE MuRDERAk.
tt Is Wen Known That ChcTciints Give
Testimony in Poisoning Cases
That Cannot Err.

That prisoner who has to face
charge of murder by poison has 40
witness against him who is so much
to be dreaded as the analytical chcm-
list. In many cases the life or death OF
The prisoner has depended upon sim
pie experiment in the laboratory OF
the chemist. One method OF tracing
poison is to transform the suspected
deDosits into crystals and submit
them to the powerful scrutiny of the
microscope. But that test is success
full only where comparatively large
doses of poison have been given. In
another form of test the grave issue
depends upon the color of fragment
of copperfoil or the hues of liquid
in dimiuutive crystal globe. When
arsenic is suspected to be the cause of
death the copperfoil experiment is
tried. If the result is dead black de-
post the case looks equally black for
the prisoner says the New York
Press.
Strychnine, when administered in a
most minute form, is detected by Il
subtle process of chemical concentra-
tion by means of which the suspected
| fluids are reduced to a single drop.
which is placed in a tiny glass globe.
Into this is then dropped minute par
| ticle of potash bichromate. If strych-
nine is present the result is a display
| of changing colors-blue, purple red
and, lastly, a rich mauve tint. These
Colors are pretty to look at. but they
may mean death for the suspected
| criminal When opium is suspected to
! be the cause of death the fluids are
chemically cleamscd and then reduced
! to a drop or two. Nitric acid is first
applied and if the morphia is present
| it is revealed by the drops changing to
n lovely carminc hue. Then, if sulpho-
molybdic acid is applied the drops
change first to a brilliant mngenta
| color and then to Il Sky blue.
In spite of all the care and knowl-
edge devoted to chemical analysis in
| criminal cases mistakes sometimes are
made. On one occasion famous an
! alyst-Prof. TNleI--Was nearly the I'M
conscious cause of sending an inno'
cent man to the gallows. The profess
sor, after careful experiments, de-
clared that arsenic had been the cause
of death with which the prisoner was
charged. The prosecution proved that
the prisoner was the only man who
possibly could have administered the
poison. The man pleaded his inno
cence in the most frank and pitiable
way but the evidence was against
him. lie was sentenced to death, and
the day of his execution was approach
ing when Prof. Tyler received let
ter from the condemned one setting
forth his side of the case in such ;
forcible manner that the professol
was induced to reconsider his analy
sis and make another examination
He found, to his amazement. that TIL
arsenic which he had discovered hat
been placed in the fluids by himself il
: the ordinary course of his analysis
He at once confessed his blunder AM
the condemned man was saved fror
= the gallows. The difficulties of u chem
ical analysis may be imagined when
is realized that of some poisons it re
quires only an infinitcsimal amour
to produce death. One-tenth of graf,
of aconite will kill powerful mar
and of strychnine half a grain
| enough to send "A man out of thi
world