El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-24
ERSENIG POISON EASY, SAYS
EXPERT IN The MAJOR CASE
Continued

/ witness was on account of friendship
! of Mrs Isabel Major 81 learned of
/ her marriage when 1 received a letter
I from her two weeks ago. In the letter
! she said that she had been sick in
] San Antonio, that she was back in
/ AIamogOrdO, and that her husband was
| under Indictment for the murder Of his
daughter.
! account for the reasons of arsenic be-
! ing found in her system unless it was
from the prescription that the witness
had given her two years ago.
Witness said she stated in the let
ter that she was using thep rescrip-
| the letter.
Sends Night Message.
Witness said he sent her a night
message, giving thep description and
said that he would gladly furnish her
with an affidavit covering this.
On Tuesday morning witness said he
received a message to forward the at
fidaVit, which was mailed Thursday.
The witness was wired, he said, to
come in person. He went to his at
torney, who dictated a telegram rel
ative to the testimony Of the wit
ness by deposition.
Is Urged to Come.
The next morning, the witness said,
he received another telegram to come,
that her husbands liberty and life de-
pended upon it. He said he went sun
day to San Antonio to see her brother,
whom the witness informed that Mr..
Major was under indictment for the
murder Of his daughter.
Witness said he returned and his at
torney informed him that his evidence
might be vital.
becomes Question of Conscience.
1t became a question Of conscience,
he said, from that time. He could not
possibly refuse to come, he said. He
wired that he would come, and come
directly
Has Talk with Mrs. Major.
The witness said: 'T have seen and
talked with Mrs. Isabel Major She
said that she had not taken al over
dose Of the prescription"
The witness said that he was unable
to account for the omission CT wall
paper as source of arsenic, until his
attention was called to it by the cOun-
sci.
Referring to the case Of the boys
mentioned, he ascribed the poisoning
to be due to an open sack. In the in
stances of the poisoning from wall
paper, in three of them he did not
know how long the paper had been on
the walls. In one case the paper had
been on the walls about nine months.
Case occurred in Dewitt county,
near HOchheim, Texas, during an over
flow. The witness. said he learned
that he would be questioned concern
ing arsenical poisoning yesterday from
the attorneys for the defence.
Arsenic In Wall Paper.
Arsenical properties of wall paper
operate in dry climates and under
certain conditions of housekeeping,
he said.
ton, covering the evidence about wall
paper, that had been brought out in
the case of EudOra Major, the wit
ness said that he would examine all
Hsaf- Tafr,
ing any answer. If these were the only
circumstances and that were the only
cause of death offered. he said that he
would not say that death was caused
ness said that none Of the cases mem
toned by him died, and he did not
know whether they were insured.
Answers Hypothetical Question.
On redirect examination, in answer to
hypothetical question asked by
the defence covering the evidence
brought out by the defence relative
to the wall paper theory of the poisoning of
Tudora Major. and assuming her condition
at the time of her sickness and death, the
witness stated that death might have heen
caused by the wall paper. but not ,neces-
Raises Question Himself
The witness said that he had raised the
question Of the wal paper himself ON re-
cross examination the witness said the time
in which death might occur, would cover
The Friday afternoon session Of the court
was devoted to the cross examination of
Prof. r. T. Hare, of the State college at
He testified that he made tests on the
viscera Of EudOra Major for bismuth and
that in the mixed samples secured from
Prof. Seamon that he found. q strong trace.
In making tests he used so grams OF the
mixed viscera, and found 40 milligrams Of
bisrnuth or O76 Of a grain.
The witness said that he estimated the
entire amount from the tests he had made
in the viscera from the body of Eudora Ma
al grains of biEmuth EubuitratA-
same calculation on the entire body he
said, on a basis Of 10 pounds would show
times more bismuth in the viscera than in
the rest OF the body, on a basis OF 100
pounds his estimate was 80 grains.
Often Associated With Arsenic.
Bismuth, he stated. is a metal combined
in various substances. It is often associated
with other elements and arsenic is one of
these 1t is one OF the heavy metals, all of
which have poisonous properties.
The witness said that he had made tests
to determine whether arsenic was present in
bismuth subnitrate; that he had made II
tests and in eight of these he had found
more or less arsenical impurities. The sam
pies from which these tests were made were
secured from the two drug stores in Ala
mogordo. from FL Paso, Clovis, Albuquerque
Las Cruces and Roswell He said that one
Mr. Warren, was tested and showed pres
ance Of arsenic IN small quantity. One hun
dred grains were used in each test
Finds Arsenic in Embalming Fluid.
The witness SllQ LLldL ne secured a portion
Of the embalming fluid from Mr.. Buck used
by him in his embalming and tested about
three ounces and found no trace of arsenic
He said he then tested four quarts and from
the same source and found arsenic
He also made tests, he said. Of glycerine
and found arsenic in small amounts; he said
that he was able to get a trace only from
one test with the GUitzeit method. but found
in each test with the Marsh Berzelius /
method. He said that he received a sample
Of one ounce of glycerine through the mail
and tested it for arsenic by the Marsh
test and obtained an arsenic re-
action.
on cross examination the witness stated
that he was interested IN a case Of arsenic
poisoning at HillsborO, on a Mexican by the
name Of Madrid; that arsenic in that case
was present in large quantities.
would Require 31A Yards Of Paper.
Referring to the tests made upon the sam
pies of wall paper from the Major home he
said that he found IL grains of arsenic to
one square yard Of the paper. On being
questioned to the amount of paper It was
necessary for Eudora Major to have con-
sumed to take in the system 3 y grains of
arsenic, said that by simple calculation it
would seem about 3 = yards Of paper but
That il was not necessary to have consumed
any Of it to have got arsenic, and further