Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-04-10
Blood Stains in Murder Trials.

Our readers, says the Philadelphia Ledger
must have noticed III the reports of the trial
Of Gottlieb Williams for murder, that one
Of the witnesses was minutely examined up
on the subject of the blood stains found up
on bis clothes and upon the razor found near
tue dead body of the murdered woman.
The object Of this examination was to ascer-
tain whether the blood upon the razor and
tie blood upon the clothes of Williams were
the same sort of blood, and, if possible, to
ietermine whether the one was that Of q hu-
nan being, and the other the blood OF an
animal. Many persons have doubtless Won
ieTed how such things can be ascertained !;
bu; considerable approach to certainty can
be made upon such questions by applying
the facilities afforded by modern science.
The blood found In animals, including the
human race in the animal kingdom, Is main
ly Of two kiuds-red blood and white blood
The former Is commorf to all vertebrated an
imals, or those having backbones, while
white blood is found in some of the lower
orders of animals, such as the crustaceans
Or shell-ish. The red blood of the higher
orders of animals, including man, gets It's
red tint from certain minute particles that
are suspended in the fluid. and are called
"corpuscles' by scientific men. These are
small circular objects, shaped somewhat like
.common wafer, though not quite SO fat.
In different animals these red corpuscles are
very different in size, and the difference can
be readily detected by the microscope, and
accurately measured by an instrument known
s. the nicrometer. A microscopic examin-
alton and measurement were made from the
Materials that produced the stains found on
the razor referred to and the clothes of
Gottlieb Williams, and the witness who
made the examination, and who was an ex-
pert IN that department of science, declared
them to be blood stains, and that the blood
vas the same both on the razor and the
Clothes
1t is much easier TO make such examina-
TONS whilst the blood is yet fresh than it is
after II has become dry and hard. When
the blood has been drawn for some time, the
coTpuscles OF which We have spoken, adhere
together, with their broad sides united. just
pennies or other coins are put up IN rolls,
ana' IN fact, have the appearance OF such
Tols OF coin. From the examination of the
Iood OF animals OF various species, 1t has
oeen found that these corpuscles vary much
IN size. That is, that while the average
S1e IS always the same in any one kind OF
animal 1t will vary from that of other kinds.
30 that If portions of the blood freshly
drawn from man, cat, bird, and frog
ale presented to physiologist accustomed
70 their examination under the microscope,
ne would be enabled to point out the blood
winch belonged to each from the size of the
orpuscles. ,f
FOR these reasons, in case of murder, the
dFled blood or blood stains found on persons
taaTged with murder have been submitted
o the examination of experts, to determine
whether the stains so found upon the clothes
other objects were caused by human blood
1T q the blood of ordinary animals But,
n Miles Edwards, in his elaborate work up
O1 Physiology, the reformation of the glob-
ules renders such observations very difficult !;
ana In order that confidence should be placed
q the results obtained, many precautions
s{6ould be taken. Itwould therefore appear
.nat the examination should be made by one
thoroughly acquainted aud practieed in re-
searches Of the kind; and the testimony
egss then should be received and examined
WIN the greatest caution.