Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-10-31
A STRANGE CASE.

A STRANGE CASE.
The Body Of Young Girl Ex-
humed and Examined.
Last Sunday morning Berth Dahl, a
Norwegian girl lS years Of age, died at
the home Of her parents, near Midway.
in this county. The body was buried
Monday afternoon. There were rumors
that the young girls death was caused
by an unlawful operation, and complaint
being made to Coroner Zunich to that
effect. that officer ordered that the re-
mains be disinterred and Il postmortem
held. The body was brought to this
city Tuesday afternoon and postmor-
tenn held that evening by Drs. Camp and
Smith. An inquest was held ut Justice
Mobiles Office Wednesday. The jury
men were VIM. Hurst, T. T. Lee and
Robert Ferguson.
The first witness sworn was Pauline
Dahl, mother Of the deceased. She tes-
tilted that the clerk Of the Brooks house
brought her daughter home on the 18th
Of October. She complained Of a pain
in her head and back. The doctor
came down to Midway the day before
she died and that was the only time he
had been 10 visit her. Her daughter
had never been sick since she was a
child, when she had the measles. The
witness was in the room nearly all the
time the doctor was at the house. Her
daughter said she had fever when she
came to the house. She had been work.
ing for about two months at the Brooks
house.
Nellie soberg being sworn, testified
that she knew Bertha Dahl. They both
worked at the Brooks house. Deceased
took sick about Oct. 10, and went to bed
for tour or five days. and had been COM
planning for two weeks previous to this
time. Witness said she slept with the
girl. The doctor said she had foyer. |
don't think there was anything else
wrong with her. II
Ellen Johnson testified that she knew
deceased for six or eight weeks. She
was sick the last week she was at the
Brooks house and in bed three or four
days. She complained Of headache and
backache. The doctor called on hel
twice and said she had Red river fever.
Deceased told me herself there was
nothing else wrong with her.
VIM. Guettler testified that he knew
deceased about eighteen months. She
went TO bed sick atthe Brooks house on
the 10th Of October. The following
Tuesday DR.. ODonnell visited her. He
said she had malaria fever. took he,
home TO Midway in buggy on Wednes
day. l never saw her alive after the
day took her home. The doctor said
"If cannot attend to her properly l
don't want to look after the case at all. >
[ was intimately acquainted with de-
ceased. | went a couple of times day
to see her when she was sick in bed and
stayed about FIVE or ten minutes. She
was good girl. l have been IN he,
room on several occasions, but always in
resence Of q third party. have not
kept company with her for over ten
months previous to her coming to the
Brooks house eight weeks ago.
DR.. Ruger being called, testified:
examined what is said to be a part Of the
body Of the deceased 1t is partially
decomposed. could not say that there
is anything wrong with it, as it is about
normal size. could not say that NAL
practice was the cause of her death. l
do not think she was enc:e,te immediate.
ly prior to death.
DR.. DeLoffre, Of Fort Totten, being
sworn testified that he saw what ap-
peared 10 be young woman in coffin.
I saw part Of her body that was very
much congested. There was no injury
about 1t that could see. am inclined
to think she had beM eacientc only a
few weeks before death, probably four
weeks, and perhaps little more. l
would not say that she died from NAL
practice. There is no evidence of NAL.
practice there.
DR.. Smith was sworn and testified as
follows: l assisted to hold postmor-
TEN examination on the body of Bertha
Dahl. Decomposition had set in on the
whole body. One part of the body was
very much decomposd. l have no
knowledge of what caused deconposi-
ton. There might have been malprac.
tice. 1t is probable that there was.
cannot say whether she died from the
effects of malpractice or not. observed
no symptoms Of typho-malarial fever in
the bowels.
DR.. Camp being sworn, testified that
he, with Dr.. Smith, held postmortem
examination on the body of Bertha Dahl
on October q. lie found the lungs and
intestines in healthy condition. One
part Of the body was in degenerated
condition, and part of it was mortified.
There was no inflammation Of the mucous