The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-05-02

PieSSlOH spoke VolumeB. Sne could
not refuse to go with him, yet hef
face told me that she dreaded to dc
so. She looked sort Of appeal to me-
as though to communicate without
speaking that there was a reason why
she should not leave the patient. But
Jernegan's face indicated that the in.
terview in another room must take
place, and the woman led him out,
He shut the door behind them and left
me with the patient.
The moment we were alone together
an agonized expression came over the
invalid's face.
Have you called me by telephone r.
asked
Twice"
'"Tell me in few words what is the
trouble"
She's trying to poison me-"
The expression on her face was so
full of horror that | stopped her. I
went to the telephone and called for
another nurse. then back to the pa
t1ent, told her what | had done and
that | would remain until the arrival
of the substitute This done, | went
about the room collecting what medi-
cines could find.
Meanwhile Jernegan remained In the
other room with the nurse. In ten
minutes the one l had called for ar
rived. and. placing my patient under
her care, I went to the room where
Jernegan and Mrs Webster were.
Jernegan was looking alta book. Mrs.
Webster was standing looking out of
window She appeared very much
troubled
There's your quarry" said Jerne-
gan, for the first time dropping all as
sumption of being a doctor.
II know it, replied 1.-The patient
has told me all. Mrs. Webster. will
you please come downstairs
We all went to the floor below.
where we would not disturb the pa
tent with scene. and told Mrs
Webster to prepare to leave the house.
She said she must go TO the patients
room. but | did not permit this. Of
course.
did not Ike simply to turn the wo-
man OF because | suspected she had
some malign intention toward her pa
tient. and did not like to have her
arrested. for | hardly knew what to
charge her with Notwithstanding the
tnvalid's condition, went to her, leav-
ing Mrs. Webster in charge of Jerne-
gan, and asked her If she felt strong
enough to tell me what had occurred
between her and her nurse Miss Ed
wards told me that she had seen Mrs.
Webster on one occasion dropping a
powder in some fluid medicine before
giving it. After that Miss Edwards
held in her mouth all the medicine Civ
en- her till her nurses back was turn
ed, then got rid of it.
A sick person is so liable to see what
does not actually occur that | would
not act upon this information without
the discovery of some poison on the
premises. This could not be done with
out an analysis, and felt obliged to
discharge Mrs. Webster. though i told
Jernegan to have her Swallowed for
few days None of the drugs found
turned out to be poison. This did not
prove that the nurse did not have some
poison which we could not find.
could get nothing very satisfactory out
of the patient and was forced to be-
heve that her fears were the result of
her physical condition. | therefore
paid no further attention to the mat
ter so far as concerned the nurse.
After Miss Edwards recovery, tax
ing up newspaper one day. / noticed
that Mrs. Webster had been arrested
for attempting to poison Miss Ed
wards while the latter was i'll and I'M
der her care. It was charged that the
nurses name was not Webster, but
Coates; that she was a distant relative
of her patient. Miss Edwards had fall
en- heir to large estate. and Mrs
Coates was next Of kin and in case of
Miss Edwards death would inherit the
property. It was charged that the
nurse had purposely secured the case
to get rid Of her patient.
The case was tried. and everything
! had seen stated in the newspaper
was proved except the poisoning.
think 1t probable that 1t was the
nurses intention TO get her charge out
OF the way either by poison or mali
cious domination. But since no poison
was found the nurse was acquitted.