Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-12-01

evening; did not disturb the bed at all do not
think | spread the clothes up; laid her on
with the clothes turned back; spread some
things on-do not know who assisted; think
I'saws Mrs Patterson in there when I first
went in; do not recollect seeing Mr.. Charles
Thing; didsnot pay any attention to who was
in the room; there were quite number in
there; do not think there were many in the
sitting room when / first went in-caDnot
state how many. l was present at the post
morton examination of deceased. There was
deep wound on the neck; found small
wound lower down the neck and towards the
back; one in the breast and one on the lip.
The one lower down on his neck was small
flesh wound-the knife had penetrated the
muscles-it was about of an inch lorg; did
not examine the depth of it,. Found one be-
low the angle Of the jaw being the large one
in the neck.
DR.. Geo. L. Briakett, having been sworn,
testified Am physician and reside in Au-
gusta having been in practice "a years. was
present at the post norton examination OF
Mr.. Lafins body. DIR. Cole assisted me
DR.. Nutting was present and Dr. Halves a
portion of the time. Made an examination of
oun Is. The one in the neck was on the left
>de, asst below the angle of the jaw. Wit
ness mere gave, in technical terms, q minute
description of the wound. The external
caTOteu artery anu JuSuidT felIl were seNcTeu.
| Blood flowing from such wound would or
dinarily flow with force and in jets, unless
there be some obstruction. The wound | saw
was necessarily mortal. After such stroke
man might live from 5 to 10 minutes. The
severing of the internal jugular vein would
lessen the time of living. l found a puncture
in the breast bone made by a sharp instru
ment, which had passed directly through. 1t
did not hit anything inside the breast bone.
A wound of that kind penetrating the breast
bone would not have so much effect as blow :;
there might be a little external,, surplus bleed
ing. There was wound on the lip about a
quarter of an inch long, but it did not sever
any important blood vessel. There was a
small wound on the same side of the neck a
few inches below the large one in the neck,
Just cutting through the skin and penetrating
the muscles. AS far ast the blow on the breast
j is concerned, it would not have a very great
effect except in loss of blood The immed-
ate effect would not be great.
Cross Examination; By Mr.. Pillsbury.
/ Visited premises on evening Of murder got
I there somewhere from 10 to II O'Clock. Laf-
lin was there dead; went into his shop and
through the back room into the back yard, to
Mrs. Hoswell's room. The Doctors were in
there dressing her wounds. l made no ex-
animation of her case; examined the room in
4 J.
blood on the floor directly in front Of the bed
did not notice any blood on the bed.
noticed the door leading out of her bed
room into the yard, on both sides. On the in
side of the door, perhaps little higher than
half way up, there we're distinct spots OF
blood there were some upon the wall which |
did not notice particularly. The spots upon
the door were large. 1t looked as if drops of
blood had been thrown upon the door and
settled down little; they ran off toward the
left of the door; there were Charge spots on the
side of the door. The size of the spots on
the inside of the door, were as large as the
end of my finger. Noticed spots on the pa
per, the next forenoon, on both sides of the
door. Did not notice spots of blood on
the carpet near the door; noticed pool of
blood on the floor near the bed that evening,
as large over as a water pail. The whole
Il door, near the middle, was pretty well cover
\ ed with blood. Noticed few drops on the
ground; saw a few drops on the side of the
barn, they were spatters, not smears, as
large as the end of my thumb The appear
ance of Lafins outside door of his back
4 shop, was as if the blood had been
thrown against it with a great deal of force
and in quantities, so that it had run. The
door was nearly covered; there was consid-
cradle blood on the floor, but did not pay par
tcular attention to the inside. The door of
the back shop swung in to the left against the
/ wall; can not swear that there was clothing
hanging there. Examined spots in sitting
i room last week should not think there had
been blood to any amount in that room.
I When man commences to bleed from a
woun d where the jugular is severed he would
soon bleed to death. There are circum-
stances that might obstruct the free flow OF
blood; sometimes there is contraction OF
t,o NJ f,ro f.,,,
to stop the flow. Did not examine the wound
until the next morning, when made the post
norton examination. The neck being held
down would not check the bleeding very much,
it would not squirt If the head was held
down so as to close the wound; itwould squirt
again when the head was raised; pressure by
the hands upon thes artery would stop the
flow; when the head was raised it would
i squirt again; heard the testimony of Drs.
Halves and Cole describing the wound OF
Mrs. Hoswell. .
Question-Would there be, from their dcs-
crption of the wound in the head of Mrs.
Hoswell, with the thick hair upon it, any
squirting from the wound?
l. Atty General-I object. - sxxf6 y
The Court-Not admissible.
Mr.. Ebby-Suppose wound from knife,
in .he side of tne head, sever a branch of the
te 4nple arter of person of thick hair, would
you expect the blood to squirt in that room?
Witness--Not with much force; it would
flow in Jets, but the stream would be small
and the drops would be very fine spatters II
the head was covered with hair | should say
it would obstruct the free flow of blood;
should expect some blood from a cash through
the jaw; bleeding from the veins Of the face
would not be likely to be in jets or spurts
blood from vein flows steadily.
Question by Mr.. Libbey. Suppose Mrs.
IIoswell to have received wound on the
side of the head, severing branch of the ar
terry, and on the cheek not severing any art
cry, and on her hand, ON the thumb and be-
tween the fingers, not severing any artery,
and in a scuffie with man in that bed room,
would you expect pool of blood such as you
saw there? -'"-
Answer.-No sir, should not.
Re-direct.-Suppose the man holding her
during the scuffle, or for some portion of it,
and was making these wounds; and suppose
, also that some of the arteries were severed in
the head and cheek, and wounds in the hands
what would be your response to the question
, Wtness.-If she was held in one position