Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-06-21
Science Aiding Justice.

tiOn, III COHuecLlO0 Win recent UurQef LFlal
show the value of scientific requirements, and
are of exceeding interest to large class OF
our readers
A traveller was found dead in his bed, one
morning. at a country tavern. His throat was
cut at the side, the instrument having pierced
the carotid artery. The victim had been for
some time wasting away by disease The
| landlord was one of the most influential and
highly esteemed persons in the Heighbdrhood,
was extensively, and well connected, and had
a large and interesting family Having been
seen very late at night passing through the
| hall into which the travellers door opened, the
| suspicious of certain persons were aroused ;
and upon being taken into custody, pen knife
was found in his pocket, with apparent blood
stains on the large blade, and something simi-
lar on the ivory handle. The knife was placed
in the hands OF an expert physiological chem
| st, for examination. The stain was found to
be OF blood, and not of iron rust or paint, as it
| contained albumen and animal fibre The
| blood on the Ivory handle contained a large
| amount of iron, that on the blade comparatively
| little. As human blood contains ten times ;
much iron as that of animals it seemed certain
that the knife in question coald not have en-
tered q human body still there was doubt,
because in slow diseases there is great deficit
OF iron in the blood, which deficit is q no. un-
| frequent cause of death.
But as the blood on the ivory handle had the
full amount Of iron for man in vigorous health
/ it seemed TO show that there were two different
kinds OF blood-one human certainly. the other
/ possibly so. Hence another mode of inquiry
was proposed The blood of animals and OF
men crystalizes, but in different furms-that of
man is represented by perfect square length,
ened cube, called prismatc; that OF animals By
the cube, tetra hedal or several sided hexagona!
/ This analysis entirely removed the doQbts con-
nected with the proceeding, for it demonstra-
ted that the blood on the blade was that Of
low animal, and that On the handle was GER
tainly human.
\ third line of investigation vas pursued
All the inner surfaces Of the human body are
covered with glairylooking fluid called "mu-
cus,' which is differently constituted, accord
ing to the part OF the body from which it is
taken. As observed through q microscope.
that which is foIad about the upper part of
the throat p1esents the appearance Of pave
ment OF bricks or square pieces, hence it is
called " tesSelated." The mucuS from some
other part is conicaI, looking like a pavement
made Of round pieces aattened A third kind
coming from the intestiHes, seems hairy, cliat-
ed, waving as tae tops of long grass under the
influence Of the Tind Examining the blood
on the handle, which was how known to be
that OF human being, it was found not to
present the paVement-like appearance. but it
did clearly show the wavy lines it could not,
therefore have come from tde throat and as
the traveller had no wound except that on the
throat and as the blood on the blade was
clearly animal blood and not human. no part
OF the blood on the knife could haze been that
Of the unfortunate traveller, and therefore the
landlord was discharged, when he gave the
following statement
Some days before while ont hunting, he
killed several squirrels aud etooped to cot 6
switch with a knob at the root, on which to
string his game the knife slipped as he cut
upwards, and it penetrated his abdomen. In
his haste be wiped the knife clean with some
leares, closed the t!ade, aud n attempting TO
put it into his pocket, it fell on the grouud
be picked it up and directed his steps home
ward. Ia few minutes one of the squirrel,
slipped off he pierced it through with kufe,
strung it on the switch and had not used the
kuife since. This was plausible, and he show
ed the wound, not get entirely healed but this
could easily haze been made to answer an
object. The physiologist therefore proposed
as mere matter of curious interest TO ex-
anime the blpcd en- the blade and also that
on the handle. That on the handle was wavv
ciliiary, with the largest amount of iron, show
ing that it must have been from a man of ro-
bust health, and the mucus from the abdomen
is always cilllary and never teSselated. Again,
the blood adhering to a knife penetrating a
living body OagulateS-that entering a body
already dead never does. The blood on the
blade, already shown to be that of a mere an
imaI, was now found to be incoagulable.- /
Hence that on the blade was shown to be the
blood of mere animal already dead that on
the handle was the blood Of q mau in vigorous
health, and could not have come from the
throat, and almost certainly came from the
abdomen. When the knife fell on the ground
the handle touched some of the leaves which
it had just been wiped Thus tie chain ofevi-
dence for the landlords innocence was unbrok-
en- and perfect The real eulPrit xas subsequ-
ently found, tried and executed, confeSsiBg lis
guilt
1t is certain that, in the progressive march
of science and art, the uachangable laws of na-
ture will be better nderstood-eorrecting the
errors and fsllaeies of hanan judgment and
the testimony Of Science will thus aid Justice
IN forming her opinions and enabling her to
give her decisions 15itk ker eyss open
RS Reader. did you ever notice immediate
ly after the marriage head that the " obi
tuary" notice followed. Typical of the wed
ding of happiness and grief in this life. The
Il