The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-07-30
A MURDERER HANGED BUT A,T KILLED.

MURDERER HANGED BUT Mt KILLED.
THE POST MoRTEN ExAMrNATIoN-HEARr STILL BEATING
SUBSEQUENT DIssECrIoN-wHo KILLED HIM?
! One or two New England papers arc arguing the
question, Who killed Magee?-a murderer who was
! hanged in Boston few weeks ago but whose body
exhibited evidence of life and vitality at the subse-
quent dissection. report of the ost mortem
examination, published in the Medical and Surgical
;y9mnG, suggests the idea that Magce was not
killed by the hangmans rope but BY the scapel of
the surgical operator; that enough lie remained
alter the hanging for proper appliances to have
tanned itself into an active flame. The report
| says:
! "The body was lowered at 25 minutes mast 10 at
winch time careful examination of the chest re-
vealed no perceptibe sound or impulse of the heart
small space under the left ear seemed to have es-
caped active compression, so that some circulation
might have been continued through the carotc and
jugular of that side.
cat few minutes past IL DR.. Ellis commenced
the autopsy, at the House of Reception Tho hodv
vas pale and the skin notified AsmaIl nocbvmosfs
was noticed just before the line of the cord on the
rlght slde The right sterno cledo muscle was rup-
tured through one-half of its thickness. No le-
sion was discovered in any of the other soft parts of
the neck
"At ll.30 slight but regularly pulsatorv move
ment was observed in the right subcavian vein.
upon applying the ear to the chest this was ascer-
tanned to proceed from the heart ITSELF avhch qare
distinct and regular single beat with slight impulse
80 times minute. The chest ,cas then opened and
me heart exposed, without in any way arresting
Juu and regular notion contracting and dilatipp
with beautiful dstincess and energy At u o'clock
the spinal cord having been previously divided the
number OF eontractions 40 per minute having
continued with only short intermssion regularly
up to this time.
1.-The peculiar movements of the anterior wall of
the right auricle gradually but occasionally recur-
red, either spontaneously, or excited by passing
current of air, until ~ O'Clock They could at
any moment be excited by the point of the scalpel
AT l:45 the movements still continued without
stimulus. Five We're noticed in a minute with cor
responding intervals. At 2:45 all automatic move
ments ceased, but the part still responded to the
stimulus of the knife. At $40 deep irritation the
same kind was followed by slight movements The
lrritabiity was most marked at the lower part
where the vena carv9 entered the auricle At BIS
all movements ceased. On opening the heart it was
found to be perfectly normal. The left ventricle
was contracted; the right not. No coagula were
found.
CDR. Ainsworth remarked that all the appearan
ces usually observed in cases of hanging were here
wanting, and thought that the first effect of the
sudden fall was powerful conclusion of the brain
which para yZed the body, as in cases where blow
or fall Is received upon the extremity of the sacrum
and that death occurred afterward from strangu-
aton.
CDR. Clark expressed the opinion that as there was
no lesion of any important organ, resuscitation
might possibly have been accomplished bv artificial
respiration, etc., if efforts to that end had been
made Immediately upon the lowering of the body
from the scaffod-tha is, within half an hour after
he fell'