The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-06-16


were not right. n
seemed to own the led horse; he paid hi
own bills; the other young man represented
the lady as his sister; he paid their bill ant
for the team. Some Of my family called my
attention to the fact that they did not thinl
they were travelling in their true character
They said they were going to Eddyville; tina
they were going to buy a farm; that they
might haul -four from that place to Ottumwa
Cross examined: The other young mar
represented themselves as brother and sister
Dr. s. B. Thrall, sworn-The 30th or 8 Is,
of March, 1860, DIR. Williamson and myself
were called to make a post-mortem examina
tion of corpse in building where Moss
store now stands; the question we were tc
determine was, if the young lady had been
drowned The external appearance Of the
body did not show many signs, there was
around the front part of the neck few slight
scratches. Our attention was first
,alled to the drowning; we first examined the
lungs and stomach; we found in the stomach
small amount of turhid fluid. There was
not in the windpipe or lungs any appearance
of death from drowning. The absence O.
mucus froth in the air passages, the natural
appearance of the lungs, did not indicate
drowning as the cause of DEATH We ther
examined more CLOSELY the body, and espe
ciailv the head; we then found, and it wa.
the first time had noticed it, a small cut ir
the upper and back part of the head, also
cut through the scalp little forward of tha
one, and third still little forward of tha
onc, making three wounds on the head; or
the back and top Of the head, on removing
the scalp, we found fracture passing thro
the line Of junction from the top OF the heac
forward entirely to the front Of the head
passing thence down and extending to the
line Of union with the frontal bone. extend
ing through and down the frontal bone; the
fracture extended down into the bone form
ing the base of the brain; the principal frac
ture was from seven to nine inches in extent
there were also several other fractures, ex
tending from this principal line Of fracture
On removing the skull we found considerable
blood under it. and also in the line Of direc
ton of the principal fracture of the skull an
extensive rupture Of the substance Of the
brain; the conclusion that we arrived at was
that the death was caused by the fractures
and that the body was dead when it was
thrown into the river. Death would be the
necessary result of the injuries on the head
The person herself could not have inflicted
the injuries. The rupture extended through
the membrane of the brain; that membrane
was torn apart; it had the appearance Of a
cut. Also the injury or division rupture OF
the brain continued down into tie brain, the
substance Of the brain being divided in the
same manner that the skull was. am a
physician and surgeon; have been in the
practice of medicine about twelve or thir-
teen years, The rupture of the brain was
caused by the fracture Of the skull. The
fracture Of the skull would produce uncon-
sciousness from which the person would new
er recover, Such fractures Of the skull and
brain would most likely produce death in
stantly, Crhe skull recognized by John Pot
ter, and claimed to be that Of George Law
rence was here handed this witness This
skull was brought into our Office by Dr. vii
hanson some three or four months after the
death of the girl. The fracture of this SIX, II
would probably probably produce Death
Th" result Of blow sufficentto fracture the
skull and drive piece of the skull into the
brain, would prod ce compression, which, in
he supp oSed case ir not removed, would pro-
duce Geatfl. It depends altogether on tho
character of the injury.
! John Potter recalled, for the purpose OF
cross examination,
| do not remember to have seen sheri /
Derby or his wife at the jail when I went
there to see the prisoner. Don't remember
of saying that the time had been so long |
might be mistaken; did not recognize him
as one OF the men at my hotel on the 9th Of
March, 1860.
VIM. Lewis sworn.-T was present part
of the time when the coroner's inonest was
being held on the body of young woman
IN the latter part of March. 1860 | don't
remember of seeing GAYLORD there. think
did see DIR. Thrall and Dr. Orr. Don't re-
member of seeing Williamson there; the in.
quest was held in house that stands where
Moss store now stands. left that evening
and was gone some six or seven days; when
saw the corps next, was in the court house,
in this room; il was then taken to the Gene
terry and buried; don't know if the body was
afterwards disintered or not; know where
the body was buried; saw the grave this
morning, went to the grave yard with F. o.
Harvey, pointed out the grave TO him. Don't
know of any of TIE parties that were with
the girl. can't say that | did; can't saw
for certain; there were two young men came
into the smith shop to get some work done;
this was some three or four days before the
body Of the girl Mas found; to the best of
my recollection the prisoner is one of the
men saw at the shop. Nas present at
the post mortem examination of the body
found in the ravine some two miles below
town. | recognized the neck-t tie as one worn
by one of the men who came into the shor !:
1t was not worn by this man at the bar.
a.
saw the prisoner at the bar before. The reas-
on notice the neek-tic Is because it was tied
in peculiar manner | was not one of the
jury, but was in the room during.
the day. was gone some six or seven days;
after my return saw the corps in this room
and went with 1t to the burial; the BODY
would say was kept at least five days; MT
say for certain the exact time. A short time
previous to this time was acting as police
officer for the county
Frank O. Harvey sworn.-I was acouaInt
ID with Laura j. Harvey; she was my sister;
last saw her alive in Rockford I'll, it was ,bout
Lhe first Of March, 1860. | did not see them
cave. George Lawrence left Rockford at the
same time Laura did. ] next saw her in the
3 ave yard in this county; il was about one
lay after she vas buried. | saw the grave
his day in company with Mr.. Lewis Mr..
Lewis pointed out the grave to me; we found
her in the same grave that Lewis pointed out.
Her name was Laura Jane Harvey. The pic
lure that hold in my hand il the portrait o
laura J. Harvey. 1t might have been two
,r three days after she was buried that saw
her. saw the dress, q pair of ear drops.
Ind a scarf, shoe, and stockings, and some
If her hair; received them from the coro.
her. had seen her wear the articles Of