Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-04
DOCTOR DESCRIBES DEATH
SCENE IN JOHNSTON HOME

Itity asked for. He did not count it a
poison. He had the only drug store in
Reynolds and was the only place where
nolds last year
Robert p. Wait, banker, of Reynolds
was next called. He testified: He had
been a banker in Reynolds 1G years
He was acquainted with the defend.
ant, and knew the deceased. He had
business relations with both of them
Mrs. Johnston borrowed money from
the bank quite a number of times. He
had had conversations with her at the
time she borrowed money and when
she came there to borrow money. The
states attorney then proceeded TO ask
| the witness as to the conversations
which the defendant had with him rel
alive to borrowing money and state
ments which she is alleged to have
made to the witness about not letting
| her husband know about her borrow
ing money, an alleged request made by
the defendant of the witness to make a
false statement of the account of the
| deceased at the bank showing that he
| had a balance there when in fact he
had nothing on deposit there. to show
| TO the deceased TO nislead him as to
! his financial affairs; to show that the
defendant signed the deceased's name
to notes without his knowledge and
| told witness not to let her husband
! know anything about it, and that at
one time stating that rather than let
the deceased know the true nature of
his financial condition she would COM
nit suicide
Claims IL Shows Motive.
This line of testimony being some
what lengthy, and involving not only
this witness. but a number of them.
the court dismissed the jury from the
court room and heard argument from
counsel on both sides as TO the propri-
ETY. of this evidence. On the part of the
state it was claimed that these facts
show a strong motive why the defend
ant should want to get her husband
out of the way; that these transactions
mad been going on from year to year
and had gradually approached a climax
ana the bubble was about TO break. and
IN desperation she did what it is claim
ed in this case. On the other hand. the
defense claimed that granting that the
people can prove all they claim, that
instead of showing a motive. il shows
desire on the part of the defendant
10 shield her husband and keep him
from worrying about their financial
condition.
The court, without expressing a de-
cIded opinion, minated that the proof
was competent. and upon the conclu-
sion of the argument the hearing ad-
Journed until Monday morning at 9
O'Clock
RumOrs of Foul Play
l.. V. Eckhart, the coroner of the
county. was next called knew the
deceased for many years: was called
to Reynolds by rumors of foul play
in the matter of his death; caused the
body to be exhumed and a post NOR.
tenn to be held by Drs. Foster and
Ludewig; attended the autopsy; re-
celved from the physicians five bot
ties sealed up by them containing Dor
tons of the organs of the deceased
delivered them to Frank Nader. the
chemist OF Davenport together with
a quantity of the embalming fluid used
by the undertaken in embalming the
body of the deceased for ANALYSIS:
also subsequently delivered to him the
bottles found By the witness Snow
containing the white powder. and the
tumbler and spoon and package said
to contain saltpetre. Upon cross-ex-
animation said he had not spoken to
the defendant and did not know her;
! that the bottles and articles turned
over to Nader were in the same con
dition when turned over to him as
| when he received them.
Chemist Describes Analysis.
Frank Nader; chemist. reside in
| Davenport, Iowa. graduate of the Uni
versity of the state of New York: re-
ceiyed five bottles from the coroner of
Rock Island county containing parts
OF the organs OF the deceased. togeth-
er with two bottles of white powder,
partially full, a package of brownish
dirty looking substance. tumbler hav-
ing substance adhering 10 its sides
and a metal spoon articles received
with instruction TO analyze contents; ;
upon analysis found all of the bottles
containing parts of organs of de-
| ceased. except that said TO be the
brain to contain strychnine. found the
two bottles of white powder 10 con-
tain 1212 grains and 10 grains of
strychnine: the substance adhering TO
! the tumbleT TO contain traces of
strychnine but in too minute quantity
to estimate in grains; the dirty sub
stance found in the package on the
shelf to contain saltpetre and gum
aloes; also looked for and found traces
of saltpetre in the organs of the body
Also found traces of formaldehyde
and thymol. but these were the prin
cipal constituents of the embalming
fluid used by the undertaken as found
upon analysis of the portion of that
fluid given him by the coroner; that
these are separate and distinct ele
ments from strychnine and can be cas-
lily distinguished from il.
RigidIy Cross Examined