The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-10-08
Especial to The Messenger.)

Especial to The Messenger.)
Ralelgh, October 3.-The fourth d9v
et the trial of Dr. and Mrs David p
f0o"lahd on the capital charge of D0is-
onlng her first husband, Engineer G.
II. strange, of the SeabOard Air Line
"l MS nome here on the morning OF
April b last, found the court house
packed with people as usual, 2 few of
them colored and with about a dozen
fe1hale witnesses sitting within the rail
ana directly back Of the defendants,
The defendants showed today the
strain they had been under this week
LIT. Rowland has sat, looking rather
S'olIuIy at the witnesses and once in
a while sweeping his eye over the iury-
mems faces, with an occasional Look
at the lawyers for the state. His wife
IS much more demonstrative and ac-
tive IN her looks, has much more 10
Say n as far as outside appearances
go eVlnces a deeper interest in this
great struggle for life or death.
The examination Of DIR. William a.
Syme was resumed this morning. He
made the analysis of the contents OF
the stomach of Strange. He said hat
In cases of decay such as this, the BODY
Nhavlng been eXhumed over a. month
kter death, it was difficult to trace
poison. He was questioned particu-
larly with a view to a~conotine, a drug
which it has been shown already hat
DR.. Rowland had specially ordered
through a firm here a few days before
the death of Strange, the order being
made by wire and this most deadly
drug having been promptly delivered.
Dr. Syme explained what a frightfui
and quick poison it was. He said thai .
he knew of no chemical test by which
it could be discovered, so subtle it
is.
Upon cross examination he was ask
ed If n ten-thOusandth of a dram
of acOnOtine would not cause a ting
ling sensation if rubbed upon the hand
and replied that he could not answer
as to the figures, but would say tha;
an extremely diluted solution of aeon
Notinf, rubbed upon the body would
DeauYE such a sensation. He would not
say IId IL was lIIlpOSSlD1o 10 SNOW
there was an alkaloid in the stomach
but knew of no test by which acono-
tine could be found by chemical anal
ysis. 1t can be found by physiological
tests. The putrefactiOn of the stomach
would have the effect Of separating the
elements Of a~conOtine, but would not
destroy them.
Clerk Russ of NaEo Crnnrin. All
testified that Mrs. Strange, the widow.
had been granted papers Of admins
tration April Goth. She said the value
Of the estate, as near as she could tell,
was $2450 and this was the amount
named ny her in the affidavit.
Sheriff Sears produced last years tax
books which showed that DR.. Rowland
gave in for taxation the following
property: a bicycle $50, scientific in
struments 500, watches, etc. $25. all
other property $50; total s405.
Bookkeeper J. c, Allison, of the W.
H. King Drug Co., said he had beer
with that company for this wear, ANT,
had known DR. Rowland by sight since
the habeaS corpus proceedings. Row
land had had an account at the King
store since the first of last April. The
ledger was shown. showing an account
April 4th and was opened on that date.
When the state asked what was this
account. the defense objected. Judge
I,o&c sent the jury out of the 20 uu-
Ill the point could be argued. After
Jury retired the witness said there was
an entry of 81 for a bottle Of o
tine crystals, containing Is grains
This was shown by the invoice. a copy
which was sent DR.. Rowland.
The medicine was ordered through
DR.. Fisher, whose duty it was to send
the bill to DR. Rowland. Cross-eXamined
Allison said he had no order from DR..
Rowland and no written order from
any one employed by him. Dag not
personally recollect Rowland having
ordered any ~acOnOtine on the day NAM
ed and n personal recollection Of the
money being paid into the office.
DR.. A. w. Knox, an expert, said
aconotine was so extremely deadly a
,drue that neither he nor any doctor he
kanw of ever used it. 1t is very dan
.garous even in salves. When DR.. Knox
was asked if he thought Strange could
have died of heart disease, said it was
not probable, if he had only one attack
(the defense having claimed that nc
had an attack two years ago..
Clerk Allison has recalled and said
he had asked Fisher last July IL he
would come to Raleigh and testify,
Fisher had refused.
The defense here contended that b