Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-08-04
A Murderer Hanged but not Killed

The Post Noltens Eranaination-LIearts still
Jcatiug- Subsequent dissection Who kill
a him."
One or two New England papers are ar
guiDg the question, Who killed Magcc "a
murderer who was hanged in Boston a few
weeks ago, but whose body exhibited violence
of life and vitality at the subsequent dissec-
ti0n y report of the post nlortem examina-
tion published in the Medical anI Surgical
Journal, suggests the idea that MGgeo was
not killed by the hangmaD's rope, but by the
scalpel of the surgical operator; that enough
life remained after the hanging for proper
appliances to have famed itself into an active
fame. The report gays -
The body was lowered at - minutes past
10, at which time a0careful examination Of
the chest revealed no perceptiblc sound Or
impulse Of the heart. 4 small space under
the left ear seemed to have escaped active
compression, so that some circulation might
have been continued through the carotid and
jugular of that side
% At a few minutes past II, DR.. Ellis
commenced the autopsy at the House OF Ke-
cepti0n. The body was pale and the skin
notified A small ecchymosis was noticed
just below the line of the cord on the right
aide. The right sterno- cleido muscle Wa:
ruptured through one-half OF its thickness
No lesion was discovered in any of the other
soft parts of the neck.
AT 1130 slight but regular pulsatory
movement was observed in the right subcla
Wan vein L pom applying the car to tat
chest, this was asccrtaned to proceed from
the heart ITSELF achich gaze q distinct dHC
REGULAR sinqle beat, with slight impulse, 81
times q minute The chest acGs thea 0pened
and the heart enpoSea, without in any wa.
arresting the pulsatory movements. The righ
auricle Scas in full and regular motion, con
tracing and dilating with beautiful dtSttnc
tio11 and energy At II o'clock, the spina
cord baving been previously divided, the mum
Der of contractions was 10 per minute, hav
ing continued with only short intermisslol
regularly up to this time.
g" The peculiar movements Of the autcrio
wall of the right auricle gradually but occa
sonally REQUIRED, either spontaneously. or ex
cited by passing current of air, until l:
o'clock. They could at any moment be ex
cited by the point of the scalpel.
AT As the movements still continues
without Stimulus Five were noticed in
minute, with corresponding intervals. y
245 all automatic movements ceased, but tn
part still responded to the stimulus of tn
knife At 3 10 deep irritation of the sam
AlGd vas followed ~ silSl9 movements. II
irritibility was most marked at the lower part
where the vene eavoe enter the auricle A
3.18 all movements ceased. On opening tn
heart, it was found to be perfectly normal
The left ventricle was contracted the right mo-
No coagula was found.
"Er. Ainsworth remarked, that all th
appearances usually observed in cases {
hanging, were hero wanting, and thought tia
the first effect Of the sudden fall was power
tul concussion Of the brain, paralyzed tn
body, as in cases where a blow or fall is RI
ceiVed upon the extremity Of the sacrum, an
that death occurred afterward from strangr
lation.
Or. Clark expressed the opinion that ;
there was no lesion of any important organ
fesusctation might possibly have been a.
eomplisaed by artificial respiration &c
efforts to that end had been made immed
ately upon the lowering of the body from tt
scatOld-that is, within half an hour after |
feln