The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-25
A TraCeIess Poison

IOrlginail
Having been summoned as an expert
an chemistry in The Nolan case, | con
cluded my testimony with the remark,
~ pctSon desiring. TO Xii smother
would y more liRsiy ia use 4 poison
that would leave no trace" where.
upon TIE prosecuting attorney asked
me IL tslcse was such a poison. | hav-
ing replied that there WAS, lie asked
me &c nunis At The Judge Forbade me
60 do SO. TlSe prosrcutor insisted, but
the Judge was immovable. He .would
not permit me 10 name publicly a poi
son thas would leave no trace
Immediately after my testimony was
published was leluged with letters
inqulring the name Of the poison that
left no trace. Most Of them doubtless
came from idle curiosity but was as
tonished at the number of those which
showed plainly, from the pains the
writers took to conccsl their identity.
that they were written for an evil pur-
pose.
One day received a call from a wo-
man who asked for the secret. She
said she bad made a bet with her
brother, who was a scientist, Of 81. 600
that there was such poison, and she
desired to prove it TO him by trying it
on a dog. n would give her the name
or the poison Anl SHE won she would
give me half the amount.
questioned her, then. going into an
other room, returned With tiny pill,
which i gave her. saying that if 1t
killed The dog aud left no trace she
might refer her brother to me for evi-
delce that she had won the bet. When
she ID | sent a housemaid to follow
her. Nno brought me her address.
Sending for adetective, directed sliIn,
20 establish some sort of watch on
the house s"lere she lived. 70 shadow
her when she went out and report to
me any case.ef illness that might occur
TO any one with whom she might be
connected
In 4 few days my man reported that
thc lady's husband had died suddenly.
1t had been given out that he had suf-
fered an apoplectic stroke and had not
lived an hour after.
was thunderstruck- alone knew
the nature of the pill | had given the
woman. and OF course she would keep
the secret Nevertheless ! was very
much troubled at the result. directed
the detective TO keep her under strict
surveillance. Later lie reported to me
that she had visited the office of
life insurance company. Upon inquiry
he had learned that her husband had
been insured for $4,000. | hurried to
the Insurance office, called on the pres
idcnt and advised him before paying
the claim to make sure that there was
no trickery connected with It. But
would answer no questions.
The next | heard or the case was
that upon examination of the body
exhumed for the purpose-it was diss
covered that 1t was the remains of the
brother of the man insured. The in
sured himself had disappeared. Pay
ment was refused. and the woman was
arrested on charge OF fraud. to which
was added charge of murder. n
The body OF the deceased was given
over TO physicians with view 10 dis
covering II the man had died natural.
death. One reported apopiexy as the.
cause, another heart trouble and ans
other kidney disease. Three different
expertsgeported three different poisons
found N the body. There was opium,
arsenic and one other the name of
which ! have forgotten l was sum
moned as witness for the prosecution
and produced a sensation by refusing
TO testify on the ground Of self incrim-
inatiOn.
Afterwam | consented TO give my
evidence | Informed the court OF the
woman's visit to me, of her request for
poison that would leave no trace and
the use she proposed TO make Of it
Then told them that had given her
the pilL AT this point q technical OBJ,
lection was interposed by the defend
ants counsel. andlghe judge sustained
him. INvas forbidden to tell what was
In the pill, the reason being that it had
not been proved that the pin had been
used. This left me in very un.ortn-
nate position.
After,a long trial the woman was ac-
quilted of the charge Of murder, and
the charge Of fraud was never pressed
The prosecution had failed to prove
she knew that the man who was buried
was her husbands brother or that she
had poisoned him- Her counsel con
trived to throw all the blame on her
husband. who had disappeared.
After her aequittal the woman came
10 see me. She was curious to know II
] had been deceived by her story about
the bet and II had really given her a
traceless pill Before replying l asked
her 20 explain the case to me, aud. aft
er solemn promise on my part TO
keep her secret she did so.
Her husbands life was largely In
sured. ana since they were an i'll mated
couple she resolved to poison him,
Just as she was about 70 give him the
pin lad furnished her her husbands
brothef came to fhe house FOR a visit
His henlth bad been broken dowE by
rwon-oGa ns,,ogta1Ix- ,I,.,.e,o that a., no