The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-16
THE MURDER OF CARRUTIT.
THEPROBING OFTHE BRdTN WOUND
MINUTELY DESCRIBED.


Physicians FIatIy ContrndtctIna Each Other
as to the Effect Of the Treatment of tho
vinoland Editors Very Remarkable Case.
BRrDoEToN, Jan. 15-Landis's friends
chetted pleasantly with him as he entered the
court room this morning, and all the party,
which included several ladies'. gathered about the
table occupied by the prisoners counsel seemed
In hgh spirits, and well satisfied with the pros
pect Of showing that Carruth died OF the injuries
inflicted on him by his physicians. and that Lam
dls's bullet had nothing whatever to do with his
death. The prisoner however. sat impassively
In his chair, his unruflled features indicating
neither el ition nor despoudency; nothing but
utter Indifference.
DR.. Geo. Ingram, previously witness for tho
prosecution, was called by the defence. and he
testified that he desired to open the abscess at
the back of MIR. Carruth's neck, but was not per-
mitod to do so, the wounded man saying he
was not going to be buichcrcd anv more. lie,
the witness, called urpn Mr.. C1rruth again the
next day. accompanied by Mr. ljidwel but
neither Of the physicians probed the wound
ON the day the injury was received the witness
rrohed the wound with his finger as well as
with a silver probe. On September ~ Nr. Car
ruth complained to the witness Of being very
weak and Experiencing dizziness whenever lie
attempted TO walk. lie was disinclincd to tax,
could not articulate distinctly, and sat In his
chair with his eyes closed, as though In semi
strpor
Cfoss-examined bv the Attorney @ encril. the
witness said when he passed his finger and hts
probe through the aperture made 10y the bullet
he was manipulatng In the space made by the
broken-dOwn structure of the brain, and did
not touch any healthy hr in matter. ! ho prob-
ing could not have caused the assesses which
subsequently formed.
On his redirect examination the witness said
esH eH SSa been M & s wep m see
MIR. Cirruth in the belief that he was not then
under the care OF any physician. He was as
sure1 that the only chance OF saving Mr.. Car
ruth's life was to puncture the dura mater and
open the abscess nearest the aperture, but he
could not recollect whether he had told Mr..
Carruth's friends this. lie could not be assured
that the operation would have saved Carrutb's
life.
DIR Elwin Bidwer, another Of the States
witnesses, was called by the defence. lie went
with DIR. Ingram on Sept. - to see Mr. Carruth.
dago around his head Removing the bancage,
swelling was found extending from the original
wound to the back OF the neck. He was duh
and listless. The witness did not examine the
wound III the head but he saw clearly that there
free vent. He told Mrs. Robinson the concu-
sion he mad come to, but she refused to allow
any operation to be performed. she said she
would let the doctors know In the morning
whether the abscess might be opened, but she
| did not communicate with them again.
DIR. Emory X. fuller attended Mr. Carruth on
| May :, and inserted aprobe into the orince In
| his head. The witness saw Dr. Morgan probe
the wound. passing his Instrument IN an inch
ard hree-quarters, tbree-quarters OF an inch
being little to the left Of SStraight line, and
| one inch toward the right eVe. ON May q the
attendance from more than one physician was
| not necessary, and from that date he did not
| call again, Dr. Brown taking sole charge OF the
| case.
| Under rcross-examinationt the witness said that
on the day of the injury the only surgical treat
ment he saw Mt Carruth receive was at the
hands OF Dr. Gross, VINO inserted an elastic
| catneter INTO the wound, and on drawing u out
| he askei II any one had measure. Dr Brown
| produced tape measure, and u was found that
| the catheter had been inserted two and balf
| Inches. On the following Monday DIR. Morgan
|
half. On May the witness, under DR.. Nor
| gan's directions, prubed the wound himself to
| the depth Of an tnch aud three-o uartsrs. There
| were no subsequent indica ions that the
| operation had affected the patient in
! juriOusiy. The probe went forward by It's
own WEIGHT for three. quarters Of an
| inch, and then, by slightly changing its
direction, IL slid into another passage aud went
| on inch further. \ few Gays afterward he
| mentioned this change OF direction to DIR. Nor
! gan, who PISSED tho urOhe tnree-quirters of an
| men into the wound, and said he did not dis
cover the passage spoken ut by the witness. DR..
| 'iuler then took the probe, and, by slightly
! altering Its direction at a depth OF three
quarters Of an inch, passed II In an inch
| further, as he had done before. The witness
said that before no was discharged he was
| asked to certify that Cdrru'h was out Of
danger, the object being to obtain Landis's lib-
Grafton ON bal, but he refused to grant any such
certificate at the time. Subsequently he fur
| nisned the certificate, in conjunction with Dr.
Morgan, with regard To MIR. Carruth's condition.
| The defence was not permitted to put the docu-
| ment IN evidence the ruling being rendered
| after nearly an hour of heated discussion. he
witness, however, was allowed to testify that on
MAY 23 he regarded MIR. Carruth As nyalescent.
ana supposed MN to be safe SO far as the prima'
| ~ effects were concerned.