Daily national Democrat., 1858-09-16

AAti W supper hDOuI o clOckj he Seeneu eX'
cited, and did not eat; afterwards l saw him
down town on horseback, and he said he was
going to Van Young's; two nights before the
killing Vedder told me he had given up the
house to his wife; Vedder has said to me that
Pumer was a coward and would not fight
Vedder if Vedder spat in his face; Vedder's
occupation was dealing monte.
CrosS-eramined By Meredith-I think il
was about three nights that 1 slept at We'd
der's house; l think the last night l slept
there was the " Wednesday or Thursday before
the killing think some of the furniture had
been removed; a bed remained; saw it there
after Vedder's death; supped with Vedder
at the Hotel de Paris; he told me he was GO
ing to get Van Young to hide the child so
that she could not find it, Vedder was my
partner in monte DEALING Plumer and Cor
bet did not buck at my bank that recolleet;
| was an intimate friend of Plumer's before
this occurrence, and have since continued to
be so; when | parted with Vedder on the
day Of the killing, he saidIhe did not think
he should be back that night; then he passed
down the street and took the road for Van
Young's; it was just at dusk when we parted;
did not hear or see Mrs. Vedder at that
time at the Hotel de- Paris
70 Judge Belden--I am acquainted with
the localities about there.
TO Mr. Weredith--Vedder told me that if
he killed Plumer he should have no chance;
he did not say that he did not want to kill
Plumer, for that if he did he should be hang
ed for it.
DR.. Claiborne ramiaed--Physcian and
surgeon; more as surgeon have been army
surgeon in the field haye had much practice;
was present at the post mortem examination
Of Vedder, held by Drs. Weeks and Overflow;
attended by request suggested careful ex-
animation of the clothes during their reno.
val; found no bruises or other external in.
juries, only the wound in the arm and that
in the breast; the course of the bullet had a
downward tendency; the ball cut the upper
part of the cartilage attaching the ribs to the
breast bone.
TO the Court-The ball entered on the left
breast; the left arm was uniniured: the right
arm was wounded by one ball; the ball which
caused the death was the one which entered
the left breast and lodged in the right shoul.
der; the pistol must have been pointing up
wards when it was fired; the witness here
described the conformation and action of the
different muscles, DC. and parts of the body
u,
tracing on a diagram the course which the
ball had taken, and showing what vital parts
it had injured, and explained how the differ
ent degrees of resistance which ball would
meet with in passing through the muscles
and other parts would affect and vary its
course; the point where the aorta was cut
by the ball, was much higher than the point
at which it entered the body; 1 don't think
the wound in the arm was inflicted by per-
son in the same position as that in the chest;
1t makes all the difference possible in the eff.
feet upon the body whether the shot is fired
from a smaller or greater distance; this wound
in the chest was evidently caused by shot
from small distance from rifle barrel, as
the ball had commenced its downward ten
dency; noticed the shot in the water closet,
and also that in the fence; they were evident
ly fired downwards; Vedder could have walk
ed from the heud of the stairs to the foot of
the stairs after being shot, unless he was in
by fright, as the death would on.
ly be caused by internal bleeding, which
would accumulate and press on and stop the
action of the heart; | think the shots in the
fence and privy could be fired from the door
of the house, but not from the inside of the
door.
Grows examined, By Meredith-I differed
from DIR. Weeks as to the post
mortem examination; l made the marks on
the plates, now produce, shortly after the
post mortem examination; | don't recollect
whether there was much blood on the cloth
ing, there may have been little; noticed a
little blood on the shirt the woand through
the skin was at the same hight as the wound
through the ribs; | give my opinion from my
observations on the body alone, and not
from the surrounding circumstances; do not
consider it necessary, in such an examination,
10 show that the holes in the clothing cor
dHpreeisely in position with the situa-
Lion of the wound of the body; | consider it
if find the hole in the clothing,
and it appears to be within few fingers
breadth Of the spot; | cannot account for the
direction of the wound through the chest,
except upon the supposition that it was fired
upwards and not downwards-uness We'd
der was falling at the time he received the
wound, and he could not have been fallir G
without a cause; the wound in the arm en-
tered at the back, on the under side, and
came out on the front side; it was given from
a much greater distance than the shot in the
chest; by possibility such a wound as that in
the chest might be inflicted by person on
the same level, but it appears to ave been
inflicted by person on lower level than
the person shot
Here the defense closed
The following witnesses were then called
in rebuttal, by the prosecution
Barker eramined By Aeredith-Lived in
Naveda three or four years; was in Nevada
several weeks Immediately previous TO We'd
ders death. Odd you have conversa-
ton with John Vedder, the deceased, con-
cerniag Henry Plumer, day or two before,
or on the day on which lie was killed ? State
the whole conversation. Question objected
to by Mr. Mcconnell. .Overruled. Exceptions
taken Al did day or two before;
don't rceollect the exact day; he spoke of
it many times; he said he had had many op
portunities to kill Plumer, but he did not
want to do so, as he thought Plumer was
about as good friend as he had in the world,
and he would not be an assassin for all the
world; this was about Plumer going to see
the woman 1t was few days before We'd
ders death; went to Vedder's house on the
night of Vedder's death, between and IL
o'clock; / saw no light in the house; l did
not 90 to the house, only to the street by
there; my business there was to see Vedder,
but seeing no light did not go actually to
the house
Cross. examined, by Belden-Plummer said
he would not be an assassin.
Mrs ST. John eransined-Knew Mrs. Lu-
cinda Vedder; have been in her company
since the trial of Plumer at Nevada; | have
seen in her possession a miniature of gen.
tleman; she said it was of Henry Plumer; l
only saw it once; it was about last Christmas;
fall this testimony objected to by McCon.
nell she told me she was to get n thousand
dollars for something; she did not say that it
was to swear on this trial, nor in connection