New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-03
TIE WHARTON TRlAL.
- - - "a. So
DIR. RETsE'S TESTlmUNI CONCLUDED.

ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 2.-The Court met at 10
o'clock. The direct examination Of Dr. Reese was re-
sumed. In response TO question by Mr. steele, rea-
tive the variation OF tho crystals obtained by Prof.
Aiken from the sediment the lumber and those from
the tartar-cmetc witness said crystalline substances
from solutions always assume regular geometricai
form; this IL invarabe in formations from tho same
substance there may be variation so far as relates 70
and edges OF the crystals but the angles Of the
planes are fixed and inyariabe IT, therefore drop OF
be allowed 70 evaporatc, and 10 produces certain
crystalline forms, and drop " another solution pro
duces other forms he would say they we're not Oa the
same substance. -
Tic witness next examined as 10 the precautions
used by Prof ney and the accuracy - the mode OF MS
weighing the pIecpiiate obtained by him. ana sId ne
regarded them defective and mac urate witness sIeu
IN full his reasons for such opinion whch were an igho
rance OF the composition OF the substance anG
TOncvs failure ~ use the proper precahton IN uIyR
the precipitatc bis handling and manipulation wouil
leave some which would increase the weight;
the beaker used should nave Deen mlpudIeI W.
delicate pair Of Orrcps and not with the hand; there
are no symptoms which are exclusive to artar-cm'uc
observation-disclosures by which it can be recognized with one
or two exceptions; posons can be recognized Dy any
exclusive sympt0ms there are some dozen lrUtant lO-
sons the symptoms ~ which closely resemble each other
poison could be recognized by symptoms alone there
would be necessity for post-mortem examination.
! Counsel for the state-YOu need not express tGat
iWitness-Tnere are many diseases the symptoms Of
which closely resemble the effects produced by lfrtant
r6i.nns and diseases the symptoms OF which closely
5embe the Effects produced by narcotic polsoh-, ah
others that resemble those produced by tc4uic OF PIMA
rritant posons as they are sometimes called the symp
toms of cholera and castro eHcretiS or Inflammation OF
the bowels closely resemble those produced by poison
on, dose W tartaremec. detailed by the previous
witnesses: m which exceptions, tie poison
seems act on the nervous ceHtrr' producing tOVu
sIons and sometimes delrm witness had seen put one
case OF poisoning by tdraremetc in that ease there
was paor the face this recovered; the cause u
/ death cannot always be decided ~ pathoDsEal slSH
observed after DEATH but pathological knoweigc Is IN
creasing, anu acquiring more knowledge OF NOR
/ bid anatomy, but % - still Imperfect.
DR. Reese stated that he heard the testimony OF Drs.
Miles. williams and schew a. 70 the ympton, ana D me
pOstmOrtem examination; would not form an opinion
from 10 that Gen. Ketchun died from poison Tor the re
that such symptoms ana sueh ostR1r,rm s.Sns
might logically be accounted for RON hatura. CAUSES;
the symptoms and post norton seem 10 Indicate some
disease which especially affected the BRAN ana Spln1
marrows disease OF this character vas lnaigavu ny
one OF medical gentlemen on he stand tllnh was
/ nation OF the membranes OF the brain and spinal
| marrow; the symptoms IN he,Fhuns use,
! main I'm the head and1s especially IN the back
part Of the head and neck. and down the back extend
face the suppression the secretOns II the kidneys
TIE rigid contraction OF the muscles OF re neck more
form; the partial delrium t1e CONDITION OF tle eys are
n also resembles tetanus-ldeopatnic tetanus-wlel
though a rare disease sometimes occurs; some OF the
symptoms strongly resemble tlat u.sse tlest are tue
two diseases where the symptoms mostly mole those
presented by The attending physician; from the test
Ketchum, all through Tuesday and early on Wednesday,
Oit Iu'A Ui ~ ", I-o va ~. -
! preceding his death were not those accompanying a
Iand S0'f 5a. d5gs opium though they are
| more frequently in children than adults wit
!
mel al the spinal cord would have dcciged whether
Ketchurn diod from natural cause cere,
path0 Qica CHANGES does these post;
norton changes 10 may prove fatal and not leave any
lesion by which you cOlq 4scoyeIA 2teE death these,
however are exceptional cases the examination OF the
bra bran dd 6 RS ' SSdd g ao s
ditOn Of s membrane and did not disclose TIE Condition
! OF the spinal marrow below II.
! Dr. Reese was then examined in regard TO antidotes
posons There antdCes many polons for some
there are none tue antIdote chemically combines with
tie uoisOn rendering inert witness named the best
antidOtes for tararemetlc and the usual practice IN
treating poi.Ous IN Gen. ketchums case the post,
not would eXpec to find where death result I'd
from poison by tartaremetic, chiefly because OF the
absence of Inflammation in the STOMACH and amentary
canal and absence also of congestion of the lungs
aud also OF the general engagement OF the venous sys
TEN which usually accompanies death by tartdremetc;
believing the exclusively from the symptoms and
pOst-mOrem as testified TO, witness Is OF OpiDOn nat
kechum's death may be fairly attributed " natural
cause-that iS, 10 disease.
The witness was examined at length in regard 10 the
effect OF chlOrOOrm and choral Deaths from the former
were frequent choral has been 10 use only two or three
years IL Is valuable remedy Tor relieving pam and
producing sleep bat it, precise effects OF mode Of opera
ton the human system are not yet distinctly under
stood; number o deaths mas Deeh reported rom tns
OF chiora. Witness then explained the theory OF
the conversion OI cn.OIl INTO omo,O''in "LoH
| taken INTO the system, aeteu upon ny hIAdl
in the blood This theory ne said was mere speculation;
from the symptoms a. detailed OF ketchuns condition
W. tuesday between the hours OF ten ana one Clock
especially toward the latter hour ~ would nave regarded
Lin in dyInG condition; If the last dose administered
10 him contained tartar-enletc, witness would have
expocted II TO have produced violent symptOms-yOmng
gf
teri,c Of poison by emetio and were absent,
he would NOT infer that it had been given
Dr. Reese was subjected to the most searching and
scleutc crOssexamnatiOn, by Mr.. ReVe for over two
hours particularly with reference 10 the symptoms and
effects ,brOspnal mingnitts and ldiOpathic te-
tauus az rir similarity with and difference from
tbO.e of poison by tartar-emetic He frequently gave
Ms opinion did not die from poison A.
O'CLOCK ne counsel for the defense asked that Dr. Reese
he peru leave the stand, they desired to *
anime lady vino present aud could not be here ~
morrow.
TINS was acceded to by the prosecution. and Mr. j. H.
Colfmnu was sworn. she testified that she wac "a
daughfer OF Mrs Chubb OF Washington remembers see
ing Mrs Wharton her mothers house N Washington,
on the 18th day Of January last Gen. ketchum was there,
witness Mrs. Wharton IN the paror WHEN Cen
Ketchum entered Witness asked 10 state whether
Mrs Wharton asked her to send for hetchum when the
| prosecution objected.
Witness continued She remembers the day, because
Il was sisters birthday, and she received present
Mrs Wharton soon after after Cen kecnun en-
tered the parlOr witness left him alone with Mrs mar
ton they were In the parlOr together for short ume
| after which hetchum left witness entered the
| parlor afterward, and saw small pieces OF
paper lying the parlor hearth; an hour
afterward, she walked out with Mrs Whar
ton Counsel for defense show that Mrs. Wharton
re1uestng Ketchum to come and Mrs. Wharton and
asked counsel for the prosecution II they objected The
AttornevCieneral replied that they would admit that
Ketchuil was sent The witness
during which she stated that her mother was IN Bait
mOr on that day and that there was no writing desk IL
the parlOr. The Court then adjourned