The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-28
WHAT GrNP0WDER WILL DO
err FORTH NY Az EXPERT WITNESS IN
THE BILLINGS 2EffL.
saucer Monk Extrncting Some scientific
Information Retailing to bullets. Bones,
,.r Human Skun aud Brain -Icstiniony
amt WI. - surprise TO the Prosecution.

saucer Monk Extrncting Some scientinc /
Information Retailing to bullets. Bones, /
,h. Human skull aud Brain -Icstintony |
,hnt WI. 70 surprise 10 the Prosecution.
p,LtsrON. sept. 81. There was II frost
Ia, niclt. and Mr.. Billings walked into tho |
s,urt room this morning rubbing his white |
,,rds lie sat down confronting woman
Nho sat on the loft Of the jury box busily knit
,inr District Attorney Phelps Of Now York
,nl his assistant Russell. were in court. aud
hoJ n lovpe near the hcnrh of Judges. The
you,hf,l cricr 1ouri-hci his mallct over tho
hr,rht.colored hats Of the women. opcned court
,r an IMPRESSIVE tone OF voice. and gravcy re-
sumed his seat.
aired Tncock was called. He Is tho engineer
n, the Schuylcrvillc paper mill. and swore that
be blew the whistle at o'clock on the afternoon
ofthc murder. 1t never varied moro than three
minutes
Or. Ward the microscopica expert. again
took the stand. In his opinion the grains Of
nowder found in the sash OF the window
through which the fatal bullet sped. indicated
That the shot was fired between three and nvo
feet from the window His experience showed
hat the greater the velocity Of the ball the
eleanor cut is the hole in the glass. II tho ball
il speeding swiftly. the glass Immediately
around the hole will appear ground or puvcr-
izcd and the hole itself seem t. have boon
drilled II the ball is going slow. the edges Of
the hole must appear Jagged. AMI tho glass on
the reverse side more chtppcd-somcthing Ike
ahole made by a stone thrown against the win
dow The witness was then tapped for infor-
nation concerning the light necessary to got an
aim Tho object was to show that nobody
could have taken sight with the carbine a, Mrs
Billings on tho night Of the murder. unless ho
stood close to tho window. Several bushels Of
words were dumped before the jury The
Judge sifted them. and found that II a man
couldn't see he couldn't get an aim.
The Doctor was turned over to Mr.. Moak
Moak frst got out his crow-bar Of sarcasm and
irod to pry, up the physician's cquanimity.
Falling in this. he began to fling books of
science NJ his head. and tried to bury him un-
dor cart loads Of metaphysical queries. Ho
showed bullets under his nose. questioned him
concerning hi eyes icht. and touched him up
on surgery, dancing about him like MI intel
lectual savage and filing his hide with splin-
ters Leet. the jersey expert. sat near him.
LOCKING wise. and sorting out the splintcrs.
Mr.. Moak began Ivy trying To- make the Doctor
admit that he generally appeared on the stand
as an expert IN company with Mr. Hagan. q
appeared on the witness stand with Mr.. Haran
In two or three trials. instancnG the case Of the
fonin. After tantalizing questions concerning
the witnesses experience in trials for forgery
and where stains On clothing were called in
question. Mr.. Moak drew out the astonishing
fact that bullet got its force from the ignition
OF Eunpowder and lost IL by being stopped. A
part OF its weight might be lost 10y friction in
the barrel OF the gun. Flyingthrough so feet OF
atmosphere The loss by friction would be very
s s%a 3G m Mr. aa sg%Sn AND TS Ss
conditions being the same, a carbine would
shoot stronger than pistol. The reason was
that in a short barrel force was wasted that was
utilized in a long one. and this force was wasted
bygoing out into the air.
thnn pistol barrel because more grains Of
powder are burned in one than In the other?
DR.. Ward-Neither yes or no is proper
Mr.. Moak then learned that the elasticity OF
glass depended upon i,s hardness or sottness
pactness with which the Ingredients were
mixed. He next picked w the carbine found
witness. and had him try an experiment before
the Jury. An astonishing fact was developed A
DIAL, mat nted the chamber near the breech of the
inc witness gave as reason. that the gun WIS
larger at the breech than at the muzze; He
Der had been bored ont for the purpose OF re-
ceiving the shell as well rs the ball. The jury
thumped the muzzle Of the gun against the
floor. and drove the bullet half way in. min
Hughes amid great iausbteT ofrsred i him s%
corkscrew 10 pull out. The Doctor swore that
he had discharged gun several thousand
times before he was employed as an expert in
this case. Mr.. Moak then asked him il his eye
sight was normal. and they engaged in n charm
Ing Intellectual DISPUTE as to the meaning Of the
word normal The Court raped them down.
Mr. Moak started in afresh. When were
you employed in this case q he asked.
pr. Ward-A week nge.
p. TaTd Ward VIM: ,. Fpsani ,
near Gen HuEhns-Yes. he calls himself doe
tor, ] believe. Mr. Hagan cheek REDEEMED.
and DR.. Ward answered that he had heard Mr..
Mr. Moas-Yes. and you examined that win
doy th,orogGh,ly before you saw ii in court?
SIR Moak ttriumphantlyl- and noticed
That on the stand yesterday you took long
tune . examine il before you spoke. Why
The witness replied that he thought the win
first saw il. Tho spots on tho glass ana sash
were not 50 distinct and Characteristic. The
hog WIS larger and less Jagged. and particles
@. the glass seemed 10 have been displaced
~ bail through ii but could not do 80 without
Mr Moak- Where did you get your Al ball1
Pr Mard-l can't recollect.
Mr M0ag-When did you getit?
nr Ward don't remember.
Mr. Moak-FrOm whom did you get Ii ?
Mr. Moak-Was the ball a sort OF miraculous
TheDo'tor made no answer.
M MT NJ Moak-Did you have 1t with you when
Dr War II don't recollect.
III MoakLDo You know whether Mr.. Hagan
Mr. Moas-where did you first see it?
Pr Ward-I don't recollert
can re'Ollect2
pr Ward-In Mr.. LAmareaux 5 onc..
rsuch Is specimen Of the crOss-eXaminatiOn
lntre We're score Of sim liar scenes.
The Doctor pointed out through "a magnifying
sass the spot in the sash where he took out the
sinail grain Of powder 1t was about an inch
enoVe the bullet hole. IL WIS about fourth
We o. common grain OF powder He dug it
uu, o. me wood with the point Of aponknifs.
Nfapuei II IN some soft paper, and took II home
~ ne poeNei1ook. He placed it on strip Of
hAlnum ant Lowered tho platinum into the
name Of small alcohol lamp. lie saw the
,ash ana hearl the sound. Others said
MY heari and saw II. His ear WAS
isom a 'oot 10 fifteen inches from the
mMnH mo blazing and burning Of the lamp
49,, ho t'r'tuLhle nOisc, Tho wick Was
nD,n, Ne szr fla lend pencil ana the lamp not
49, 49, an an lnksiand. He could have used
rnsrt'aY u making tho experiment. but the
ddGsEA would not have been q llcrrnt The use
dr W. aI,oHol amp did not affect the spot pro-
Siss.u ty ne fash upon the small picce 81
ne TOOK the most available grain Of
k,"per IRON the sash 10 make the experiment
tbo w.. tEut u powder had stained the paint IN
na ,r SiHsn a iittc. The smoky appearance indi-
T"Cd th"t iho paint had been burned. The
nnTinHurt however, might penetrate tho sash
MLIuuul b-u wing lhn lALnl. Mhlln mint snmn-