Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-04-16

his own powers, or the resources of science;
but it was also case where, if ever, physi-
clan would have an opportunity of vindicating
the confidence the public place in his scientific
abilities" 2'-" ..'
4th. The Coroner's Jury having returned
verdict the only remaining duty Of the Coro-
ner, accordingto the Statute, was to issue his
warrant for the apprehension Of the accused,
not already in custody, and to bind over all
important witnesses to appear at the next
term of the Dictrict Court; and there his du-
ties ended. The party accused being already
in custody in this case, it was not requisite to
issue warrent but the Coroner totally ne
elected his duty, expressly made so by law,
to secure some of the important witnesses"
but makes point against me, that l did not
do that which specially belonged to himself
to perform! But repeat, that with the rem
dering the verdict of the Coroner's Jury, the
arrest of the prisoner, and the binding over of
the witnesses, Coroner control of the case
properly and legally ceased; and every law
yer, young and old, viii bear me out in say
ing, that the laws and custom entrust to q
District Attorney, the future conduct of such
a criminal case in all its details. This being
undoubtedly true, the bar and the public
will properly estimated the arrogance of this
"Jno. V. Wren NJ. D." who in his capacity
of Coroner, assumes still to take charge of the
case; who, without responsibility for its pros
ecution assumes the right to withhold, to d.
vert, or totally suppress, if he chooses, impor-
tant evidence to the elucidation of the facts !;
who, in one sentence, with laughable self i'm
portance and absurdity, thinks it would not
be proper to make even the District Attor-
ney who is to try the case and who ought to
know in advance all that by proper investiga-
ton of the facts can be proved acquainted
with the details and results of important III
vestigations, important even to life and DEATH"
for fear he might consult some other medical
man than one of the Coroner's own clique of
two "retired physicians" and one excellent
practitioner whose great merit in this whole
| matter is, that he has not pretended to partic-
ipate in the chemical analysis; who,i in another
! sentence, intimates that unless the District
Attorney consents to let "Jno. V. Wren, NJ
d." and the authoritative gentleman of his
medical clique rule, the viscera of the body
of the deceased, taken possession of solely
for legal investigation, shall be withheld, and
the possession thereof denied to the officers of
the law, to the probable defeat Of the ends of
justice! Such is now the position of "Jno.
V. Wren, NJ. d." who in the fancied strength
of his position, having probably heard that
possession is nine points of the law" trium-
phantly asks, "and if DR.. Morton refused Ito
give up half of the stomach and it's contents
&C., that were specially reserved to be sent
East for chemical examination does he THE
District Attorney know any legal process,
(tlroughhis long experience in law,) by which
he could obtain possession pa question,
which the mandate of Court to prevent the
destruction, or subversion, or withholding of
evidence might answer not quite to the salts
faction of "Jno. V. Wren, NJ. D." and other
parties, if circumstances should provoke such
test; for the community and it's law agents
are not quite so powerless as they may think, to
protect its interests against individuals who
get unduly uplifted as to their own mighty
consequence, as our many-oficed Coroner
seems to be.
9Th. The duties of Coroner having properly
ended, Immediately took charge of the case;
drew up complaint and had the prisoner
brought before City Justice Simons, who
committed her for trial. Before the Justice,
two of the Coroner's medical trio again testi-
fed: DR.. Potts as to post mortem appearances
and DR.. Morton as to tho post uortcrn and
| chemical tests.
Even in regard to the post mortem appear
ances, there was discrepancy between these
two physicians, they differing as to the part
! of the stomach where the chief inflammation
existed; DR.. Morton swearing it to be princi-
pally Sin the upper end of the stomach" but
DR.. Potts swearing it to be in the part that
| the Coroner's inquest and the Justices Court,
two or three days more had been spent in ex-
perimenting chemically on the contents of the
stomach; but it seems with not much more
satisfaction resulting than before; for when,
at the conclusion of DR.. Morton's chemical
testimony, I was about to ask him the gener-
| al question which Dr. Wren had before put
on the Coroner's inquest, and which his letter,
or professional paper" in the Times, GEN.
sures me for not putting,-viz: whether
| from the investigations he believed arsenic
present" in the body,-I bethought myself
of tho former i'll success of the Coroner in OBJ
tanning q satisfactory answer to the query,
and so deemed it prudent first to step over to
DIR. Goodrich, who was sitting near me, and
| inquire of him whether it would be advisable
to ask DR.. Morton eff from all the investiga-
tons he had made, he could give it as his
opinion that arsenic was present in the bodyg"
DR.. Goodrich Immediately replied, "you had
better not ask the question" and this in tone
and manner which led me to infer that would
not receive more satisfactory reply than Cor
oner Wren had before obtained
l submit to emo. V. Wren, NJ. D." that
his point about my loosely conducting" the
examination, in not putting this question, was
not well taken!
9Th. The venerable Coroner inquiries ''why
l wished to chansse::the medical management"
of the case
l have no objection to giving my PERSONS
and as the personalities in "Jno. V. Wren,
NJ. DIS" professional paper have relieved ne
from that delicacy in treating the subject
otherwise would have isit, shall state them
pretty plainly. They are all receivable into
the comprehensive one, that they have treated
the case first with inattention and NEGLECT