Evening star., 1933-08-11
DRUGGIST HALTED
IN COSTELLO DATA
Brief Testimony of 0'Connor
Marks Day as State
Rests Rebuttal.
Nv the Associated Press.


SALEM, Mass, August 11.-John
j. O'Connor, manager of Salem drug
store opened what was expected to be
the last day of testimony today in the
trial of Jessie B. Costello, alleged huS-
band-slayer.
O'Connor appeared as rebuttal
witnesses for the State and said that
two sales of the poison which killed
William j. Costello had been made in
his store during the last five years. He
was asked, was Jessie B. Costello one
of the purchasers?" but Judge Freder-
lex W. Fosdick refused to permit
OConnor to answer the question. Ine
witness then was dismissed
Michael J. Murphy. employed in the
city engineers department in Peabody,
next took the stand. He quoted Costello
as saying the day before he died, that
he was feeling fine" and never felt
better"
Fyfe Statement Denied.
John j. Costello jr., brother of the
dead fire captain, denied several state
ments made by Andrew j. Fyfe, ST.,
father of Jessie, when the latter was on
the stand.
He denied he had told Fyfe that his
brother looked poorly six weeks before
his death, that he dragged his feet and
had no pep" He said he never told
Fyfe he had advised William to go to
a specialist at that time.
The brother also denied Fyfe's state
ment that he had told the defendants
father that they will have he'll of a
time finding poison in Bill with all that
embalming fluid"
He reiterated his statement that Fyfe
had said to him: I'D like to find some
one to take care of the kids. Jessie is
unfit for it." He also said Fyfe had
The witness denied he had ever told
Edward O'Brine that Bill looked
tough"'a short time before his death.
The State then rested its rebuttal.
The defense attorney asked for a recess.
It was decided not to recall Mrs. Co.'S
tello.
Capsule Box Is Shown.
An attempt by the State to impeach
the veracity of Jessie Costello yesterday
ran afoul of little capsule box.
The widow had testified that medi-
cine in capsules was prescribed by one
of three physicians who attended her
mother prior to her death year ago
The State. in an effort to disprove
this, summoned the three physicians
Mrs. Costello had named. DR.. Harris
s. Pomeroy. who figured prominently in
the investigation into Costello's death,
was the first to take the stand He
testified he never had prescribed cap
suleS or medicine to be administered in
capsules to Mrs. Andrew j. Fyfe the
widows mother. Then Attorney Fran
els E. Rafter of the defense took up the
questioning
Slowly, dramatically, Rafter advanced
the CraU-hairad he
pulled from his pocket a little square
box. The box, Rafter explained, had
contained capsules prescribed for Mrs.
Fyfe by DR.. Pomeroy
IF the prescription is right and the
name Is right, it must be true But
I don't remember it." said the ply
sician. Rafter said he would produce a
druggist to testify to the accuracy of
the inscription on the box.
Morning Session Lively.
DR.. William Frederick Boos of Har-
ward university, State medico-legal ex-
pert. had testified that a mixture of
oxalic acid and potassium cyanide
would be a "very poor cleanser for a
copper boiler" He said that if the
mixture was allowed to dry on a boiler,
the cyanide would form a dust that
would be very dangerous, especially
with children around"
William G. Clark of the defense a
former district attorney. said: Your
experience has been limited to non
fatal cases, hasn't it. doctor?"
A wave of red ran up the doctors
face and met the white of his hair. He
leaned over the rail and in clipped
words, said:
In my qualifications. I listed so fatal
Investigations Mr. Clark"
The sally was halted by the district
attorney, who leaped to his feet to
object.
DR.. ]. Stewart Rooney, associate of
DR.. Boos at Harvard. preceded the lat
ter to the stand. He said he did not