The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-10-01
JESSE BILLINGS DEFENCE.
Testimony Of Experts to Show that Mrs. Bill
inss Was Murdered with a Pistol.
THE SHOT FIRED NEAR THE GLASS
Witnesses DiScredit the Theory that the Bill.
ings Gun Was the Weapon.
[sx TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

BIZ TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
BALLsroS, n. r., Sept. 80. 1878
This morning began the fourth week OF the Billings
murder trial, with no tagging IN tho public interest
1t has excited from the drst. Though the air
sharp and frosty, that fire lighted IN the
court room, there diminution in the number
OF those who crowded the trial chamber. Two Wit
Tor the Observation-Disclosures experienced In the
nature OF explosiyes-were examined at great ength
bringing facts apparently Of great value in sus.
tanning the theory Of the crime advanced by counsel
for Mr. Billings
Nelson LOWS. of Troy being recalled, testiasd:-
This is the gun that / examined In Waterford (the
Billings gun shown witness); the gun then was In
excellent condition do not think ball would .'key
holo' II It fred from that gum unless the gun
had been fred great many times. SO
as to s.loadu Ill the burrs enough
10 prevent tho ball from following tho twist OF
the barrel; sskoy -hong" is also sometimes caused
by lack Of powder in the cartridge, which fails 10
make tho bullet strike point ahead; made some
experiments with rib bones; n Med poce Of
young beef bone behind board, then three sevsn-
eighths inch boards then another piece OF rib then
three thicknesses OF board; then fred two
snots-one at tour tset another at nina
feet from the object; both balls went
through both bones and three boards; there
was piece or glass front Of both bones thesc ars
tho bullets l used. (Buliots shown.) These were
fred Ballard carbine; found alter extracting
these balls ana weighing Thorn standard scales
that they had lost seven grains each they full
Acartridge balls, that weighed go grains; think
volvsr 10 the same weight and kind.
O. In your oplnisn was the lead found IN Mrs.
BninRs' bead fred from torty-four caiibre Ballard
carbinef A. / think not, from my experience; In
my mind the experiments have perfectly salts.
fed that point Examines the Billings builet)
thsun ~ nAt ia
shell found IN tho Ballard carbns or Billings gun.
q. DO you think that bullet was fred from q forty
four calibre cartrldGef A. No; find no such ndios-
t,ons; the bullet that was taken from ner head was
.hsei" bullet and nosa forty-four oalibre cartridge
@ Is there anything about your experiments that
max you think the loss OF load indicates that
from Ballard Gardner A. have fred into glass.
lead, iron. wood ana hard wood and brick. and tho
Prom a Colts revolver 1 fired 40 grain bulei
through glass ana board into iron ana Inc wassaxe
rHx HOLE TOO FOR A BALLARD BALL
Q. Have you ever nred Into window through which
20 through without touohingf A. Ihave never made
hoe throagn glass that tho shell OF tho Dali woud
O. DO You really identity that bullet belonging
any classf A. could not swear positively That doI
weigh ies grains, that could DO shot IRON Colts
volving pistol rifle this ball corresponds nearess
MAI was tue size Of .na.
| grain Of powder that Dr. Ward explodod4 4. About.
was eighteen inches away 0 a,ps
ing on II when exploded saw the Hash; did see
distinct aasu; looked NJ ths gram o. powder, bus
ford; proposed oing the gun TO prevent from
rustns; examined tho outside AND INSIDE Of the
Q You told US that you shet away about ten tons
Of lead? A. Yes, SIR.
Q. Now, how much in weight did those bullets
| average2 A. About an ounce and hail.
Q. Aaveyou ever computed how man. ny bullets you
| would have 20 shoot average 800 days 10 the
| year TO shoot away tons OF ioadf A. Never
| counted the buetA
| A. How many bullets do you think you have shot
| awayf A. About 100 day for tho past thTty-nvs
o. DO you think glass is easier broken when hit
while vet because tho dampnoss warps It somewhatr
A. Yes; / think so; tried swo experiments. aud a.
s shs sand and the dry cnos did nOs blow cut
| O. Can you tell whether the Billings shell go.
tanned a large or small ~ Cartridge bullet befos is
was Grsdi 4. know it was largo sx.d one; only
| know by comparison with ether shells; the shell
s 20. suss s Sa.. s'. SIX
scope glass e ;sa%n9 ,isd you my
OF nen thick, the other ave-eighths
OF an inch thick; don't kno~ how the bones com,
pare with the thickness Of a skull or the density;
| bred al tho bones with . Ballard carbinc aud used
A. calibre long cartridges; a.sd ens shot At ioas
| PRoBABLE POSITION OF THE MURDERER
William Hugan ,estined:-I am about SIXTY years
applied TO the arts; was regularly .auoa.sd as .
chemist, and as that business for swsn'y-ons
nav. examined ali kinds Of explosive ma.er'-
ais; I have examined the Billings window sash;
the shooter stood from the window; l found 10 the
sash kernels OF power also that some OF the pow
tins would ind,cals 10 a certain extest how far the
| person shooting was from tho window; the drab
the glass; / think the man who killed Mrs Billings
did not stand more than i've feet away from the
dow ,ss.u to Troy; Dr. Ward placed Il on ,inioii;
burning alcohol lamp was placed under that, aud
when at red neat tbs powder exploded with an audi
dow glass wniie II was In the Billings house: am
satisfied from experiences that tho sediment found on
the glass resulted from burning or exploded powder;
grain weight of powder consists OF LIS granules;
the 1Osh part Of grain weight 81 powder OF.
ploded 10 Troy several times and distinctly saw me
psarancc 81 the hole In the window shows that 10
| was made by . bali moving At n low velocity
| BALLARD GUN
| think II wouiu be impossible to make the powder
i marks the window ny Ballard riio; II the Bill
ings gun had been used close enough TO tho windsw
/ 10 perEt those powder marks u would have blown
short barreled revolver; thero is abunasnt chance
for all tho powder TO ignite before leav.
tho window indicate by flame marks that
a abort barrcled weapon was used; found no black
very carefully with microscope; tas,eo Of the ker.
found mbeddod Ia the window, and recognized It
Sy S my Know Of snss
/ is no appearance tho Billings bullet that any part
- ossS osi nsA % the 10 Sr sais ny %
| havc been Hat neeed bullet; nnd no rings upon'
tho bullet; have examined The bullet with micre-
scope Of sixty d'anoier power ind distinoy
| lines
| HIGH PRICED wIrNKsA
i Cross-examined-powder will ignite without o
blaze; wrote some questions Tor Mr. Lam
oreaux 10 put to me my direct examination; have
i no business except as = professional expert; my
cnarge - $50 per DAY for atteudancs ~ court; ~
chemical expert receive so per day am n consult.
| ing chemist Tor several manufactures; have never
been called before In caso Of ths
kind ftnc witness burned kernel OF powder
on a piece OF glass TO show tho rcsiduum); tested
tho spots tho window win paper saturated win
preparation tor that purpose by placing the paper
against the powder; perfect image oil the spot was
Lett paper; the only way 10 determine whether
bullet goes through glass at high or low velocity 70
| through tha PARTICLES radiatng IRON tho hole;
| the pane that had tue bullet hole 10
tho only that showed powder marks on u; powder