The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-06-03
Reported for the Newz,-by Geo. B. qariber E q.
TRIAL FOR MURDER.
THE STATE OF OHIO vs..
JOHN w. WTSECUP.

OOLltiCu iOd55 D64OI6 y uuS6 w u
Stafford, and a jury, as follows; Dam
ial Tharp, nazsd Michael, David G..
johnson, JohnQ. Thompson, E. G..
Boatright, Stephen F. Lowman, Peter
F. Jonte, John Champion, Joseph v.
Patton, Robert beaverton, John W.
GarwOOd and John II. Jolly.
WITNESSES FOR THE STATE.
David Noble, NJ. d. was sum-
moned by the Coroner of Highland
county to make a post mortem
examination of the body of a man
said to be Jesse Forkner, at the Coun-
ty Infrmary, some time in May, 1868.
On the left side of the back, below
the ribs, about a inches from the
backbone, opposite the 4th lumbar
vertebra, there was a small hole, like
a gun-shOt or pistol wound. The mis-
sile Travelled from the left, inclining
downward, and passed through the
backbone in front Of the spinal col
umn. After tracing the wound, the
trace of the missile was lost right at-
ter it passed through the bone to the
right side. 1t was small missile that
made the wound. The body was very
much emaciated, but the right limb
was very much swollen. We examin-
ed the lungs, internal viseera, heart,
liver and kidneys, and all seemed to be
sound except the large bowel, or colon,
where the ball had passed under,
which exhibited high Inflammation.
I cannot answer whether the wound
was originally fatal or not. The re-
suit of the wound may have depended
upon the treatment. I do not know
what the treatment was. think he
died from the effect Of the wound, but
it may have been because Of the treat
ment.
On Cross Examination, the Doctor
exhibited on his own person the lOca-
ton of the wound. The direction oi
the wound indicated that if FOrkner
stood upright when shot, the shot
came from a more elevated position.
The ball passed below the colon, and
barely penetrated the cavity of the
body. The bone (vertebra) was di-
vided as though a piece had been saw
ed out, making a space of J inch be-
tween. I think the ball passed
through the bone and divided it, and
absorption of bone had taken place ,and
part of it sloughed off; it did not heal
1 judge by the external surface Of the
wound that it was.a small bullet.
There have been cases of scrOfulG
where the bone has slOughed off. In
tscrofula the periOstium, or covering
of the bone, becomes diseased al
round. ScrOfula attacks the outside
of the bone. In this case the cover
ing of the bone was not infamed Of
diseased all round; the body of the
bone was injured. I sawed the bone
up and searched where the ball would
most likely be, but could not find it
l could not trace the ball beyond the
back bone. The ball did not penetrate
the spinal cord.
On the back, over the sacrum OF
buttocks, there was an abscess, not
caused by the wound directly, and die
not connect with the wound, though
the abscess might possibly have been
caused by Inflammation from the
wound. 1 do not think it was a bed
sore, though it looked like it. 1t ex'
tended as high as the injured vertebra
and covered a space Of four by SIX
inches in extent. Bed sores do moi
throw off much matter. I was inform
ed this sore emitted a great deal. 1t
was either a bed sore or from the 6f-
fects of the bullet. When the ball pass
ed the vertebra I do not know what
became of it. 1t may have passed in
to the body beyond, but I could find
no trace Of it.
The vitality of the subject has a
great deal to do with the result ol
many wounds. This wound was not
necessarily a mortal wound, but some
other causes resulting with the wound,
must have interfered to produce death,
say this wound would not have pro
duced death without the Inflammation
having supervened as the result of the
wound. The length of the wound
through the flesh was ] or 2 inchesi
it touched no vital part, and did no;
injure the spinal cord. Inflammation
will result from such q wound, but
there need not be necessarily sUfficient
Inflammation toproduce death. There
need not necessarily be sufficient in
fammation arise from such an injury
to the backbone as this was, to pro-
duce death; but in such injuries as
these inflammation sufficient to cause
death is probable. Sometimes there is
not sufficient inflammation in such
wounds to produce death, but in this
case there was. If the sore in the
back existed before and at the time
Forkner was shot, it would have aided
materially to cause death. / think
the Inflammation caused by the flesh
wound. combined with the infamma
ton caused by the injury to the back
bone, did, in this case, produce death
There was no appearance Of'any cause
in Forkner to produce the sore on the
hip.
Enos Holmes, NJ. D.-Assisted in
the post mOrtem examination of Jesse
Forkner. We found a small round
wound, entering on the left side ot
back, between false ribs and hip, and
passing downward, rather under and
below the kidney, into and through
the backbone. The veTtebra through
which the missile Cor ball, if he was
shot,l passed, was entirely separated
making a cleft or separation Of I inch
or more. The wound had every ap
pearanee of a gun-shOt wound. The
intestines and internal part of the cav.
ity of the abdomen were confused
discolored and livid, and there was &
large amount of pus matter on right
side of peritonetsp1 coat. The body o
matter seemed 10 extend dOwnWarC