go  Two  To xico logical  Investigations.  {^ebruaryTf™' 
County,  by  the  administration  of  strychnine,  on  March  9,  1903. 
The  evidence  showed  that  her  husband  was  strong,  hearty  and 
generally  healthy,  and  of  a  cheerful  disposition,  who,  to  the  day  of 
his  death,  was  planning  and  working  for  his  re-election  as  constable. 
At  this  time,  he  had  some  slight  ailment,  diarrhoea  and  vomiting. 
On  the  morning  of  this  particular  day  the  wife  drove  to  Columbus, 
a  near-by  town,  and  visited  the  office  of  Dr.  J.  E.  Dubell,  who  pre. 
scribed  for  her  husband  some  diarrhoea  tablets,  containing  calo- 
mel, morphine  sulphate,  capsicum,  ipecac  and  camphor,  and  also  a 
liquid  containing  fluid  extract  of  gentian  and  syrup.  At  the  doc- 
tor's office  she  inquired  if  it  would  be  necessary  for  her  to  obtain  a 
prescription  in  order  to  purchase  strychnine.  She  then  proceeded 
to  a  druggist  in  the  same  town  and  purchased  30  grains  of  strych- 
nine, which  was  properly  labeled,  and  the  sale  entered  in  his  poison 
record,  along  with  the  name  of  the  witness  to  the  sale,  and  the  use 
for  which  the  strychnine  was  said  to  be  needed,  namely,  "  to  kill 
rats."  She  inquired  here  as  to  the  amount  of  strychnine  it  would 
take  to  kill  a  man,  and  was  cautioned  to  be  very  careful,  as  the 
amount  was  sufficient  to  kill  many  persons. 
Shortly  after  reaching  home  she  administered  to  her  husband,  in 
the  presence  of  a  friend,  who  had  called,  one-third  of  a  teaspoonful 
of  brown  powder.  Mr.  Phares  complained  of  the  intense  bitterness 
of  the  medicine.  They  all  sat  down  in  the  kitchen  to  dinner,  but 
the  husband  ate  only  a  few  spoonfuls  of  a  proprietary  food  known  as 
"  Corn  Crisp,"  and  then,  complaining  of  not  feeling  well,  retired  to 
a  lounge  in  the  sitting-room  adjoining,  the  rest  of  the  company 
remaining  in  the  kitchen  until  the  meal  was  completed.  After  a 
short  time  the  defendant  administered  a  second  dose  of  the  same 
powder,  and  about  the  same  amount  as  in  the  first  dose.  The  hus- 
band again  complained  of  the  exceedingly  bitter  taste,  and  very 
soon  after  this  he  became  restless  and  uneasy.  His  muscles  began 
to  twitch  and  jerk,  he  clenched  his  hands,  straightened  out  his  legs, 
threw  the  head  back,  and  had  convulsions  in  rapid  succession.  In 
one  of  these  paroxysms  he  fell  off  the  lounge.  He  retained  con- 
sciousness, the  mind  remained  clear,  and  he  continually  complained 
of  the  bitter  taste  of  the  medicine,  and  called  for  water  and  milk. 
The  convulsions  grew  worse,  and  he  died  at  7.15  p.m.,  before  the 
arrival  of  the  physician. 
Immediately  alter  the  death  of  her  husband,  the  defendant  made 
