The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-15
NOTHING TO WORK ON
INQUEST OVER TOMMY HARMON
DEVELOPS NO NEW
FACTS
JURY SAYS HE WAS POISONED
Mother and Sister Testify, but Give
No Evidence on Which to Base
ActiCn-Authorities Make
No Decision.

Tommy Harmon came to his death by
poisoning. This is the decision Of the
cOroner's jury at the morgue yesterday.
The following is the verdict:
1.-The said Thomas Harmon came to his
death on Saturday, March 49, 1902. The
death was caused by poison. Kind I'M
known. Means unknown to this jury.
We recommend further investigation by
the proper authorities"
Although County Attorney Kane inquir-
ed closely into every detail of the Han
non family's life and several witnesses
were examined, the only result of the
inquest was to establish that the boy was
poisoned. DR.. REM stated that the in
ference was that he died from aconite
poison, but he qualified his statements
so that the jury was not prepared to in
Clude this in their verdict. Absolutely
nothing was brought out that would indi-
cate that any member of the family ad-
ministered the fatal dose.
The only divergence in the testimony
that was yesterday given was between
Mrs Harmon, the mother, and her daugh-
ter, Mamie, sixteen years old On the
whole their differences were not particu-
larly impCrtant, in view of the other tes-
timory that had been given.
Assistant Health Commissioner REM,
who discovered the aconite in the boys
SlOildCI, SdlO that III Ills OplHIOn he UJGu
from aconite poisoning, but that he
would not swear that this particular poi
son was the only cause. He maintained,
however, that aconite poison was the
natural Inference to be drawn from the
examinations he had made.
DR.. A. L. Whitcomb told the jury that
he had prescribed aconite for Tommy
Harmon some eighteen months previous
to his DEATH at which time he was suf-
informed the jury relative to the deaths
of the three ether members of the fam
lily.
The other witnesses were Mrs Nora
Harmon, Mamie Harmon, Mrs Schmidt
and Mrs. Albert Baluka, who lived next
to lannon's, on Mihrehaha avenue; Mrs
Thomas joyce, who resided next door to
the family, on Conway street, and Tom
my Mroczok, who was Tommy lannon's
playmate.
Mrs. lannon's Testimony.
Mrs. Harmon said that her son had a
cold on the lungs a week before he died
candy and whisky for him. On the day
of his death she had gone to the butcher
shop shortly before II o'clock, and when
returning neghbOrs told her that her son
had died. She threw the meat to the
sidewalk and hurried home. She told Of
DR.. WhitcOmb having prescribed medi-
cine for Tommy, but did not remember
what it was. She was positive that it
had all been used before Tommy recov-
cred. She further stated that the family
had just moved into the house and that
there were no bottles around which might
have contained the poison.
DR.. WhitcOmb told Of his having cared
for the other three children. He gave
the apparent cause for their deaths as
follows:
Maggie, sUnstroke.
Annie, the e-year-old infant, summer
complaint, after being sick three weeks.
When Johnny Harmon died he sum
moned the coroner. When Tommy died
he was summoned by a druggist but
Mrs. Harmon wanted Dr. Binder to at
tend to the case.
COntradfcts Her Mother.
When Mamie Harmon was brought 10
the witness stand she contradicted her
mother on several points. Her mother
said that on the morning Of his death
Tommy had eaten no breakfast. Mamie
was positive that he had. The mother
said that Tommy that day complained Of
a pain in his stomach. Mamie heard
nothing of this. she said that her other
brother, Johnny, was black in the face
when he Gied, which her mother denied
The mother said that Tommy had slept
with her the night before, and Mamie
declared that it was she that had done So
not Tommy.
The testimony of the other witnesses
was imnaterial Tommy Mroczok said
that he and Tommy intended coloring
some sand to sell the day he died, he did
not know what was used to do the color
ing.
The coroner's jury was composed of tn
following:
Henry Casper, foreman; William f.
Kirk. Lars Rosness, w. E. Sills, R. z.
Robbins.
The case is now in the hands Of the
county attorney.