The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-05-14

saw Cunning he stepped off the sidewalk and
made for him. He passed up on the east
side of the street towards home after the
blow. There were one or two masons work.
ing at the culvert. When ! got TO where
Cunning was lying there were half dozen
or more people there. Don't know what has
become OF the stone that was used. saw
stone there that was supposed to be the
stone, il had blood on it, Don't know wheth-
er anybody took it. Stones were lying loose
on the street 1t wasn't long after Cunning
was struck that he was taken home. 1t was
about ten minutes after Curley left the drug
store until he came back across the street.
1t might be less and it might be more He
went up the street about one square, about
300 feet He was in the drug store only a
few minutes. was at the place where Gun
ming lay few minutes.
Redirect by Mr.. Hughes When Curley left
the sidewalk be went few steps toward
cunning, who was not many yards
away. The old man was sitting on the cul-
vert, Curley came down on the west side,
and stepped off as he was going to the drug
store, and when he saw Cunning he stepped
up and struck him. Curley did not ap-
pear to be drunk.
Cross. eramined-Curley had cap on his
head. There was no blood on his face He
went into the drug store without stopping.
DR.. r. NJ LasheiLe sporn-Reside in
Centralia. Was there in July 1876. Am q
practicing physician. Cunning was hurt on
the 26th Of July, 1876. Between and 6 p.
m. | saw him. He was in an unconscious
condition, and | ordered him to be put in
bed Iexamined lin and found a fracture
of the skull. The right parietal bone was
broken and driven in on to the brain %
inches in one direction, II in another. / did
not then know how deep it was. The next
morning / discovered effused blood on the
eyelids, and then had every reason to be-
leve there was a fracture at the base of the
brain. Cunning died on the 2nd of August
| saw him two or three times every day. He
| remained unconscious all the time. | tried
to speak with him several times; he would
| try to answer and couldn't. l made post
| n,ortem examination with Drs. Yocum and
leomans We found the fracture of the
! right parietal as stated before, depression
| of the brain I of an inch, and two other
| fractures, one extending downwards or back
wards to the occipital bone at the base of the
brain, also an abscess termed at the base OF
| the brain. The wound was necessarily NOR
| tai. 1t appeared to be made with blunt in
| strument. The skull was about three.sx-
| teenths of an inch thick. There were nc
sutures at the fracture. The blow that
| caused the fracture must have been deliver
ed with great force. treated Cunning as
my patient from the beginning. A man in
| his condition could not form and express an
| intelligent thought. Cunning was 81 years
old He was man of ordinary build. He
was not as strong apparently as Curley The
difference was il the age. He might have
| been as tall.
Cross eramined-My house is about 175
feet from the drug store. was not at home
at the time of the blow, | was told at the
me before the blow. | have record of visit,
made to Cunning after he was struck. DR.
Yeomans was called ia consultation on the
9th on the 2Sth 80 and 81. think Gun.
ming died in the night. | was there between
8 and o'clock on the evening before ht
died.
| In answer to the court.
The post mortem was held at the instance
of coroner Murphy.
DR.. Yeomans sworn-Have been practi
cling physician for 20 years. lived in Ashlant
in July 1876. l visited John Cunning OF
three times. think l saw him the seconc
day after the injury and twice after that.
|
injuries described by DIR. Lashelle. Trephan
ing would not have been possible. l assisted
al the post mortem. THE witness produced ,
diagram showing the character Of the wounC
and fractures
| The blow must have come from above
downward, little to one side but so as tc
strike the skull pretty nearly at right angles
| The blow must have been struck with con
siderable force to nfict such a wound.
s-erdmined-Fracture of any kind il
| dangerous; compared with the rest of the in
jury the two fractures running forward anC
downward were uhimportant. Calls were
long enough to make examinations. W.
consulted on the subject of trephaning.
Andrew B. Cochran sworn-Have been ;
surveyor for 90 years. l have map from 6
survey made by myself in January repre-
senting the place ofthis homicide. The lott
are 20 feet front,
Gross -eramined-I was employed to make
this map by the commonwealth, though Mr.
Christian He is member of the Coal &
Iron police.
ID. e. Keller s,Corn-I saw Cunning on tn,
26 of July 1876, and the huckleberries, aDC
paid the money for them, afterwards say
Cunning go into James Gains, next door
From there he went TO Curley's, and as h,
was about entering the door | crossed th
street myself to A. B. Fortner's store. Whei
got up into my workshop saw Curley
Cunning his wife and daughter out in th
street having quarrel. saw Maggie hi
Curley with stone, and then Curley left
and don't know that seen him after that
Cummings wife aud daughter took hin
home. | saw the bucket threw out into tn
street.
CroSs-eramined-It might have been
or 20 minutes more or less after Gunnin
went to Curley's until ] saw the buckle
come out into the street. | don't remembe
what was said. Didn't see Curley have
stick
George w. Davis sworn--R Reside in Centra
ia. Kept drug store in the Post Office. Cul
ley cameinto the drug store on the Goth
july 1875 and asked me to put some stick
ing plaster on his head which was cut.
told him to go and see the Doctor and get
stitch puv in it as it would heal So muc
: better. He was as cool as usual, He sal
nothing about how the cut happened, and
, didn't ask him. The cut appeared to
about an inch and a half long the edg,
were little separated. He remained on
. about two minutes, then he went out at
started towards the doctors Never sa
: him again until February in this cou
: room; have lived in Centralia ever sine
: His family have lived there ever since
: know him well ,at that time he was hYckst
y and liquor seller.
CroSs-eramined-By the doctors, mel
v DIR. Lashelle.
a W. H. WeidensdM SWOrn-Lived in Ce
q tralia in July 1876, was working at p. Bur
es house second lot above CurleyIs, saw Gu
ming coming across the street, | saw he h
v pail in his hand and went into Curle,
a house, shortly after saw Curley coming
L the street and 60 into his house. Soor
" saw Cunning come tumbling out of /
y house, then the bucket, huckleberries a
~ leaves came out on the pavement Gunni
,. went into the middle of the street and NJ
n Cunning and Maggie came out, then Curl
rs went out, Maggie threwa stone at Cur
/. and hit him on the head. then took
js ladder down; efter Curley was struck he 81
as "Pll fix you," and turned to go in
v house. | afterwards saw Curley on