The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-07
PHYSICIANS In CRIME
Sporting Doctor of England
a Wholesale Murderer.
RELATIVES AMONG VICTIMS
Money Often the MOtiVe-JeaIousy
Drives One Practitioner to At
tempt TO sIay-AnOfher Uses Nor
DhIne to Remoye His Two Brothers
and Gain a FORiune.

DR." Crippen is the latest result from
che medical Overwhelmingly so
little branded with the stigma Of crime
70 be convicted of a dastardly murder
The case brings TO the mind OF
writer for London Answers other inter-
esting instance Of sensational cases in
which medical men have been the central
figures.
William Palmer, the sporting doctor. Of
Rugeley in Staffordshire, England, was a
wholesale murderer, to whose account at
least fourteen murders can be credited.
Among his victims were his mother-in-
law, his brother. and hts wife. at whose
death he received rom various COM
panies in which her life had been insured
no less a sum than $4,000 This, how
ever, was insufficient to settle hts debts;
and, as the insurance companies refused
on his brothers death to pay he was
reduced TO dire straits for money.
Death by Poison.
In his desperation he resolved upon the
death OF one Cook. with whom. at the
time, he was attending tho Shrewsbury
races.
The deed was commenced az the Raven
Hotel, Shrewsbury, where Palmer doc
tored his victims grog. and brought by
persistent poisoning to a tragic conelu-
sion a week later AT the Talbot Arms.
Rugeley. whittier the ruined man had in
dueed Cook 10 accompany him.
No action was at first taken, but the
strange disappearance OF the dead mans
papers and money aroused suspicion.
Soon sufficient evidence was obtained to
Justify the arrest OF Palmer who was
duly sentenced TO death
Ten years later. DR.. Pritchard, a medi-
cal practitioner Of Glasgow, was arrested
on the charge Of poisoning his wife and
mOther-in-law. Anthony was the agent
employed: and no doubt the money which
would acrue from assurance offices, in
the event OF his victims death. was the
main motive that prompted the crime.
He, too. was executed.
Death I'm Capsule.
AcOnitn was the poison used by ~
Lamson TO compass the death Of Percy
Malcolm John, his wife's brother. He eff
fected his design by inducing the boy
TO swallow a gelatin capsule filled with
powdered sugar, into which he had in
II puuNSu the poison, on the pfeLeuSe tndE
il would relieve the paralysis from which
he suffered. The same night the lad
was seized with violent pains. and died
within four hours OF swallowing the cap
sule. Suspicion fell on Lamson. and he
was arrested and sentenced 10 death.
Jealousy OF q successful rival drove
Dr. Eustachy, practicing al PeFtuis. IN
the south OF France, 10 attempt the life
OF DR. TOurna1Oire. The latter one day
received a present of six thrushes
OF these his wife and the cook partOOk.
and were at once seized with excruciating
pains. which were followed by extraor-
binary Authorizations and delusions DR..
Tournatoire promptly subjected the re-
naming thrusheS TO examination. and
found them TO contain atrorin. Eustachy
was sentenced 10 eight years hard labor.
Dr. de la Pommerais. a homeopathic
doctor, practicing in Paris. having in
lois poisoned Nine. Dubiny, his mother
in-law, proceeded TO insure a Nine. de
Paw, the widow Of an old friend, for
something over $4,000. This effected.
he deliberately did her 10 death, using
digitalin 70 accomplish his purpose. His
guilt was incontestably proved. and he
suffered on the guilloune. Another
French physiCian-Dr. Castaing-used aC-
etate OF morphine to remove the brothers
| Hippolyte and Auguste Ballet. that ne
might possess himself Of their fortunes.