The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-09-01

tllc Dfaln. or where there Is cXtrIVa-
sation of blood, it is certain to pro-
duce death; the character Of all
these wounds was such that death
7 must have necessarily followed: the
wounds on the sides of the head |
refer to more particularly, as the
injuries were so extensive and the
force so great that the functions of
the brain would be suspended IN
simultaneously on physiological
grounds could say That the first
blow would have rendered her ana
bic TO inllict another, because il
would produce concussion of that
part Of the brain which presides over
the motive functions. the ceYebellum.
which controls all the muscular mo
tions. There was an instrument
found which we supposed to have
been used on that occasion. rob
iectcd to.l Hammer shown. This
instrument viii beautifully explain
every feature of the wounds; there
was a cut through the integument
on the right side, if | remember
rightly, and there were two cuts on
/ the left side in inllicting that blow
this sharp edge would produce
cut through the integument and
the butt end made the fractures
made no measurement Of the
wounds; / stated yesterday that the
f.. fracture was about the size OF silver
. dollar; this hammer did not come
into our possession until We were
through with our examination it
was covered with fresh blood al the
time; what We supposed to 3o fresh
4 blood we made no examination of
Ilt; / recognize the hammer; | could
swear to that hammer, think re-
member it very distinctly: there was
a little more mud on it 1T that time:
/ Il looked as if it had been rubbed In
the dir., and the blood was partly
covered with dirt. | had convecsa-
ton that day with the defendant, a
few words he was sitting IN the
. corner, aud approached him and
remarked This Is a very bad affair,
and he replied, "Ges, il was, and I
simply said, "Shc must have been
murdered before she was hung" hcl
appeared TO be very much excited. /
though | could not lay much stress
on that. for under such circumstan-
ces, anybody would be.
Cross-examincd by Mr.. Wm J. 4
Baer.
l presume ii was in the forenoon {
between 9 and 10 o'clock that ! first /.
went to defendants house; [ had no I
time piece, but know l was home +
by dinner; there was y large crowd
there, probably 200 people: while
we were engaged in tie examination
/ requested some person to look
around to see whether they could /
find any weapon that could have
been used, and this hammer was
found in the wood-house, a few rods
from the house; l can't tell who
brought il in; we examined the
hammer carefully to ascertain
whether a blow inflicted by it would /
explain the appearance Of the nju-
ries, and We're at once struck with
the sharp edge of the hammer which
would cause a rather clean cut
through the integument; the blood
spots are not so prcccptible nor is
there so much dirt ON the hammer
now rs there was then; you cannot
tell with the naked eve whether there
are traces of blood on that hammer
now, for duringall this time the blood
has dried, without a chemical and Z
microscopical examination; there is
not much danger in hazarding an
opinion in finding blood on q piece
IF iron or steel when fresh any
person who had seen blood or q S
blood stain could tell when the
blood is fresh it Is not difficult to J
ell the difference between rust ON
ron and steel and blood on fabrics S
t would be more difficult, but not Y
IN steel when the blood IS fresh It ;
would not have been more satsiac- {
DRY and certain to me to have made ;
! microscopic and analytical test, ! I
1ut that would be unerring; / have 7
he skill and had the means ut the {
ime 80 have made this test if dcsir- !
d at the time Either Of the wounds
N the side Of the head would have +
aused death; it would have fcllod }
he subject to the ground at once; .
n all probability the body would /
lavc been lying on the back if the J
dow had been inflicted with a /
Weapon if the blow was self-inhict- "
d she would not necessarily have y
allen on her face; she was found y
wing or her face with her head rest r
ng six or eight or ten inches from /
ne floor il appeared she was drag q
ed from another room where she u
-as murdered and dragged out there r.
nd hung: she was not 4 very tail 4
roman, probably five feet and a few b
lchcs: she was q stout woman @
here was a great amount Of blood V
pilt we did not examine the injury n
n the back' of the head by cutting Il
trough the scalp and occipital e'
one we took off the upper portion "
{ the skull and examined more n
the wound on the side (
{ the head we examined the iniu- %
! on the back of the head; there u
as no fracture. but we found a y
,rec quantity of cxtravasatcd blood O
d the sides and running 70 the W
des; do not know that the injury Il
\ the back OF the head was a tumot II
nd had been there for many years "
here there is extrayasated blood Ia
lere could not be an old tumor; it Ia
rs n soft and bloody tumor, and ol
,uld not have proceeded from the W
ows on the other side of the head ii
hen we made the examination the tr
God for the most part was fluid; ie
we cut through the scalp It run &c
1t in a stream; we were all struck II
ith the rather placid appearance II
the countenance : IL some cases oil ol
lnging, and especial ! where there NJ
rs resistance to the hanging. the W
would have been very st
uch distorted and livid, whereas Il
Ioa4b -ocf,lf;Dcr from q blow +bgrp te