Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-19


over the world as the Presidents physician. He
was attired in business suit OF gray, and wore a
white tie.
DR.. Bliss said he saw the President at the depot
lying on his side with his clothing removed so as
to show the wound, about or inches from the
spine; the President was very pale, pulse and re-
dent remained in the depot N or x Of an hour was
then removed to the White House; he remained
there until September 9Th; witness was in con;
| him to Long Branch, remaining with him till his
death. The immediate cause OF his death was
ness was present at the post norton examination.
The witness then gave detailed description of
| the course taken by the ball
A model, showing the ribs and backbone Of a
human body, was given the doctor, and he ex-
planned at length the course taken by the ball
The district attorney suggested that he should
medical terms as possible. "UnIess the jury
said MIR. Corkhill, understand them better than
do, they will not get very clear idea OF it."
THE WOUND THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF DEATH.
DR.. Bliss thereupOn endeavored to translate the
story into ordinary English. The wound made by the
ball, he said, was the immediate cause of death.
While waiting for the vertebrR OF the dead Presi-
dent to be brought in, Dr. Bliss was cross-exam-
1ned by Mr.. Robinson, who had the doctor describe
at length the symptoms noticed in the Presidents
case and the treatment
On the morning of the Sd OF July, the President
appeared more refreshed and cheerful; there were
simple dressings applied to the wound; efforts
were made to induce retention of nOurishment.
On the 4th there was very little change; on that
morning Drs. Agnew and Hamilton arrived: a
consultation was held I'm which all the physicians
that were In subsequent attendance were present;
there was no change in the treatment.
MI. Robinson asked what had occurred on the
9Th.
''To give you daily history Of the case would
have to refer to our notes Of the case" said DR..
Bliss
Mr.. Robinson said he would give opportunity for
Mr.. Corkhill said that DR.. Woodward had a COM
plete record OF the and he would be called as
a witness.
DR.. Bliss, continuing, said these notes were in
DR.. Woodward's possession there were number
OF physicians who came In voluntarily at the
depot, ana afterwards came to the bedside; there
We're examinations made of the President, reading
or records and other usual proceedings before the
arrival OF Drs. Agnew and Hamilton; cnne CT the
physicians expressed the opinion that the liver
was lacerated and that the President dying Of
internal hemorrhage; the last general cOnsulta-
ton among these physicians was on the morning
OF Jne third; when DrS AgneW and Hamilton ar
rived they were given a careful history of the
case, and they made personal examination of the
resident; DIS ToWnshend and Purvis were at the
depot when the witness arrived; DR.. Townshend
told witness he had examined the President, but
the wound ha,- not been prObed.
THE STORY OF THE WOUND
At this point the portion of the backbone OF the
President, as it was found at the autopsy was
handed to the witness, and also diagram show
Ing section OF the human anatomy. The doctor
went over the story Of the wound again, tracing
the ball from its entrance to the point where it
was encysted. The doctor was here surrounded
with bones, and looked like a professor giving a
lecture on anatomy. He talked slowly and dis
tlnctly, tWirling his eyeglasses on his thumb
At the request OF the district attorney he descended
from the witness box, and going over to the jury,
walked up and down explaining the different
points. The district attorney, taking the CHASTITY
operation Of impressing the Jury With With clear
notion of the nature OF the wound. The doctor
SAID that the fractured veruebre as it was formed
at the autopsy, had commenced to rot.
Mr.. Robinson then proceeded with his cross-ex-
animation questioning the doctor closely in refer
ence to the course OF the ball.
axis when 1t struck the eleventh rib and was de-
fected downward, backward and outward suffi-
clent to fracture the twelfth rib and was then
turned to the left. The first operation performed
was for the pus sac under the skin on the outside
OF the body. simple 1ncision into it evacuated
the pus; the cavity was outside of the rib, down.
ward and backward near the spine; neither of the
ncisions we've cut into the track Of the ball; the
BAL ala not cut the spinal cord two small frag
life 1t was discovered at the autopsy that there
was division of an artery which had formed an
the blood had passed into the abdomen; beyond
this sac the track Of the wound had closed and the
ball had encysted. The ball emerged from the
about 81 inches at the left Of the center of the
spinal column and be hind the pancreaa
THE BALL FOUND IN TEE BASIN.
''Was not the ball found In the basin?n asked
Mr.. Robinson.
eyes, SIR When the soft parts were taken out,
the ball was found"
s'Dd you know before the operation what artery
was intuFed?"
''No, sir, we did not know"
After other questions Mr.. Robinson asked:
WAS not the track Of the ball left in the
corpse?"
Nth. Il think not"
Il think not"
&c the break in the artery and the ball were
discovered in the basin," asked Mr. Robinson
"What showed that the artery had been divided ?'
1.-The parts" said the doctor, are recognizable
Dy ANTAGONISTS. Again, the condition OF the artery
was such as to Indicate that the division of the
artery had occurred long time prior to the autopsy
CHASTITY sPECTACLE-THE ASSASSIN HANDLING THE
DEAD PRESIDENTS BONES.
At this point OF the examination the section of
the Presidents backbone was placed in Mr. SEQ
villeS hands, and taken from him by Guiteau
The prisoner examined it very critically and then
whispering to Mr.. Scoville, pointed out with his
finger, showing the place where the rib had been
fractured
DR.. Bliss, to further questions from Mr.. Robin
son, said, with the exception of the artery, the
rest of the wound was doing as well as could be
Mr. Robinson said he wanted to learn as well as
the doctor could give it the entire record OF each
day.
MI. COTkilll cdlleO IOr DF. WOODWARD, Tor the
purpose OF getting the data which DR.. Bliss
needed to refresh his memory
Dr. woodward was nOttn the court, and the crfer
said that DR.. Woodward had made arrangements
to be telephOned for when necessary.
with whom did he make the arrangements"
asked the district attorney.
''With the marshal" was the reply.
"l1e had no right to make any such arrange
ments,' said the district attorney.
Mr.. Robinson went on with his examination.
The witness said that Dr. Wales said the witness
had passed his finger into the wound on the night
OF the 81, and expressed his opinion that the ball
had passed through the liver; several physicians
concluded then that the President was dying OF
internal hemOrrhageS; that view was generally
adopted by the physicians; DrS. Wales, Ford,
Lincoln, Woodward, Reyburn, Barnes, and some
others whose names the witness could not recall,
were engaged in these
EARLY CONSULTATIONS.
The witness described, as well as he could what
had been said at these consultations during the
first two days, at which it was concluded that they
should aim to protect the patient from pain; keep
him quiet as possible, and endeavor to check nau-
sea- and produce reaction On the morning OF the Sd
his general condition was considered favorable;
the ply SicianS then had consultations every half
hour; he repeated that 1t was the opinion OF the
majority OF the physicians that the ball had
passed through the liver; when DrS Agnew and
hap ltnna dvod hoy ma fher