The St. Louis Republic., 1902-01-19

led him down to the reception-room. AT
this time. say the physicians who tended
him, Barnes was in good health. save for
his mental affiction, and semiparalySS
of the lower limbs.
Eats Poisoned Candy.
The negro and Barnes were noticed in
conversation. and the former was seen to
present the latter with the candy. whereat
the weak minded patient seemed overcome
with a childish glee, and began wildly TO
eat. About noon Attendant William Bal
! Barnes sitting there alone. He went to
him and started to lead him back to the
ward, but had gone but half way when
Barnes was overtaken by the first convtl-
sion. Ballard supported him and he recov-
cred, but in another minute came a second
convulsion. Barnes had now been carried
to bed in the ward. Doctor e. l. Crouch
of the institution was called Immediately.
To him the case had all the symptoms OF
strychnine poisoning. Antidotes were used.
but without avail.
A telephone message, narrating. the sus-
picious circumstances surrounding the
once Of
ty. Doctor Crouch has now testified that It
would have been impossible for the patient
the drug drug. The physician then began indie
pendent investigation before the arrival Of
the Coroner, suspecting that the negro was
connected with the death. Doctor Crouch
asserts that he found a crystal resembling
strychnine, and which answered to the
strychnine test. upon the floor beside the
WHICH, hdd DCCii OSCupicu py INV
negro.
Analysis Discovers Strychnine.
When Coroner Reynolds reached the asy-
lum formal investigation was at once be-
And f the strange negro. who had given the
name of William Winn. The body was re-
moved to the Jacksonville morgue, where.
formed an autopsy. The contents Of the
stomach were not touched, but were in
cased in a glass jar, and, on the following
to Champaign, Ill. Doctor H. s. Grindley.
professor of chemistry, at the University Of
Illinois. upon analyzing the stomach con-
tents. found distinct traces of stryehnine.
Meantime the negro was arrested, and 1t
was proven that he came from Quincy. He
admitted. finally. that his name was not
Winn. but William Webb Ferguson. After
being much sweated and making contradic-
AS she appeared In the courtroom Friday.
tory statements. he told that he had re-
MED knowing that the sweets contained
poison. The Coroners verdict held him for
accessory before the fact The Grand Jury
returned an indictment against both for
murder. though each was granted sep
McWilliams was framed later, upon SUBJ
seouent statements by Ferguson to the
effect that the aged woman had in person
handed him the candy to deliver to Doctor
Barnes. Judge Owen p. Thompson of
Jacksonville. Circuit Judge of the Seventh
Illinois Judicial District: who rendered the
School Teachers case at Springfield, was
employed by Mrs Barnes as counsel.
Judge Charles A. Barnes, Judge Layman
and State Attorney Thomas F. Smith con-
Quoted the prosecution. Albert Akers and
W. l. Van Deventer Of Quincy and ].
Mrs Barnes is rather stout woman
about forty years old. She dresses plain
ly in black. and while in the courtroom
wore jaunty hat of the fedora shape. :.
Attorney VanDeventer frequently afforded
the courtroom a little merriment. On
Thursday. while cross-examining Doctor
Crouch. he said:
What. doctor. would be the effect of
strychnine upon perfectly healthy stom-
ach. IL there be such thing on Gods
green earth?" u.
This unexpected insinuation that the sraee
is afflicted with indigestion seemed to- ap-
peal to Mrs. Baruea Her laughter pea2od