The Marshall republican., 1911-04-14
AN
SEARCH
By LEN EDNA MAY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.


ton Of some one who IL charged Will
murder, have resulted In the haneil,
OF many an, INNOCENT person. IL
prosecuting attorney whose business
trial by the state has only to prove i
motive for wishing the deceased GU;
Of the way and presence Of poison IL
the stomach to win his case. Anot'Icl
matter strengthens It: that Is. prOy.u.
that the accused bought the pois i!
though there are Instances in which
sary 10 swing the accused.
81 work largely for attorneys. Bates
wakclcy q scrimser have given me
a lot of work TO do. and I have fur.
nished them with facts that have
enabled them to win n number ci
cases. They ARE criminal lawyers. and
them has been used. I am happy to
say. TO secure the acqulttnl OF persons
accused OF Grim" Won't know any
thing that gives me- iuore satisfaction;
than saving an innocent person froiil
punishment.
zone day Mr.. scrlmscr sent Cor IN
and said: .
1--WE have been retained to defend
Mrs. Edith Townsend, charged win
poisoning her husband. n man she wa
Induced By her parents TO marry when
she was eighteen years old. Towns ..C
WIS very rich aud n mlser. His wife.
who X only twcnly-four years old. s.
a beautiful woman. At the time OF
her marriage SHE had been engaged to
n young man not able 10 support her,
aud she loved him instead OF hrr hus.
band. Her husbands relatives. who
would Hike TO secure his property. hay,
worked up the case against her. =
mote s.I' wrote the man che had BEG.
engaged 10. Horace Trucsdnle. telling
him she would not see him 80 long MS
her husband lived. Il all the evidence
they have been able 10 adduce tr
prove her Intimacy with him durirc
her married life. hut they have
proved that on one occasion a month
previous 10 her husbands death she
bought u drug that was found upol
analysis In her husbands stoma q.
She said that when she bought this
drug her husband sent her for a
prescription the nature Of which she
know nothing. believe that he
was taking n drug for u stimulant aud
that 1t eventually killed him. Here g.
the technical name FOR It, He gave
me u slip of paper. 4 wish you 10 ~.
cover II he was not In the habit ~
buying II. Remember that n woman.
good mime, perhaps her life. depend
npon your efforts
II went M the matter systematically.
FIRST procuring n list OF the drug stor'l
within reach OF Mr.. Townseud's res.
dencc. lie had lived In his countr
place surrounded by villages IN whlcl
there were drug stores. IL he wished
To conceal the fact OF his purchases h.
had only % drive 10 one OF these tow
sufficiently distant that he should no.
be known there, buy his drug aud err.
ry II home himself. Though Il was y
poison when taken In large ~quaniitlc
II was prescribed by physicians. AID
an order for II was not IN all cases a.
sential.
y visited every drug store within II
radius Of twenty miles from his HON
and talked with every proprietor anc
clerk In MI OF them. Not ono OF, the {:
could remember any person answering
to my description OF Mr.. Townsend,
and all declared that no such person
had ever TO their knowledge visited
their store. ] hit upon the place whcr'
his wife had bought the poison ST.
was chargcI with having procured
but this he'd al been worked up b.
another dete two.
II went TO Mr.. Scrlmser md re
ported my failure.
"Try the wholesale druggists he
said.
"'Why should the man have bought
the drug at wholesaler I asked.
"He was mean enough TO buy his
table salt ut Wholesale he replied.
ITO make n search Of the wholesalt
drug stores was quite another propca,
ton. 1t was equivalent to a hunt Il.
every wholesale drug house In IN
United States, and Mr.. Townsend
might have bought the drug In Can
ada. Indeed, II he wished to conccn'
his purchases Canada would be IN
better field. first looked into the @.
press Offices In the places where pacl:
ages might have been delivered TO hln
Nothing sent him that could hive beaa
a drug appeared on the books OF I'll,
express companies. nor was any nj
receipt on file.
'rhe only hope left for Mrs. Town
send was that her husband had cs
dered the drug sent by mail. l pr
cured a list Of all the Wholesale drtp
houses In the United States and Ca.