The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-06-02


about six inches from my patients face, so
that the vapor from the chloroform might
become mixed with the air and produce not
a too violent effect 1t all evaporated in
few minutes, and l turned around to get
more and found that the bottle which 1
had placed on the washstand had fallen
into the basin and large portion of the con-
tents had flowed out, and not enough was
left to produce an aestheia. / then went to
Feruow's drug store to get more, telling Mr..
Fernow that had spilled what L had first
bought from him. | wanted four ounces,
but the druggist only had two, and took
that"
''Were you excited in your manner"
asked Nh. Fauntleroy, of the defense.
Not at all"
Ibid you feel any excitement"
''No none whatever; but | was certainly
in a hurry to get away, and told Mr.. Fer
now So / think / remarked to him, too,
that it was unnecessary to place label on
the bottle for l intended to place its contents
in the empty bottle in my room. i then re-
turned to my room where / had left Mr..
Preller in an undressed condition lying upon
my bed. placed about grain of the huid
on the lint a second time. and again held it
about six inches from his face. L continued
this sometime until / thought unconscious
ness or rather insensibility to pain had been
reached. then took up the catheter, and
proceeded to insert it. Mr. Preller made
peculiar noise wincing as If he felt pain. L
came to the conclusion that | had not adj
ministered a sufficient amount OF chloro-
FORM"
The witness here described the formation
of the genital organs, their sensitiveness,
and explained that in performing any oper-
alton upon them it was necessary that the
patient should be rendered wholly uncon-
scious of the resulting pain.
"It was evident to me that Mr.. Preller was
still conscious of pain, and poured out a
gramme or a gramme and half more of the
chloroform upon the lint, which L again
placed before his face. Almost before
knew it Mr.. Preller's breathing became very
labored, and | at once suspended the admin
istration of chloroforn, for knew that his
condition was serious. l seized pair of my
surgeon scizzors and at once cut his shirt
and undershirt from his body, and tried all
u1eans of resuscitation with which / was ia
miliar. l slapped him with wet towels on
the chest and neck, dashed cold water on his
chest, and attempted to restore respiration
by moving his arms up and down."
The witness proceeded with voice impress
sively husky. 81 continued those efforts to
revive my friend for over half an hour, but
it was useless, entirely useless Shortly after
my friend ceased to breathe and his heart
stopped beating. There was no breath on
mirror when l held it to his lips Even after
l was satisfied that he was dead, / continued
my efforts with him. | did not leave or call
assistance. All my efforts were to restore
him, because when chloroform takes hold of
a man and he sinks, in few seconds the man
is dead. The time, thought, had better be
occupied in efforts to restore him. l was
convinced he was dead, but / continued to
dash cold water in his chest. l finally deci-
ded he was dead and past all hope. Then /
hardly knew what to do. Ny first impulse
was to notify the authorities Imagine my
feelings. / did not know what to do. was
ofr 1or, c+r / 4
a man could make a statement in his own
behalf l thought the same rule obtained here
as in England, and that l would not be
allowed to make my statement and l
would get away. l had that large trunk,
the only one l had up to that time. 1
emptied it out. 1t would be impossible,
gentlemen, to describe to you my feelings,
my horror, when 1 knew my friend was
dead"
The prisoner paused and brushed away
the tears from his eyes, and proceeded: II
drew the empty trunk up to the side of the
bed, and, after drawing my drawers, the
first that came TO my hand, | put them on
the body for common decency sake. l put
Mr.. Preller in il. There was some difficulty
in putting the body into the trunk, but
succeeded, and after covering it up went
down to the par. l was in a dreadful state
of mind, and tried to drown my thought
by drinking. | wandered about the streets
of the city until about O'Clock. l visited
some shooting galleries and came back to
the hotel. went up to the dining room.
can't very well give an account of what took
place in the dining room. / then went up
10 the room-my room-and stayed there all
night.
Il can't be sure of anything that happened
aftec the sad occurrence of Mr. Preller's
death. ! stayed in my room. To say that
slept would be untrue. | waited for the
81 hi
he done W ) to get away. [ took Mr.. Prel-
ler's pan.s ana looked through them.
found quantity of money in bills. L can't
say how much. There was probably $500 or
5000. took il and went to the ticket office
and bought ticker for San Francisco On
the same morning made several othe pur-
chases, flute and diamond ring at pawn
brokers, pair of field glasses and spectacles
at AlOes the optician; two trunks and a
valice. The trunks | ordered carried to my
room, and l placed in one of them the cloth
ing and loose things lying around the room,
which had been removed from the trunk in
which had placed my friends dead body"
"What do you know about the piece of
paper reading $50 perish all traitors to the
great cause?"
II wrote it. Ny idea was that the authori-
ties would find ii and that il would puzzle
them until an autopsy should be held
WAS it your idea to delay them while you
were getting AWAY
"Yes."
did you do anything else with the same
object in view"
"Yes, / shaved of the moustache."
Can you tell how that cut came upon his
breast?
Eyes. l did it with a scalpel, but can
assign no reason for it,"
You did this all on Monday morning.?
Eyes, on Monday morning.
What else did you do?"
I'm the course OF the morning | went TO the
union depot with the canvass covered trunk
which / checked to San Francisco. / re-
member going to the dining room Sunday
morning, bat don't remember ordering the
WINE. don't remember asking about kill
| ing man nor exhibiting a revolver. What
did on Sunday evening and Monday morn
ing, are so confused that L wouldn't like to
say when anything occurred"
Had you, when you administered the
chloroform any intention of killing Mr..
/ Prellerg'
II had not, sir" The witness spoke londly
and emphatically.
Had you any intention Of injuring him ?''
81 bad not, SIR"
"0f doing him any bodily harm?''
II had not, sir"