The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-08-12


Still. BEArISa - SUBSEQUENT DISSECTION
VINO KILLED HIM y--One or two New
England papers are arguing the question,
who killed Magec p q murderer who was
hanged in Boston few weeks ago, but
whose body exhibited evidence Of life and
vitality at the subsequent dissection. A re-
port Of the post norton examination, pub
lished in the Medical and Surgical journal.
suggests the idea that Msgee was not killed
by the hangman's rope, but by the scalpel
d the surgical operator that enough life
remained after the hanging for proper up
planes TO have tanned itself into an active
lame. The report says:
"Tbe body was lowered at Is minutes
past 10, at which time q careful examine
ton Of the chest revealed no perccptiblc
sound or impule Of the heart A small
space under the left ear seemed TO have ~
capped active compression, no that some cir.
culation might have been continued through
the carotid and jugular OF that side.
At . few minutes past II, DIR. Ellis
commenced the autopsy at the House Of
Reception. The body was pale and the
skin notified. A small ecchymosis was no.
ticed just before the line Of the cord on the
right side. The right sterno clcidO muscle
was ruptured through one.half OF its thick
ness. No leis0n was discovered 10 any Of
tho other soft parts Of the neck
AT ll:30 slight but regular pulsatory
movement was observed in the right subcla.
Wan vein. Upon applying the ear to the
chest, this was ascertained 10 proceed from
the heart ITSELF whih gaze distinct and
regular single beat, with slight impulse,
~ times minute. The chest uas hs,,
opened and the heart exposed, without In any
way arresting the pulsatory movements.
motion. contracting and dilating with beau
tiful dis,neinsss and energy. At IL o'clock
thu spinal cord having been previously divi.
ded, The number OF contractions was 40 per
minute, having continued with only short
intermission regularly up to this time
1.-THE peculiar movements OF the anterior
wall Of tho right aariclc gradually but occa.
sionally REQUIRED, either spontaneously, or
excited by q passing curr mt OF air, until |
"a o'clock. They could at any moment be-
excited by the point Of the seal pol.
AT Las th, movements still continued
without stimulus. Five were noticed in a
minute, with corresponding intervals At
245 oil automatic movements ceased, but
the part still responded to the stimulus OF
the knife At $40 deep irritation of the
saline kind waa followed 10y slight movements
The irri,ability was most marked at tn,
lower part, where the venW cave enter thu
surcc. At 3lS all movements ceased
On opening the heart II was found to BE-
perfectly normal. The lelt ventricle was
contracted, the right not. No coagula
were found
DIR. Aiusworth remarked that all the
appearances usually observed In case OF
hanging, were here wanting, and thought
that the fist effect Of the sudden fall was a
| powerful conclusion of the brain, which
paralyxed the body, ~ in eases where u blow
or fall is received on the extremity of the
sacruW, aud that death occurred ai,crwar,
from strangulaton.
Or. Clark expressed the opinion, that
as there was no lesion Of ATTY imporlan,
organ, rcsusci,ation might possibly have
been accomplished by artificial respiration
&c, II efforts TO that end had been made
Immediately upon the lowering OF the body
from the scailold--t' at is, within half an
hour alter he fell"