The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-03-23

seeing his mother leave home on the
evening of the Goth, carrying a sack,
which apparently contained something
heavy
| The accidental presence of Caroline
Welsh thus complicated this case of mys-
FERROUS disappearance in a most curious
manner; and the complication was rem
dered all the more intricate, firstly, by
the fact that no body corresponding to
that of the missing woman could be found
in any of the London dissecting rooms $;
secondly, by similarity between the
dress of the missing woman and that of
the hospital patient; and thirdly, by both
women having possessed baskets Tin
which they hawked smallwares) exhibit
ing close likeness to each other, al
though that of Walsh had no cover, whilst
Welsh's basket had lid. Thus to SINH
larity in nation we must add a confusing
similarity in name, in dress, in Occupa-
ton and in certain possessions. And al
though strict inquiries revealed differ
ences in the habits, physical appearance
and bodily conformation of the women,
and in their respective birthplaces, yet
obviously the case was one in which, un.
less additional evidence was forthcoming
either to confirm or refute the doubts as
to the identity of Welsh with Walsh, the
prisoner Ross would clearly profit by the
conflict of evidence and the ends of JUS
ticc might ultimately be defeated.
One remarkable circumstance in the
history of the murdered woman at length
assumed the position of a crucial test. It
was conclusively proved that Caroline
Walsh had very perfect front teeth-an
admittedly unusual feature in an aged
woman. Caroline Welsh, on the contra
ry, had no front teeth, and, moreover, as
was proved by an examination of her
body, the sockets of these teeth had Oh
viously been bliterated-through the
modifying processes which are we'll
known to occur, especially in the aged
for very considerable period. The
latter fact in the history of Caroline
Welsh; and as the existence of the prom
nent front teeth in Caroline Walsh was
as firmly established, the guilt of the
prisoner Ross was brought home to her,
although, indeed, the fate of her victim
remained a mystery more easily guessed
at that solved.
Sometimes the researches of the scientist
actually in the first instance lead to the
clearing up of a disappearance. Thus
the examination of a skeleton found deep
ly embedded in the sand of the sea-coast
at certain Scotch watering-place,
showed that the person when living must
have walked with very peculiar and
characteristic gait in consequence of some
the lower part of the spine and pelvis.
The mention of this fact induced search
through some old records of the town,
.pI roSultn1 tba that coc.,
of mysterious disappearance had been
whose mode of walking had made him an
object of attention, and whose fate, but
for the Cbservant eye of the anatomist,
might have remained wholly unknown.
One OF the most famous cases in which
medical science has aided the effects of
the law in determining the identity Of hu-
man remains was that known as the
Waterloo Bridge murder. This case ex-
cited much interest and curiosity at the
time $3.50. and (as in a crime of the most
recent date) the chain of circumstances
which led to the discovery that a murder
had been committed shroudeG the matter
still more impenetrably in mystery. A
carpet bag which had been dropped over
Waterloo Bridge, London, with the obvi-
Gus intention of disposing effectually and
silently OF its contents in the Thames,
landed instead on one of the buttresses of
the bridge, few yards above the current.
When examined the bag was found to
contain portions of human body, the
pieces, consisting of bones with flesh at
tached, numbering twentythree in all.
1t formed an important OBJECT of inquiry
to ascertain whether the identity Of the re-
mains could be determined, with view
to connect them firstly with any known
case of mysterious disappearance; while
their due examination might in the Sec
ond instance lead to the discovery of
crime, by atlording some clue as to the
probable nationality, rank in life, profess
sion, Or trade, general circumstances and
mode OF death OF the victim.
Pieced dexterously together by medical
experts, the portions contained in the bag
were found to be those of one and the
same body; but the head, a large portion
OF the spine, the hands and feet, and some
parts OF the chest were wanting-these
missing parts being exactly those by
means OF which the human subject is
usually and most readily identified. But
Notwithstanding these serious gaps in the
continuity of its structure, the mutilated
frame was discerned to be that of full.
grown man, whose height must have
been at least five feet nine inches. To this
first conclusion the experts were led by
careful measurements OF the existing parts
of the skeleton, together with relative
measurements in place Of those parts
which were wanting. The body was fur
ther found to present no peculiarities, the
result of either natural malformation or
diseased action, whereby any clue to its
more particular identity-as in our pre-
ceding eXample-could be obtained; but
1t presented evidence to show that the re-
mains were those of man of very dark
complexion, the hair covering the body
being OF black color. The examination
detected the presence of stab or pune
tured wound in the left side of the chest,
between the third and fourth ribs; and
what perhaps formed the most important
result OF the inquiry consisted in the fact
that the experts were able to pronounce,
from the character of the wound, that it
had been inflicted, in all probability, dur
ing the life OF the individual. 'rhe sur
rounding highly suspicious circumstances
of the occurrence undoubtedly favored
this latter suppositiOn, while the clumsy
and unscientitic manner in which the re-
mains were mutilated-the bones being
sawn through near the joints instead Of
being aisarticulated at the joints by the
simple division of the ligaments-showed
that no theory of the remains having
formed the subject of anatomical research
could for moment be entertained. The
probable date of death was also in some
degree fixed; the examiners being led,
from the appearance of the remains, to
state with certainty that they had been
dead for at least three weeks before the
date of the examination, which was con-
Quoted on 2lst October, 1857.
Thus the medical evidence elucidated a
number of facts which, taken together,
afforded useful commentary and test of
the value Of other and purely circumsten-
tial evidence. The articles of dress which
were enclosed in the bag along with the
remains were of foreign make and were
cut and torn in numerous places. No
definite clue was ever obtained which
could lead to the detection of the murder
er or OF the motives which prompted the
crime. The remains were thought to be
% q