The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1838-01-27

eyes MS pulse was regular but slow; and
bleeding made no change. could discov-
er no swelling in his back and while ex-
amining that part of his body, Dornell said
his back didn't hurt him, but his head did.
/ could again find no fracture, and really
supposed it more the effects of liquor than
any violence done him. | did not after
wards see him while alive. was at the
inquest on Monday night; we stripped
the body, but could find no marks on the
back; his scalp was discoloured, but could
find no fracture, but under the scalp we
found extravasated blood we then took
the scalp off, but yet could find no crack or
hssure | was at the post mOrtem examin-
alton on Thursday evening after we took
all the scalp off of the top Of the head, and
discovered crack on the right side of the
head on the temporal bone, which ex-
tended round the occipital TO the left side of
the head. and transverse fracture also ex-
tended from the occipital bone about three
fourths of an inch in length ; we took off
the top of the scull, and found extravasated
blood under the temporal bone, on the right
side of the head, which was an inch in
thickness and three inches in diameter on
examining the brain we found the right side
softer than the left; the chest and contents
Of the abdomen appeared perfectly natural,
and in the whole length Of the spine we
found nothing wrong. This examination
was on the body of John Dornell, and was
assisted by DIR. Murray and DR. McMahan !;
l supposed his death occasioned by the CO.
agulum of blood in the scull, but the blood
pressing upon the brain induced his death.
| think the effusion of blood was occasion
ed by violence. Before death discovered
no symptoms of pressure upon the brain,
but now think his death was occasioned
by the effusiOn of blood ] heard the tes-
timony to-day respecting Poke's fits, and
never saw any body labouring under the
fits that acted as described by the witness
es. A person having epileptic fits will not
turn over and over; and l have no knowl-
edge of other fits that will produce such an
effect, unless intoxication.
Cross-eramined by prisoners Counsel.
From the examination of John Dornell
| think he did not receive more than one
stroke. saw but one place where blow
could have been given and found no mark
except on the side of the head. There was
no depression of bone where the effusion
was and the blow must have been given
with the side of the axe. / never knew
that fear or anger would produce fits: they
might produce total prostration of the sys-
TEN, having more the appearance of a corpse
than any thing else, and stimulents would
be proper application for relief. l con-
slider Crush on the mind' good authority.
The clenching of the fists and frothing at
the mouth are evidences of an epileptic fit;
the contraction of the muscles keeps the
body in motion, and rolling over is neither
an impossible nor improbable concomitant.
At the inquisition before Squire Thomas,
Stephen Sproul was examined, but not un-
der oath. He was objected to because he
did not understand the nature of an oath.
He said Poke had struck Dornel three times
once about the middle of the back, and be-
tween that and the shoulders, and the third
time below the neck. He never said he
was struck upon the head.
DR.. John c. Murray, s,oOrn. Twas at
the post mOTtem examination of John Dor
nell's body at Millville, on the 30th of No
vember, 1887, which was an inquest held
by the Coroner After the body was dis
inferred it was carried to the sohool-house,
near the graveyard, in a coffin, where it
was taken out and laid upon two benches
for examination. We examined the body
externally, but found no marks of violence
except upon the head, which appeared to
be confused, and small wound above the
left eye. An incision was then made from
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