Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-17

a small pencil holder upon the body
of the man about which still chung
| traces of cyanide. Then it was
! learned that the man had taken the
poison which brought his death.
Further deduction OF the story
brought out the theory: This man
| was chemist and travelling about as
he did. it was not unusual that he
should have such poison with him.
When the fire was discovered he was
alarmed for his own safety. He saw
a man in the room next to him en-
deaVor to make his escape. The lad
der was too short. Then wishing to
Gle a more easy death than be
burned to death as he thought he
would be- the old chemist calmly
swallowed the deadly poison and
died in his chair.
The determining the death OF the
man made a clean bill for the owner
of the hotel to present to the medi-
cal examiner as that was the only
suspicious death in the fire.
Speaking of the deadly poison
which has woven itself into famous
cases OF the past and the nearer
past, DR.. Magrath tells story. con-
corning boy who worked in a
photo engraving place where the
cyanide was used in the process. He
was eating his lunch at noon about
the works and suddenly feel onto the
floor and died very soon. Investi-
cation brought out that the boy had
been eating an orange. In the poo
ket of the dead boys coat DR.. Ma.
grath found big lump Of cyanide
which he had evidently picked up.
The poison had either gotten onto
the boys fingers and the acid of the
orange had acted with it, making the
almost instant poison.
In furtherance of the peculiarly
of the poison DR.. Magrath tells of an
incident that happened in his stud
ent days. A janitor of one Of the
buildings had dog which had been
hurt in its leg. Wishing to get the
dog out of agony he appealed to the
doctor for something that would do
the JOB quick. DIR. Magrath said that
ne would get something for him and
brought down some cyanide of DO
tassium. This the man gave the dog
and 1t Immediately stretched out.
The body was pushed to one side.
beneath 4 radiator: A while later
one OF the students went in and was
getting out canoe. Seeing the body
OF the dog he pushed it to one side
Inc dog got up. shook itself and was
aifight. The doctor told this to his
professor. The professor said that
was a very good example of the
manner in which the poison some
tunes worked. 1t would divide into
Two salts, the strength would degen-
crate and the poisons would be
harmless. Such was evidently the
case In connection with the dog.
Two Mexican students were attend
ing college and were rooming together.
Ihey were living in one room which
,hey used as study bedroom. One of
the Fellows was sitting at the table
reading late into the night. The 9TH
er one was on sort of a diyan or
couch bed Suddenly the fellow who |
was reading heard the fellow on the
coucn say I've. done it." He looked |
around and there was the one in bed, |
with arms outstretched. stiffeninE. The
doctor lived just across the street and |
from the time he was called and ar |
rived, only a matter OF IL minutes,
the fellow in the bed was stone dead. |
Dr. Magrath was called into the case. |
He pulled the divan away from the |
SIDE OF the wall and there on the floor l