Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-03
ROWLAND MURDER CASE
PIVOTAL POINT REACHED IN
RALEIGH TRIAL TODAY.

RALEIGH, N c. October 3.-The pivo-
tai point was reached in Wake county
court today in the trial Of DR.. d. 8. Row.
land and his wife for the murder by poison
of Engineer Strange April last. Strange
was the husband of the present Mrs. Row
land.
The evidence of Chemist Syme, who
analysed the stomach of the lead man.
showed that a person could be poisoned
by aconitine. ono one-hundred- and-fiftieth
of a grain and no trace OF 1t be found
by chemical test of the stomach, after
hypodermic or internal absorption.
Evidence also was submitted to show
than April DIR. Rowland received a
bottle of aconitine ordered by telegraph
from New York through drug firm here.
The clerk who took the order and who de-
livered the goods Is out of the state ana
refused To come to the trial
The jury was excluded while the ev1-
dence was given by the drug firms book
keeper. and the court reserved its opinion.
Yesterdays Features.
The first witness yesterday was City
Police Judge Badger of Raleigh, who, with
State Treasurer Lacy and Messrs. Wynne
and Heller also testified to the good char
acter of Engineer Mike Tighe, the star
witness for the prosecution.
Engineer Steele was called to the stand
and gave practically the same testimony
he did at the preliminary hearing, especial
ly that part about him and Tighe watching
Mrs. Strange with the view OF confirming
rumors and acquainting her husband. If
true Steele said he heard suspicious
rumors about Mrs. Strange in Portsmouth,
but did not believe them till he came to
Raleigh.
The cross-examination extracted minor
ev dence valuable to defense.
Mrs Pattie B. Arlington was the next
witness, and she testified to meeting Mrs
off
% and 30 The woman was the present
defendant DR. Rowland then told heE that
she was a northern woman stopping at
Marlborough. and ne was treating her
Night Sessions
Night sessions will be held unless more
Roadway is made tomorrow. The state mas
now consumed most of four days, and IS
not yet through with its side of the case
The defense will have as many witnesses
to examine as the state, and it will not be
possible to get through this week without
night sessions.
Ii Judge Long persists in concluding the
famous trial in one week there will be
strenuous times in Wake county court for
the next two or three days and nights
The first witness today was Chemist Syme
of the State Agricultural College, who con-
Guided his testimony begun last even ne.
He declared that he knew of no chemical
test by which aconite poison could be de-
tecteu. The state Is Claiming now tHdt
aconite was the poison used. 1t has traced
its purchase to DR.. Rowland. Since DR.
Syme made his chemical analysis of Engi-
neer Strange's stomach last June, and at
which time Syme made no special effort to
detect acOnite from any other poisons. this
evidence is now regarded by the state as
strong.
T. B. Terrell. the next witness. saw
Strange two days before death, and he was
looking we'll
The next witness was ]. C.. Allison. the
bookkeeper for the King Drug Company.
wholesale druggists, and who is depended
on to show purchase, by order. the firm
sending for 1t and delivering it to Rowland.
OF aconite poison a few days before the
death of Strange. Allison was finally per-
mtted to give his evidence. which was that
the drug firm did not keep aconte in stock,
and that therefore 1t was ordered when
DIR. Rowland applied for It, that when it
came Rowland finally received it some two
days after it was received by the King COM
firm.