The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-03-05
THE GAZETTE.
VIZ. B HERxIorr. .. o "SAt'
HERRIOTT B. 6EAL,
Edit ors and Pabltshers.
Thus is the last working day Of th'
Legislature.

THIS is the last working day of the
Legislature.
THE MCCORMICK POISONING
CASE.
The examination in this case commenced
Feb. 25th, and the testimony was eomplet-
ed to-day Thursday at O'Clock p. M.
The Court adjourned till tomorrow at l
O'Clock, p. m. to allow counsel time to
make preparation for summing up. We
give as full report Of the testimony as
our space will admit.
Dr.. D. L. Hitchcock, sworn: Am res
ident OF Redwood Falls, and have been,
about eight years. Have been practicing
physician about 20 years-seventeen in
Minnesota. Was acquainted with Edward
Mccormick. On The 4th day Of February
was called 10 his hou. and saw him lying
on his lack, dead. Was acting in the ca
pacity Of Coroner. We held an inquest
six men were summoned. DR.. Flynn
made an examination Of the body Of Ed
ward Mccormick. The next thing done
in reference to the body, Iwent to New
Ulm, had the body disintcrred, taken to the
Court House, ard with the assistance Of
DR.. Muller, took the stomach and portion
of the Duodenum out, secured them in a
glass jar in alcohol, drew over it hogs
bladder, secured the jar IN a tin box under
lock and key.
The witness then detailed the various
precautionary measures taken, which ELL
abled him to testify to having delivered
the id ,n.ical box and conteuts to the exam
lining physicians in st. Paul-Drs. G. A.
Boardman, D. W. and H. c. Hand. Also
stated in detail, that he was preseut, and
assisted, during a greater part o; the process
Of analyziny ths stomach and contents -
That about half the stomach WAS analysed,
and they found large quantities of poison
Crystalizad strychnine. Also, the contents
of the stomach were analyzed. About u
drachm ofth, extract tn. content was in-
iected under the skin on the back of u cat
and in less than an hour it was dead.
Witness further testified, that he assisted
in taking the stomach from the body, that
the contents were lett in thu stomach, that
he was certain it was the body Of Edward
Mccormick and believed that it was the
same stomach that he saw analysed in St.
Paul. In his judgment as physician, a
man could not live with the amount Of
poison that they found in Edward McCor-
mick's stomach, and in his opinion the
poison caused his death.
Cross examination. First saw the body
OF Edward Mccormick on the 4th day OF
February between and 4 o'clock P NJ.
other persons were present. l can't say
whether it had been handled after death,
before saw it, or not Am not positive as
to whether the eyes were open or shut.
The bed clothing was over him as smoothly
as it would naturally be over any one in
bed. Have no particular opinion as to the
time Mccormick had been dead; would
not know whether it had been few hours
or days, without the testimony. There
were signs OF his having vomited. There
was tea pot on the back part OF the bed,
it was sitting up and there was no fluid i'll
it, Ii lie had had fits he might or might
not have upset the tea pot or disturbed the
bed clothes. 1t probably would. 1t he
had had the amount OF spasms that persons
often do have and not disturbed the cloth
ing any more than when l saw him, it
would be a remarkable case. think the
hands were shut.
Witness described the manner Of opening
the body and m .kiny the examination, also,
the diseased aud enlarged appearance and
condition of the heart ; stated that they
came to the conclusion, at that time, that
Mccormick died OF disease Of the heart and
that his heart was so diseased that be was
liable to die at any time, and that it was
common with persons of disease Of the
heart to die easy, as ii gone to sleep.
That it was seven days from the inquest
till the body was taken up again, that W m
Root, VIM. McGinnis, J. E. Eagaa and
Dett. had charge of the body after the In
quest, aud that witness did not see the body
after the inquest till it was taken up again
at New Ulm when it was dressed in a
mixed gray suit. There was not much
change in the appearance Of the body at
that time.
Witness described the condition in
which the body was left at the inquest, the
portion that was taken to st. Paul, state d
that it was the upper part Of the stomach
was analysed, described the tests used and
the results. Stated tina. strychniae is an
extract OF Nux vomica, that Nux vom. il
taken in sufficient quantities will produce
death and produces about the SAM effects
on the system as strychnine. Had not no.
ticed the appearance Of the cat after death.
Was OF the opinion that the eyes Of animals
dying from strychnine might BE- either open
or shut.
On redirect examination Witness
gave As his opinion that the position oi
J0c nanOS o. Tie UrCe0ScNl " AZ NV SuS VAae
they would naturally have If he had died
Of heart disease, thought thy would have
relaxed and fallen by his side. As rule
chat would be the case in death from
poison. The usual effect Of strychnine, il
at first, . contraction of the muscles, and
afterwards relaxation--that is net always
the case. Witness produced the record o
the analysis aud explained it, stated thai
a person With that amount Of strychnins
in his stomach might live from 20 minutes
to an hour and that there was no ossi6ca
ton of the heart in McCormick's case bu
An enlargement and fatty deposits.
Re-Cross. heard before the 1nques
that there were suspicious Of his havin!
been poisoned but not sufficient to lead mi
to make any further investigation. At tn
Inquest came to the conclusion that b,
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