From the Richmond Sentinel, June 22, 1864
A Leak in the Drug Shop at Chimborazo -
Last Friday, a soldier offered to sell to Mr. Jas. M. Duval,
Druggist, corner of Main and 10th streets, a quart bottle of quinine
and several ounces of morphine for $100 [?] . The price asked for
the drug was so much under the market value as to excite Mr. Duval’s
suspicions that they had been stolen. Acting upon this belief, he
agreed to take the drugs, and paid the soldier part of the money,
fixing a time for him to call for the remainder. The soldier called
at the appointed time, and was handed over to detectives Charles and
Williams, who were in waiting. He turned out to be one Robt.
Hitchcock, a messenger at Chimborazo hospital.
The only account he would give of the drugs was that he
had bought them in the street from a man he did not know. He from his
position as messenger, having no access to the drugs of the hospital, was
believed to be operating in collusion with some other thief, whose position
afforded him greater facilities; but all attempts to pump him on that point
proved unsuccessful, as he stuck pertinaciously to his first story, that he
had bought them in the street for $80 [?]. He was committed to Castle
Thunder, whence he will be brought before the Mayor this morning.
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last updated on
07/24/2009
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