Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-14
MURDER TRIAL.
DicK: Willett on Trial For Killing Nat.
Leonard,

Dich Willett on Trial For Killing Nat.
Leonard.
Yesterday morning the district court went
on with the case of the State VS.. Dick Willett.
DR.. Pratt was called and testified as follows:
Am physician in the city of Saltwater; was
called in December, z, 1889, to see Matt
Leonard found him laying in the bar room
with wound in the abdomen mouth of the
wound was about TX inches in length; the in
testines was protruding through it, producing
strangulated hernia, he was apparently dying
vomiting blood; pulse 100, very light temper
allure indicating intense shock to the nervous
system. The shock from external causes pro-
duces death without external evidence that
shock is severe; could hardly distinguish
heart beat; desperation very rapid, 80 or 33;
gave him water and extract of beef; he vomit-
ed it up, but operated by charging the opening
aud gradually working bowels back; symp-
toms was then better; pulse ITO; gradually
eXtremitles became warmer; said that if he
did not have any other injuries but the wound
did not see why he could not live; blood
vomited from stomach do not think wound
accounted for the complete shock to nervous
system; in the forenoon vomiting OF blood
had nearly ceased but prostitution still con-
tinued pulse varied, temperature low, no
fever; condition about the same in the eve
rallied from collapsed condition; saw him
twelve hours before death; was slowly sink
ing; pulse 40; vomiting indicated an injury
to stomach; consulted with Drs. Murphy and
| Quinn; at 9 p. IN. rapidly sinking; died at 8 a.
M; he died from results of injuries received in
the affray; it was natural result;
| hernia itself would produce severe shock; is
possible to produce severe shock without ex-
| ternial injuries; wound was apparently made
with sharp instrument.
| Cross examination by W. w. Erwin. A
| shock is a depression of the vital forces of
the body; death may be produced by shock
| without external evidences; have never seen
| such case; his death was not wholly caused
by wounds apparent to me; opinion of cause
of death is based on visible appearances; and
theory, was co. oner at the time; deceased
came to his death by wounds and injuries re-
| ceived in the atfray; could not account for
vomiting OF blood; do not know reason now
except by theory; have not always held opin-
| ion that death was caused by shock; believe
at time that knife had penetrated the
stomach and the duct communis
be ief of nature of wound has been changed;
believe now that death was caused by injuries;
did think that injury from knife extended
| further than it did, know now that stomach
Was not penetrated; do not believe that wound
in bowels was necessarily fatal; can't name
cause of heInOrrhage; night was cold, and
house cold; patient was cold; had lam seven
| or eight hours; wound was in left side, four
or five inches below left nipple; gave patient
ether; ether will produce a nervous shock;
| had reason to believe that wound would prove
| fatal before reaction came on, and hence gave
| ether and operated at once; patient was not
| fully conscious; would not in my Judgment be
good practice to have operated without ether;
was at second post mortum examination held
| In Minneap polls; knife wound did not produce
shock to sympathetic nerves.
| Re-direct-It would be natural result of
| strangulated hernia to produce severe nervous
prostration. Opinion before the post mortem
examination was as stated, and has been so
since, only difference being in extent of pene-
tration Of knife ne-quarter portion of wall
of stomach was congested, and rupture of
blood vessel above would have caused it.
| Patient was lying within four feet of the stove;
ether did not contribute 10 his collapse.
| Re-cross examiLation-Held opinion
| throughout that death ensued as a result of
| injuries, but could not account for the hem.
Orrhage; know now that he did not die from
| inside wound in stomach.
| After recess OF five minutes DR.. P. n.
| Millard was called and testified: Am physi-
clan residing in Saltwater; was called to see
patient; condition was pulse no, respiration
| slightly increased, temperature normal; entire
nervous system collapsed; vomiting blood;
| found wound in abdominal walls * inches
| below nipple in left side less than an inch in
length; collapsed condition was caused by in
! juries received in the ARRAY; pulse is always
| rapid, yet double in collapsed state; shock is
greater from blow on abdomen than anywhere
else and produces death quicker and longer
prostration; rule in prize ring against
stomach below belt, because blow
in that region is intensely fatal;
made post morton examination on afternoon
of the day he died, made incision in abdomen;
found incised wound in the omentum; thought
wound entered stomach; found at second post
mortem examination that had made an error;
did not penetrate the stomach; did puncture
the omeutum; deceased died from nervous
shock caused by injuries received In the affray,
of which the wound was one; account for
blood vomit by a rupture of blood vessel in
the stomach; might have been ruptured by a
blow or knife
Court adjourned until Q p. m.