New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-21
HOLD BINGE INQUEST.
MERCURY FOUND IN BODY.
Nurse Tells of Po5der in Wine Sup
piled by hrs. Wallau.

Sensational testimony was given yesterday at
the INQUEST into the death Of Mrs. Ida Blnse
who died on February 6, before Coroner Acri-
tell In the Criminal Courts Building. Mrs
Binge Is alleged to have been poisoned. the au-
topsy showing the presence of mercury Mrs
Lotto WaIlau. Mrs. Binge's daughter, who has
been arrested in connection with her death. was
present at the inquest being brought into the
corone~s court from the Tonbs, where she has
! been detained since her arrest She repre-
, scented by Edward Lauterbach and John r.
StanchneId. Miss Elizabeth &. Devine. one of
the two nurses who attended Mrs. Btnge during
the Illness preceding her death, was the prin-
cipal witness. sac testified she had given cham
payne 10 Mrs Btngc. and told of having found
q white sediment in ore If tho bottles. which
she believed 20 be poison, aud that Miss CIeve-
land the other nurse, made i'll by drinking
some Of it.
Other witnesses were DR. Samuel Chuck. the
attending physician. who testified that he had
never prescribed mercury in any form. and Dr.
Otto II Schultz. the corOncrs physician, who
described the autopsy he had performed, which
he said showed the cause Of death was con-
sistent with mercuraI poisoning. He said he
found the dead woman had been suffering from
a complication OF diseases. including chronic
pericardtis hardening Of the arteries and con-
gestion of the lungs.
Dr. Rudolf A. Witthaus a chemist. of No. -
West $50 street. who vas present at the autor-
sly said he had examined the kidney and liver
of the deceased and had found $500 Of a grain
of mercury in the kidney and lesser quantity
I'm the liver. ON cross-examination DR.. Witthaus
said he could not say how much of the mercury
was absorbed and how much OF it got into the
body through food He said there might be a
quantity Of mercury in the liver without out
ward manifestations. though ne did not think
the same conditions could prevail in the kidneys
without external symptoms, but what those
symptoms would he he could not say.
Miss Devine testified that she had nursed Mrs.
Bnge up to January 81. She said she found the
patient suffering from a wound of the breast.
where a cancer had been removed. but that the
wound healing
In answer to questions asked Ivy Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Corrigan Miss Devine said that
she had first administered champagne 10 Mrs.
BiUge January -: that the champagne had
been brought upstairs by Mrs. WaliaU. Wit
ness said that previously she had gone To the
buffers pantry and found Mrs. Wallau about TO
draw a cork from champagne bottle, She Of
feTed To take the champagne upstairs. she said
but Mrs Wallau told her that she would take 1t
up. After Mrs. hinge had drunk some of the
champagne Miss Devine testified that she found
a white powder in what left in the glass
She said the champagne made Mrs Binge ill.,
The next day. January 2S. Miss Cleveland. the
other nurse. arrived, and Mrs Wallau came into
the room with bottle Of champagne. which she
put tho window sill, saying It had not been
opened but after Mrs. Waau left she exam
ined the bottle and found the tnfon covering OF
the cork had been removed. and that there was
a white powder i'm the bottom OF the bottle. She
said she told Miss Cleveland about it.
When she returned from breakfast she said
| Miss Cleveland was III and told her that she had
been poisoned. that she had taken some Of the
champagne and It had made her very i'll. Miss
Devine said she told Mrs Wallau about IT. and
the latter told her Miss Cleveland had probably
eaten something that disagreed with her and
advised Miss Devine 10 give her some milk at
once. She said that shortly aftervard Mrs
Wallau asked her 10 take walk and when she
said she did not care to Mrs. Wallau asked her
70 go a personal favor. II finally went out
said Miss Devine. and visited Dr. Haas. a
dentist; he had asked me whether Mrs Binge
had been given calomeI.
i told Dir. Haas that, terrible as it seemed 70
say IT, I thought Mrs Wallau had been poison
Ing her mother. | gave him sample OF the
wine and arranged with him to say nothing
about it until the next day. later arranged
to see DR. Bull when DR.. Haas told me he had
found mercury in the wine"
Miss DeVine then told of having gone
DR.. Gluck taking with her samples of the wine
| and coffee used in the sickroom. which. she told
him, she believed contained poison. The doctor
kept the samples. A couple Of days later she
said Mrs. Wallau came 70 her and told he- there
was nothing in the wine and that Dr.. GIuck was
downstairs ana wanted 10 see her. Miss Deviue
| said Or. Gluck told her there nothing I'm the
wine. She asked him 10 call Mrs. Wallau. but
he said he had nothing 10 say to her. Thereupon
Miss Devine declared she called her and said.
! Mrs Wailau, | think your mother has been
poisoned. and ! cannot stay here any longer"
Mrs Walau grew pale, she said. and asked
. her whether she thought she had poisoned her
mother Miss Devine replied that she had said
nothing az the kind Mrs. Wall0u then asked
her If she suspected any % the servants and
mentioned The name of She said she had
/ he suspicious about She then asked Miss De
| vine to drop the matter ana stay. but Miss De-
vine told her she could not do SO. and gave as
one Of her reasons for going that she considered
Or. Gluck had not treated her rightly. lis
on January 81.
LAST OF MAST CARTOONS SOLD.