The New York herald., 1871-12-21
General Ketchum's Body Exhumed
a Week Ago.
Another Careful Analysis of
the Stomach to be Made.
Professor TOney Describing the Condition Of
the Exhumed Parts


murder OF General ". Scott Ketchum, now being
heard here before the Circuit Court or this county;
and there were, considering the weather, quite o
large number OF ladies among those present. Mrs.
Wharton and daughter came In few moments be-
fore ten O'Clock with the sheriff, gloomy dressed
and heavily yelled ever aud took their seats in
rear OF those occupied by the counsel for the pris
0ner.
AT ten o'clock Chief Justice Miller, accompanied
BY the two, associate justices, came into the court
room, assembled to their seats and directed the
Court to be opened All the attorneys employed in
the case were present. and Chief Justice Miller at
once directed them TO proceed with the case.
CONTINUATION OF DR.. DoSALDsoN's STATEMENT.
Dr. T. Donaldson, whose lengthy examination was
noted yesterday, resumed the stand and was sub
mitted to a rigid cross-eXamination by Mr.. Steele
for two hours. There were no new points Of inter-
est to the general public developed. His whole tes-
tmony was as u medical expert.
DR.. }. Harry Thompson, OF Washington was the
next witness called for the prosecution, who was
examined and cross examined as medical expert
He knew nothing, whatever, OF the case upon
trial.
EXnUMING GENERAL KETCHUM'S BODY.
DIR. P. G. Williams next took the stand, and
testlded:-Sincc / was first examined as wit
ness in this case made an exhumation OF the body
OF General Kechum; last Saturday ut about
eight P. NJ, received written communication re-
questng me 10 proceed TO washington with DIS.
Miles and Chew and exhume the body OF General
Kctchum and bring away such parts as we should
think necessary to elucinate the case on trial.
Witness here produced the communication. IL
was arranged that l should 80 on Saturday,
ana / took the palr-past egnt O'Clock lra,n,
ami reuched washington about ha-pas ten O'Clock;
then proceeded to General Brice's Office and then
to his house, hut failed TO obtain entrance to either
ana returned to the notel and at six O'Clock sunday
morning went and met Drs. Miles anu CneW at the
depot; we took a carriage and drove directly to the
residence OF General Brlce, aroused him anu OBJ
taned permission TO have General ketchum's pody
exhumed amt to bring away such portions as
we dcsred we leit Dr. Chew In Washington
with instructions TO look for an analytical
chemist In order TO place the material OBJ
tanned at the graveyard IN his hands lmme-
dately upon cur return from the cemeicry;
had the grave opened and obtained from the body
III General kctchun the liver, one kidney, the spleen
or pancreas, ] am not certain when, and about
inches OF the upper end OF the intestincs from
that portion adjoining the stomach: we PUT them In
two glass Jars, the kidney In one ana The other mat
ter in the others: washed the jars ont myself TO
put the liver IN 1t; we secured both Jars and re-
turned 10 Washington with them In our possession;
his appearance was not greatly altered,
as could any living person Wy his clothes. his uni
form and the lncislon we had made Oh the previous
the oice OF General Brce; we then ascertaned that
Tor reasons oil pubic consideration we could not
applied. (The witness is suDpOs d TO have referred
to General Craig. The government cicmtsiJ We
fessor TOney; returned 70 Baltimore, and, after
considerable difficulty, succeeded III finding MI:
Toney, to whom we committed the matter we had
brought will, ua.
ANOTHER ANALYSIS TO BE MADE.
requested him 10 take charge or IL, subject IL 10
n careful analysis and report the results to tho
States officers; had conversation on tue evening
OF the attn OF July, ISL with Mrs. wharton In reer
ence to the matter OF poison.
Mr.. STEELE--We object.
Mr. REvELr-Ill state the object OF this evidence.
Mr.. SrEELE-That makes no difference. We
Mr. REyELL-Certainly 1t does. Wo put the de-
fence in possession OF this testimony Inadvertently
When General Wise was examined as to Mrs.
Wharton's manner, we promised 10 follow II up
talking with Mr. Wise she knew that tartar emctic
had been found in General Ketchuul's stomacn.
Judge HAMMoND-Why did you nol ask ,,l ,nc ques'
ton when the witness was on the stand before MI.
'i chief Justice MrLLER-Thc Court thinks the tcst
'''I WirSEss~in order 10 explain fully shall have
to advert 10 the circumstances Oh which the con-
with Professor AIKEN, ana he promised 10 Inform
me wnen ne had obtained satisfactory results OF ms
analyses OF the stomach OF General ketcnun. ana
having asceriaincd that definite result mad oecn
reached and tnat tho presence OF poison IN inc
pds na amSsF noi G v1nG naGch Dr. Mesneg
10 meet me ana Mrs. wharton a. my house; lney
came there at the time appointed. anu tod MIS-.
Wharton that had on that day, Tor tile iisl time,
discovered that General Keichum had died irom
poison, and tnat Mr.. Van Ness had taken some
rolson, or IL had been ounG III the punch prepared
Tor him. told her that deemed u my duty 10
communicate this TACT to her at the earliest possible
moment III order inat she and ner daughter might
protect themselves against similar accident, for,
10 be frank with her. suspected one OF their ser
wants OF havlns administered the poison; Mrs.
Wharton then sald that must be mistaken az to the
fact of having discovered loson as 1t was imposst
| BILE that he could lave died OF poison.
NO noUBT GENLRAL gElCUuM WAS POISONED
! Irephed that there could be no doubt about the
fact because hal had the contents ol tle stomach
/ Enff dunn III n
analYzed, ana n both the same poison was ioJnu;
then repeated 70 her tnat there could he no douot
| volyed In doubt WAS who was the Individual VINO
had administered u, ana that ! SAID, would DC lle
time l desire both YOU ana your daughter
70 be on your guard mrs no wharton ma re-
had had nothing TO do Win II; Susan, She rad
lived with i've or slxyears and she had the most
implicit confidence IN her. and Knew that she could
not have done II; then replied If she could he so
sure would be exceedin ily glad II she could not
only snow that Susan had not done II, but tnat no
one else in The house had committed the deed as II
was perfectly clear that somebody In her house had
me Mr ae WSadn yGG anS M c
Sherry arose TO leave. and then Mrs. Wharton re-
marked that she had only TINS much 70 say,
that II there Is anything found in the stomach oil
General Ketchum IL Is the result OF his own hand;
she repeated trat remark three times IN quick sue.
cession, and then, alter thanking me Tor my great
Kindness 10 her, ana my very assiduous attentions
TO General Ketchum, she le, The house.
Mr. i.EgELL-Did you order brown stout Tor Gen.
Mr. nAGNge-we claim that his answer as to
norter is tie same as though he mentioned brown
Chief Justice MtLER-Thc Court can see no obiec.
| tlon to the witncs answering the question.
WIrsEss-l dd not order brown stout or porter,
| OF tea Mrs. Wharton 10 give them 10 hini.
The witness vas here handed over Tor cross exam
| ipation. which vas conduc,ed by MI. Siec,c.
DR. WfLLiAMs--I was surprised 10 fad the body IN
sucn agcod state OF preservation; me grave was
oncnul I'm my prescncc the coilU was a wooden one
| covered With inc cloth; | found tho lyer III inc
abdomen, wherc II was riaccd hy us Win ihe oiner