Telegram-herald., 1889-10-27
CRONIN'S WOUNDS.
AWFUL BLOWS DglLTBY HIS SLlYERS
The DsfsEss Tries % aI2kS n Appe4r rh2s
Ihsy We're EEsafhcisat 20 C4-..
as Death. b1t a. 1.
DO -.

oodF, gave descri iplon OF the wounds
found upon the head of The corpse.
IEls Was medical and also a general
description Of the wounds ~ the outer
edge II the left eve, - tie hack OF the
head, oa the iaw. and those on al por-
tions Of the scalp. A piece OF bone had
been broken from tie sk III at the corner
OF tie eye. There Nzs lttle blood IN
the right ventricle Of the heart. al of the
internal organs were normal and showed
no evidence % ante-mOrtem degenera-
ton or disease. Or Egbert said the in
ternal skull vas uninjured. Absolutely
nothing could be determined about the
brain, because decom position was so far
advanced. The neck was not dislOcated.
What was the cause OF death2" asked
Mr.. Hynes.
Death vas caused By The violence OF
the blows upon the head, came the re-
ply.
Whatever doubts had existed regard
ing the fact that Or Cronin was killed
within 4 short time after leaving the
Conklin residence wore set az rest when
DR.. Egbert produced number ot jars
containing the contents Of tho stomach
OF the murdered man. The food, be
said, had scarcely commenced 10 digest,
and had been taken in the stomach less
than three hours before death.
DIR. Cronin had supper about $50
o'clock the night OF May 4. lie left his
h~lse about TBS, reached the Carlson
cottage about SIS, and probably died
about $50. or two hours after he had
eaten supper.
Judge Wing conducted the cross-ex-
animation Of DR.. Egbert and secured an
adnissich that the witness could not
saw that the wounds upon the head OF
the remains Of DR.. Cronin would pro-
duce death, although he had testified
positively 20 that effect on the direct
examination. DR. Egbert said that il
was possible for a man ID receive any
one OF the wounds and not even
fall down; that not one OF them
would necessarily cause death, and
that no one could tell whether the
wounds were inflicted before or after
death. The uncertainty of the result
which must follow any one wound was
shown, but the effect of all of them col
lectively was not dwelt upon by the at
torneys for the defendants. On the
whole DR.. Egbert's testimony was dis
appointing TO the State on account Of
the hesitating manner in which II was
given and the admissions wrung from
him on cross-examination.
DR.. Charles I. Perkins, who assisted
DR.. Egbert at the autopsy, testified as to
the wounds found on the body taken
from the catch basin in Lake View. He
described them much in the same man
ner as DR.. Egbert had done. The facial
and occipital arteries, which were both
severed, are branches of the external
arteries OF the head The hemorrhage
consequent upon the severance would
be great, and if not stopped would
eventually cause death. He believed
that death was the result Of the injuries
be had described. On cross-examination
By Judge Wing, DR.. Perkins admitted
that it was never his opinion that death
resulted from loss of blood, but said he
believed death 20 have been the result
OF concussion Of the brain; that the
blows evidently received could not have
been inflicted without producing
conclusions; that death from con-
cussion Of the brain, pure and
simple, left no evidence except in
the brain and those only determinable
by microscopical examination. inpos
sible in this case; that the absence Of
blood in the heart and lungs, which
Judge Wing considered the only sure
and certain evidence Of death from
concussion, might be produced by a
variety OF other causes and was not
always produced by concussion; the
wounds were produced by blunt in
strument, because a sharp one would
have gone through the pericranium 70
the skull. In short, DR.. Perkins evil
dence showed that the wounds which
have always been considered 50 slight
as 70 leave a doubt whether they could
be the cause Of death, were really OF tho
kind most certain 10 produce death by
concussiOn OF the brain. This portion
OF the States case has certainly been
strengthened materially by Or. Perkins
testimony.
At tho morning session OF the trial
Dr. D. G. Moore, who was present az the
autopsy on the body OF Dr. Cronin. tes-
tilted "a 20 tho nature OF tho wounds
With regard 20 tho long wound on the
back OF the head. Or Moore said it
looked as though 10 was 4 double wound
that IS, hat IL was mado by two blows
which fell almost in the same
spot. In this wound was the Zap Of
skin which bad been driven down on
The skull without having been detached.
The first blow crushed the skin with tho
fesh. and The second blow cut the lower
end of this piece 81 skin loose from the
head. be thought Tho wourA on tho
Jaw severed tho facial artery and tho
wound or the back of tho head severed
tho occipital artery In his opinion
. death was caused by tho wounds.
on the cross-examinstion Dr. Moore
testified that he made che examination
OF The body on behalf o. the Indcpend
snt Order 81 Foresters. Mr.. Forrest OK.
arnin.d The witness closely as to the ~
feet of the sevariug of toe arteries. tic
knew the arteries were severed because
they could not be found where
they ought 90 Do. The wounds
/ arpeared 1acerstod and confused.
7 and because Of their appearance witness
thought the7 were made before death
I The effect of the severing of the s-ter
I ies would have caused excessive hemor
image. but be thought a person rsceivinE
such wounds as we're shov he bod
would have died from shock before
srough blood could have escaped
20 cause death The witness saF