The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-10-13
WAS PROBABLY TAKEN
II HOURS BEFORE DEATH
Mullen Told Several Persons
That BatcheIder Ate Cheap
Chocolates Which We're
Poisoned by Arsenic Roy
Sykes Told Of His Sickness.

Prof II, L. White, medico-legal chem
ist at the Vermont state laboratory, was
on the stand in Washington county
court this forenoon in the second day
of the trial of Ray Mullen, who is
charged with numbering Fred Batchel-
der in Barre last March. Prof. White
told Of the portions Of Batchelder's body
submitted to him for analysis and he ex.
planned the processes by which be per
formed the analyses.
The stomach and intestines alone con
tanned 1883 grains Of arsenic He should
Judge that the arsenic had been taken
into the stomach twelve hours before
death. In the brain, liver, kidneys and
heart he also found arsenic, but as he
f und the embalming fluid which was
used contained arsenic, he was unable
to say how much Of il was taken
into the body before OF after death.
Prof. White testified as to his cxami-
nation Of a spoon with the name Wind
sor" on it. saying that a qualitative ex-
animation showed traces Of arsenic On
cross examination Prof. White stated
that he thought a person in eating a
sandwich having Is grains of arsenic on
it would notice the difference in taste.
DIR. j. Il. McSweeney testified to at
tending Roy Sykes last March and that
he diagnosed the case as that Of pto.
maine poisoning
b. Fl. Stone, NJ d., Of the state laho-
ratory Of hygiene, told Of the eSamina-
tion Of the organs Of Batcheldcr's body
and that the lining showed corrosion
and crystals Of what seemed TO be ar
senle Henry and Aidro Batchelder of
piamfeld. brothers Of the dead man,
also testified, but they introduced moth
ing new.
AZ noon the court took recess until
two o'clock Monday afternoon. Mean
While the jurors viii he in charge of
Deputies Scott and Wedge. The follow-
ers Of court cases have remarked al the
celebrity with whish the case Ii being
conducted
Through all the testimony against him
the prisoner sat stolidly and scarcely
shifted his position. He had little con
yersation with his attorneys The pris-
oner's father and other relatives arrivcd
JIM Montpelier yesterday afternoon pre-
pared to testify for the defence
That Arsenic for Stufing Bird.
The testimony yesterday afternoon Of
able to the prosecution in connection
with the testimony Of Mir. Lampnan,
the drug clerk who testified that he
sold arsenic to Mullen on two oecas-
ions on March a.. Lampman testified
that Mullen gave as his reason for pur-
chasing the arsenic that Mrs. Page
wanted it to use in stuffing bird. Mrs.
Page denied on the stand that she had
asked Mullen to purchase arsenic with
which to stuff bird and said that she
had never had heard Mullen say any
thing about stufiing n bird Or animal at
her house. G. RI. kendrick testified as
to being the proprietor "a the drug store
where The sale Of the arsenic was said
to have been made.
Miss Blanche Cutler who had room
In the house where both Mullen and
Batcheldcr roomed, testified that after
t5atchelder was taken sick Mullen told
her that he had been eating cheap ehoc-
olates shat contained arsenic. She also
stated that she knew OF no stufling OF
birds or other animals by Mullen, and
her testimony on this line was corrob-
GRATED by Miss Grace Page.
Roy Sykes on the Stand.
Roy Sykes, one Of the important wit.
uesses in that he roomed with Mullen
and because he is said to have been
taken sick under the same conditions
as the man who died, told on the stand
how Mullen gave him sandwich on
the night of March 8 and that he was
made deadly sick. He had violent pains
and also vomited. After partially re-
covering he went away from Barre and
after ten days returned, arriving IN
the city on the day that Batcheiaer was
buried. Mullen had told the witness
that Batchelders death was caused by
j weak heart and eating poisoned choci
olstes.
Nh. Svckes also told over various mat
tsFs of eoversation which he had had
With Mullen. He said that one night
the two we're talking when Mullen d.
vul9ed the information, as nurse that
electors ofteDtimcs slip something intsi
thair uatients to make way with them
sehen thew seo that death Is inevitable,
III told of specific case where the
doctor had invited the relatives of the
naticnt to 80 into the room and say