The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-06

the lace to the wall. At the second examina-
ton the position was not essentially changed.
The discoloration on the back and limbs might
naturally be expected under the circumstances
OF her death. Those on the neck might not
be the result OF natural causes. Had they
been regular or uniform they would not have
attracted attention There was puffiness on
the left side Of the face and lips The lips
were pouched out, but closed. Could not dis
cover that the pufIiness Of the lips was caused
by any injury or blow. There was not much
discoloration. The face was Of natural color.
Witness saw John Murray before he came
away. The principal variations in the story
OF his wife's death from that told to other
witnesses were that after putting up the colt
he came back to the house and found her living
with her face toward the back side of the bed.
He tried to wake her up shook her, and dis
covered that she WAS dead He started ont to
call in the neighbors; had bad luck catching
his own horse; broke his lantern in the effort.
The face Of the corpse was turned towards the
right. The muscles were rigid. Mrs. Murray
was thin in flesh, and was apparently a frai
woman Thought he heard mention made Of
heart trouble. Some diseases OF the heart
cause people to fall down-there is a huttering
between life and death-sometimes going one
way, sometimes the other. The conditions Of
the heart would not leave any outward marks.
They would be determined by post naortem.
SATURDAY FORENOON.
The hearing was continued Saturday morn
ing, when Drs Chandler and Kemp were called,
They testified at length concerning the autopsy
held on the Tuesday following the death Of
Mrs. Murray, and also OF the further examina-
tion made when the body was exhumed They
gave full particulars of the manner of conduct
ing the post mortem examination, the condition
OF the various organs, and Of the parts re-
moved, but there seemed to be nothing in their
testimony to prove that the woman necessarily
came to her death from other than natural
causes.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Louis Habel, professor of chemistry in Lewis
College at Northfeld to whom the stomach and
other internal organs of the deceased had been
sent for chemical analysis, took the stand and
gave in detail the story of his work The
different steps of the analysis were given
minutely, and the conclusion was reached by
him that prussic acid, or cyanide Of potassium,
deadly poisons, had been administered to the
unfortunate woman. This result was not
reached until various tests had been applied,
not only upon those parts taken from the body
at the first examination by the physicians, but
also upon the additional portions obtained
when the body was exhumed. Professor
HabePs testimony was given with a carefulness
and a minuteness of detail which left the i'm
pre- sion upon the minds Of those who listened
to him that he knew his business and could
back up what he stated.
MONDAY FORENOON
WAS occupied IN crOSs-examlnatl0n OF Pr0-
fessor Habel by c. II. Heath, Esq, counsel for
the prisoner. The purpose of the counsel
seemed to be to determine how much the
witness really knew of the science on which he
claimed to be authority, and he was piled with
all sorts OF questions for over two hours. The
professor seemed to be equal to the occasion,
and answered with the same exactness as on
the direct examination. The monotony of
question and answer was frequently broken by
sharp wordy thrusts back and forth, in which
both parties showed themselves adopts in the
| use OF sarcasm.
MONDAY AFTERNOON,
The cross-examination was continued until
| about four o'clock in the afternoon, when the
| arguments were made, one hour and half be-
ing allowed to each side. c. II. Pitkin, Esq,
opened for the state, claiming, in substance
that evidence had been submitted proving that
| Mrs. Murray's death WAS caused by poison and
! that her husband, the respondent, either ad-
ministered it himself or was knowing to it, as,
according to the testimony of all the witnesses,
he was there with her all of the time. Mr..
| Pitkin dwelt upon the unusual length of time
| which elapsed between the woman's death and
| the giving OF any alarm, and upon some sus-
| picious circumstances connected Herewith.
| He claimed that the state had removed the
presumption of innocence, proven q proba-
| bility of guilt and that the justices must
commit the respondent for the action of the
grand jury. t. r. Gordon, ESQ, opened for
| the defence by claiming that the state must
prove the prisoner guilty, beyond the shadow
| OF doubt, to warrant the justices in COM
mitting him, and setting up that the state
| had utterly failed to DO this. He ridiculed the
| testimony of Professor Habel, the chemist,
| whom he called the witness imported from
Northteld," and dwelt upon the fact that no
| connection had been established between the
| death Of the woman and any act on Murray 8
part. c. IL. Heath, Esq, continued the argu-
ment for the defence, arguing that no motive
had been shown for any crime, that there was
due haste in giving notice OF the woman 8
DEATH and that no sufficient proof had been ad-
| duced to commit the respondent He also paid
his respects to Professor Habel in not very
soothing language. States Attorney Huse
| closed the case In a twenty five minute argu-
ment, in which he handled the opposing coun-
sci without gloves, argued that the presump-
tion OF the innocence of the respondent had
been overthrowD, that the probability of his
guilt had been established commenting on
Murray's character and his conduct on the
night in question. 1t was now seven O'clock
and Justice Clark announced that his de-
cision would be given Tuesday afternoon at
half-past one o clock. The generally expressed
opinion OF those who had heard the testimony
seemed to be that Murray would be ted,
but when he was brought in yesterday to hear
the announcement, Justice Clark stated that he
was discharged After few words by Justice
Heaton in justification of the decision, the
hearing closed and Murray at once left the
room in the company of his father. The result
OF the hearing in no way affects Murray
standing before the law, and the case Is still
open for the investigation of the grand jury,
If such action should be deemed advisable.