The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-12-01
The Testimony of Blood.

Is it possible to tell the difference be-
tween human blood and that of other
animals, whether fresh or in the form of
dried stains! This question, the deter
mination of which in its medico- judicial
relations has just been raised in con-
spicuous Western trial, still unfortu-
nately remains unsolved. There is at
least a conflict of opinion and of testi-
mony concerning it, SO that the prepon-
derance cannot be said to rest with
either side, The doctors have disagreed,
and no authority exists of sufficient
weight to settle the issue between them.
The case we refer to is u trial for mur-
der. During most of 1869 George Van
derpool and Herbert Field did business
together as bankers in Manistee, Mich
In September of that year the partner
ship was dissolved. On Sunday, Sept.
s, Field disappeared. On the third day
after, his body was found in the Manis-
tee river. Circumstances directed sus-
picion toward Vanderpool, and he was
arrested. The case came to trial and the
accused was found guilty. But on the
ground that no impartial trial could be
had in that district because of the preju-
dice against him, new trial was grant
ed, to take place at Kalamazoo, and
here, for some weeks past, it has been in
progress.
The evidence on the part of the prose-
cution appears to be almost purely cir
cumstantal. Conspicuous among the
points is the existence of numerous
stains affirmed to oe of blood, and found
on the floor and walls of the bank. The
theory of the prosecution is that after
signing the agreement of dissolution,
the bank; that while Field sat writing
at table Vanderpool approached from
behind and dealt him two murderous
blows on the head; that the blood spat-
tered over everything near; that the
body, being left afterward on the floor,
stained the carpet; and that at night it
was carried by the assassin down a
flight of steps that led to the river, and
that like the body of the slaughtered
Rizzio, killed at Holyrood, it lett tell
tale traces of blood on the staircase.
On the second trial, DR.. Dutheld, of
Detroit, testified that he was an expert
in chemical and microscopic analyses.
Six weeks after the murder he received
from the Prosecuting Attorney of Man
istee county certain package. This
contained piece of floor, two pieces of
carpet, and some chips of wood. All
these were stained, and he was asked to
determine the nature of the stains. DR..
Dutfield testified that he could swear
positively that these were made by hu-
man blood. He further testified:
"There is no danger of mistaking the
blood of -blooded animal for
that of ngan. Whether all the blood l
examined is human l cannot say, but
human blood was present in all the
specimens. l can draw the general
character and class to which it belongs
from the corpuscles. / can assume that
it belongs to the mammalia from the
size of the corpuscles. While the cor
puscles vary in diameter, that of the hu-
man being, in its fresh state, being the
largest, might shrink during dryness,
and not again resume its full size. l
would not like to swear positively on
the size of the corpuscles, therefore l
take the corpuscle to determine the class
to which it belongs, and the crystal de-
termines the individual of that class"
This has certainly an air of conclu-
siveness. Yet to rebut the implied con-
clusion, the defense produced witness
in DIR. Douglass, Professor of Chemistry
and Toxlcology in the University OF
Michigan, whose testimony was about
as strong the other way. DIR. Douglass
positively averred that no trustworthy
process exists by which it can be deter
mined with certainty whether blood is
that of human being or of other NAM
malta. The nearest approximation is
gained, he asserts, by ascertaining the
Size of the blood disc and its form. But
the disc is liable to vary from circum-
stances, and consequently it is not safe
test to apply to matters SO important as
legal Investigations. He insisted as the
result of caIetill Investigation, that ali