Amador ledger., 1906-07-20

that had been buried seven weeks !
was remarkably we'll preserved; u
evidence of decomposition in tn
heart. -
! Now it will be observed from thl
testimony that the evidence of tn
physicians as to inability to detec
the presence of -veratrum viride poi
soning in body proceeds upon tb,
the theory that veratrum viride' il
their opinion is a vegetable drug anC
disappears with the decomposition O.
the body; otherwise it could be de
tected. But there was no evidence
that the body was decomposed at the
time of the autopsy, or that decompo
sltion had set in. DIR. Calls own evi-
dence largely negatives that PROPOSE
tion, and the testimony of Daneri, the
embalmer, is that when he exhumed
the body for the autopsy it was Just
as natural as the day he put it down
and buried it; almost petrified: that
to touch it was like putting your
finger on piece of iron. If then the
only reason why veratrum viride, il
administered, could not be discovered
in dead body would be because de.
composition had set in, as it had not
set in in the body of deceased, there
was no reason why a proper examina-
lton or analysis to discover it would
not have revealed its presence.
The evidence of the autopsy pby-
siclans is the only evidence IN the
case that veratrum viride disappears
within few weeks. In fact this tes-
tlmony and that of the two following
witnesses is the only evidence on the
point.
Professor Price, the chemist and
toxicologist, Stestifying as to his an
aiysis OF the stomach, was asked
whether veratrum vitride admins
tered fifty days prior to an autopsy
could be discovered in then making
an analysis of the stomach, to which
he responded 81 have no personal
experience myself to enable me to say
that how long this veratrum viride
will remain in the stomach after
death, and from all my Investigation
among the authorities they are silent
on that subject. - He also designated
veratrum viride as an aIkaloid. DR..
Morgan, physician and also a chem
lst and toXocologist of experience.
testified that, there is no evidence
upon which we can base a positive
lde taken into the stomach would re-
main before decomposition woald set
IN, it is an alkaloid; morphine will
remain in the human body one or two
years alter death, and strychnine will
remain in the human body as long as
ten years. Morphine, strychnine and
veratrum viride. are all alkaluids, and
we could reasonably expect to find
m
year or two, any one of the three -
Before proceeding to further con-
slderation of the case, it is proper at
this point to say that when the defen-
dant was on the stand he did not
state, nor did his counsel make i'm
qulry of him as to what had become |
of the veratrum viride which he pur
chased. This doubtless was an over
sight on the part of defendants coun-
sell, and at best, only shows that he
did not account for it. His failure,
however, to testify on direct examina-
Ilon on this subject did not preclude
the prosecution from making inquiry |
in that direction, if it so desired; |
hence 1t was a possible oversight on |
The part of the defense and prosecu- |
lion that the subject was not gone |
into.
We do not think that any further J
discussion of the evidence upon this |
branch of the case is necessary, and |
without commenting upon it further
han we have, we now pass to a con-
'ideration of the evidence bearing
upon the claim of the prosecution that !
'he deceased came to her death from
poisoning.
This branch of the case, in our judg-
nent, requires less discussion than we
have devoted to the claim OF poison
ing by veratrum viride. There is no
evidence that defendant had procured
Dr. had In his possession any arsenic.
As physician he may have had it,
put there is no proof that he did.
Neither at any time during her illness
lid Mrs Staples exhibit any symptoms
Of arsenical poisoning. AS to those |
symptoms there is no dispute. DR.
Morgan testified: The first symptoms
of arsenical poisoning is a burning
sensation in the throat and stomach
and an intense desire for water; then
follows vomiting, which is so severe
that it cannot be controlled, the pa
'ient constantly desiring water, and as
ofen as it is given constantly vomit-
ing it. After that we usually find a
1iarrhoea and the vomiting becomes
streaked with blood, the diarrhoea is
Of peculiar character known as the
rice water stools, and contains patches
Of mucous membrane from the intes
lines. The patients, if they die, usu-
ally die in from six hours to two
days. -
DR. Tiffany said, "Arsenic irrltates
the lining membrane of the stomach
and intestines, and it creates more or
less vomiting and purging, running off
condition of the bowels. Vomiting
lakes place when it is used beyond
action to a poisonous
extent, as soon as there was enough |
of the stomach. The admin.
stration or receipt of arsenic in poi
'onous doses in the stomach would
cause irritation within a few hours
In the case of taking by the mouth of
arsenical poisoning, the irritation
would leave on the internal organs a
condition, an aridness, an
Intiamed condition. If one
POISONOUS dose was administered at a
lime it would produce vomiting
The sickness of the deceased covered
4 period of over two weeks, and there
IS no evidence whatever that at any
lime the symptoms attending arseni-
,al poisoning exhibited themselves.
There was no vomiting or purging.
Neither did the autopsy or the chemi-
'al analysis of the stomach show any
rritated condition of either the stom-
ach or of any other internal organ of
The body. Arsenic, it is true, was
ound in the stomach. But the evil
lence shows that its presence there
could have resulted through the pro-