Year: 1871




Some ten years ago an old gentleman-
Peter nbarger-residing near Lou
don, Ohio, possessed of an estate valued al
half a million married q beautiful neigh
Dor country girl whose parents were poor.
They lived happily together for number
of years. During their married life young
man Of attractive personal appearance by
the name of COlburn. connected with the
New York World as a war correspondent,
frequently visited the Buffenbarger man
sion and always kindly received ty both
husband and wife. His visits were fire.
qentenough to attract attention and caused
considerable gossip. In course of time the
old gentleman died. The family physi-
clan, man of skill and high character,
pronounced the desease consumption.
After few years the widow married Mr..
COlburn and moved to New York where
the new husband engaged in banking, be-
coming a member of one of the largest
houses of the metropolis.


Some of Buffenbarger' srelatives, charged
with cOveting a portion of the estate,
have lately been charging that the old
man was poisoned, and that the wife
did it, in conspiracy with Colburn. Upon
these charges the body of the old man was
eXhumed and parts of it analyzed by Prof
Wormley, of Columbus. He reported ar



hearing of the developments, went imme-
diately to Ohio to court investigation.
They charge that the remains of Buffen-
barger have been tampered with, and ar
senic introduced into the body. The case
was up before Justice Cobb, of London,
o., on the 21st, for preliminary examina-
ton.


AS the estate was very valuable one,
as the parties implicated occupy high So
cial position, and as the Developments al
ready made indicate that trial of surpass-
ing public interest will take place, we give
our readers brief outline of the case. We
give below some points brought out OH the
first examination. Both parties appeared
represented by able counsel.


Professor Wormley was examined and
testified as follows:


Did the examination furnish you salts
factory evidence as to how the man, IN
whose body the organs were, came to his
death


Answer. | would say that the natural
inference would be that the individual came
to his death from poison.


@. Are there any tests by which 1t can
be determined whether death i'll a given
case resulted from poison with reasonable
certainty?


a. The natural inference would be that



be q satisfactory explanation. We might
go a step further with the aid of anotomi-
cal investigation. critical examination
of the whole body might assist in determ-
lining the question.


Professor Wormley said further that
there was no case on record Of criminal
of arsenic into dead body.


At this point Judge Rankin, on part of
the prosecution, moved that the coroner be
ordered to eXhume the body Of the deceas-
ed and have it taken to a place where an
could be promptly and effect
ually made. The counsel for the defense
did not make serious opposition to this
motion, which was taken under considera-
ton by the Justice, and was not decided.
Mr.. Harrison gave notice that when such
proceeding should take place, the counsel
for the defense would like to be consulted
as to who should make the examination
they would desire to know that the eXami-
nation was conducted in proper manner
and by the proper persons. The examina-
ton of Professor Wormley was then pro-
ceeded with.