The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-12-20
THE THORNDIKE MURDER.
Heart Disease the Theory Of the
Defence.
The Testimony All In,

RoCKLAND, Dec. 10 In the murder trial tc-
day MI. Bliss opened for the defence, contend
ing that the medical theory of the physicians
In the case was not correct and that death was
caused by heart disease, to which the deceased
had been subject. That the statement of the
prisoner, the only witness to the transaction.
was correct, and that was that she was tirst At
tackled by the deceased and simply pushed her
ont OF the house, when the deceased fell upon
the platform. The jury could not agree upon a
verdict of4murder or mansiaughter evea if it
could of assault and battery.
G. w. Coles testified to bearing Mr.. Snlli.
van Charging Mrs. ThOrndike with stealing S1O
from her.
Phillip Mulligan testified that Mrs Sullivan
appeared to bs intoxicated on the at, ruooa of
tne nomlclde; also to going to prisoners house
IN company with officer Spear, after the ARRAY
aud before the death OF Mrs. Sullivan. MIS-
Th0rDdike refused to admit them saying she
was preparing supper. James E. Thorndike
the husband OF the prisoner left nome in the
afternoon and returned at s 20 O'Clock in the
eve0ing. The front door was not locked, be
having both keys. They frequently fastened
the door With piece Of bedstead.
Hannah Thorudike, the prisoner, testified
that she bad always been on friendly terms
with the deceased, and on that afternoon, by
tuViGo1tOus uFdoh Win uSf, Inc deceased UAy.
ing. subsequently the deceased came to her
house and charged her with stealing teu dol
lars. Some words passed between them when
the deceased made An attack upon her, seziug
her by the hair. The prisoner put her hands
against the deceased and pushed her out Of the
house.
The deceased fell upon the platform. The
prisoner saw her turn over and look at her,
thea she went back into the house and saw
noth,ng more of her. She did not learn that
al 0 M doc mil a. l. Il
been taken to the lookup Sue was then told
OF u by Mr. Bliss. her counsel.
This afternoon the prisoner was subj ected to
searching cross-examina alton, 10 the course of
which she STATED that on the afternoon of o..
- she was DRINK. Fad duruk q wnola bottle
of liquor. Had no RECOLLECTION of goisg out Of
the house sf-r O'CLOCK till arrested, nor of
any OF The circn instances test fed to by
Cbaples. Gross, CLARK or the Donohue girls
L. was not tru- that she used the expression
~ fix you," or spose from q window
Df. N. A. Banks testified that death from
conclusion caDnot be ascertaped without 3
pest morteO * Mutation; death would not re-
suit rom sim OLE coocussoa alone. II death
occurs from conclusion the skin would show
Mrs. Sullivan.
Dr.. f. e Hitchcock testified that such q
wound as described in the medical testimony
would not Do likely 70 produce dea b. The
spotted appearances of the skin does not Ddi-
Gate oeath from cOncuss0n. Death is coz
ceivabe ON coucuss,on. Bows uDou the
temple or base OF the brain are mor- likely TO
cause death thar on any other part of the body
Psilor old extremities and iDsensiDii5y are
svmtoms OF Conclusion as well as of other
disorders.
10 buttal Kate Donohue, Annie Sullivan
and + len RaardOn testified that they saw 90
indications that Mrs. Sulllvsn had been drink
ing on the day of her death
DR.. Boyston tesnfieo that be saw no indca-
tions on the examination of the body that d. :
ceased had been drinking
j 'hn Sullivan, SON of the deceased testified
that his mother had nos bsen drinking and he
never told she had.
For the defence ia sur-rebnttal Alonzo More
testified that the last witness told HIM the
night OF the homicide that his mother had eeen
drinking and if she had minded him and gone
into the house this would not have happened.
This closed the TESTIMONY