Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-02
gain with DIR. D. Hayes Agnew and at the


said: II propose to ask a hypothetical
question, based on the description of the
body OF Emma as contained in these notes.
COULD HAVE BEEN sELF-INFHuTED.
State whether or not under such condi-
tions the wounds described could have
been self-inficted?''
The curt answer was ''they could
"What about wound on right side of
neck? Does it involve any vital parts?"
mo, it If flesh wound only, and would
not affect consciousness"
'ls the right carotid cut as the common
wealth's witnesses have statedH
No, sir; the right carotid and jugular
are intact in the specimen hold"
As he made this answer the doctor held
thespecimen in his hand, and with silver
probe pointed to the parts alluded to.
Gould these wounds be produced by
this butcher knife and be self-inilicted2h
Yes, they could, all of them
Mr. liannum cross-examlned the pro-
fessor at length. He had seen four or five
cases of suicide by throat cutting, among
which there was only one woman. DIR.
Agnew and he had consulted and agreed
| as To his statement in regard to the carotid.
"The cut in the back of the neck looks
like a drawn wound,' said the doctor,
"and as it looks to me woman might
walk one mile or ten after receiving it"
lie could sec no way Of putting the cuts in
the neck in such order Of intiiction as to
preclude the possibility of suicide.
MORE TESTIMONY AS TO SUICIDE.
AT the afternoon session DIR. Anna NJ.
Broomall dean of the faculty of the
Women's Hospital of Philadelphia, was
put in the witness box. She told of the
post mortem examination of Emma's ex-
humed body at the undertaker's office at
Chester, when she assisted DR.. Keen, and
her testimony coincided with his in all de
tails. Taking the. diagram of DIR. Forwood
in one hand and the specimen in the other,
she showed the Jury that the claim that
the right carotid was cut through was false.
DIR. w. NJ. L. Coplin, demonstrator of
physiology in Jefferson College, told about
the bruises. These were all ante-mortem
and had been received at least SO hours
prior to death.
DIR. Q. w. de Lannoy confirmed the opin-
ions of the experts in regard to the character
and effects of the wounds. While he was
testfying it was discovered that the spec-
men from Emma's neck had been tam
pered with by accident or edsign and hole
made in the connecting tissue at about the
point where the prosecution claimed the
carotid had been cut by the knife.
The announcement of this fact by Mr..
Broomall created a profound sensation in
the court room, and efforts will be made to
ascertain what hands perpetrated the act
il it seems to be malicious.
DIR. de Lannoy testified that the hole
was not in specimen in the morning and
DIR. Keen, who was recalled, was positive
it had been made since he handled it while
on the witness stand.
Carl Piitzenmaier, Emma's brother, was
then called. As he could not speak English
Dr. Broomall was sworn as interpreter.
Carl said he was at the ball. He took Mrs.
Walther home, leaving Emma in the
dressing-room, and he returned 10minutes
later. When he got back to the hall and
was blanketing his horse, Caroline and
Henry came up crying and said: emma
was sick; Emma was cold.' Then they
rushed off and he followed. He called
Caroline, Carolinel'' to a man and
woman whom he overlook, but he was
mistaken as to their identity and he went
on to Henry's house, when he was told
Emma was dead. They started out, all
three, to find doctor and rang DIR.
Ulrichs bell, but he was sick and could
not attend, so Henry afterwards woke up
DR.. Graham, who got to the house at 2
o'clock.
He did not seem to have any recollection
of the time he left the ball with Sophie,
but knew he was gone 10 minutes, as he
had made trial trip with the same horse
and wagon since.
Sophie Walther, Caroline's distressed sis
ter, whose tender care of her has won the
hearts of all visitors to the court house,
was called at a few minutes of 5 O'clock
but Judge Waddell requested that her ex-
animation be deferred until to-day, and
then ordered an adjournment.
MEDIA Pa, March 27-There were two
highly Observation-Disclosures in the Schmidt
murder trial, to-day. One was when Mrs.
Schmidt, through the reluctant testimony
of her sister, Mrs. Otto Walther, learned
for the first time of the death of her aged
mother in Germany, which occurred while
she was in Jail. The other was when her
husband Henry +. Schmidt, took the
stand and gave testimony in her behalf.
TELLING OF THE MOTHERS DEATH.
Sophia Walther the nearly heart broken |
sister of the accused, in her testimony
given in the morning, was forced by ar
dent counsel to reveal the dread news
which had been carefully kept from the
ears of her imprisoned sister. After she |
had answered several questions relating
to her family life in faitaway Baden Baden,
Lawyer Broomall whose evident intention |
was to. score a pathetic point, asked in
low voice:
"Are your father and mother alive?n
mo, sir, was the answer in an almost
inalldible whisper, while she looked be- |
seechingly at her interrogator.
Are they both deadY'
A long pause ensued, and the witness |
struggled with her emotions. Finally she |
said in tone that could scarcely be heard: |
my father is dead"
Lawyer Broomall slowly rose from his |
chair, and in a voice apparently partly /
choked with emotion asked:
Isn't your mother dead, too?''
To the few who understood the situation |
the pause that followed was painful
YES, my poor old mother is dead, too.n
"Did she die since Emma's death?''
"4es, oh, yes, in tones of evident dis
tress.
upto this moment Mrs. Schmidt, who
dbeen kept in ignorance of her mothers
death, dropped her head and nervously
kept her eyes upon the floor. When the
low reply of her sister reached her car the
face of the accused became as white as
chalk, and she turned upon the female
friend at her right with an almost fierce
ejaculation
'"oh tell me, tell me, is my poor, old
mother dead?'
The sylnpathizing. woman shook her
head slowly and made hesitating denial.
Lawyer Dickinson, who had evidently an
ticipated the outcome, arose quickly and
walked to the side of the white-faced pris-
woman that a mistake had been made by
the witness, who did not understand the
question. This merciful falsehood was
blotted out by the almost supreme look of
joy that flashed from the eyes of Mrs.
Schmidt as soon as she heard the words of
the kind-hearted young attorney.
From sources outside of the court room
it was learned that the children of aged
Mrs. Ptitzenmaier firmly expected that the
news of Emma's death would be fatal.
They Immediately determined, if their an
ticipations were realized, to keep the news
from their unfortunate sister, who was
already struggling beneath too heavy
mental burden.
THE HUSBANDS STATEMENT.
After n host of Nyitnascns bod taat;GoJ -