The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-03-27
DOCTORS DISAGREE.
Sensational Evidence in the Trial
of Mrs. Schmidt.
THE DEAD GIRLS NECK IN COURT.

DIR. Keene, the wcil Known Sur
geou. and Professor White, of the
University of Pennsylvania, Be-
lieve That Emma Might Have
Killed Herself.
MEDIA, Pa, March 27.-The testi-
mony for the defense in the case of Mrs.
= Schmidt produced yesterday was of a
highly sensational and interesting char
acter. 1t is proving already one OF the
4 greatest cases on record Of doctors dis
agreeing, and the medical testimony for
the defense is in direct conflict with
that of the state on many points. There
is now every indication that the testi-
mony produced by the state to prove
case of homicide will be broken down
by the defense's experts
Ex-Coroner Horace G. Fairlamb, the
first witness, testified that he had taken
the body of the dead girl from the GEM
etery and kept it in his office for two
months. where it had been examined
by DR.. Keene and DIR. Anna L. Broom
all, sister of Mrs. Schmidt's senior
counsel.
Expert Testimony for the Defense.
DIR. W, W. Eeene, of Philadelphia,
the well known surgeon, now principal
of surgery at the jefferson Medical col
lege, was next called. He testified as
to his post mortem examination of the
body. DR.. Keene said that he made
further examination of the body on De-
cember %, eleven days after the affair.
AT that examination he took out the
verterbr@ of the neck.
"And you have that here?" asked
Inv nv RrhnptalI hondtpry tbn
. package.
a CHASTITY Witness.
Il have was the reply, and the wit
aess opened the package and exhibited
the vertebre in glass jar of alcohol.
The Jar was small, and the bono was
only removed after considerable diff
Guilty.
PLEASE exhibit the neck to the kry
/ and explain the nature of the woun9s,"
said the senior counsel for the defense.
and Professor Keene walked over with
the ghastly object in his hands and
showed the jurymen the depth and
nature of all the wounds.
1T has been stated by the common
wealth experts said Mr.. Broomall,
shat one of these wounds went down
to the bone, and that another went be-
tween the tissues on the neck. Did you
ind IL so in your eXaminationY
II did not" WIS the reply, land the
vertebr@ will show that they are mis-.
taken"
Might Have Been Self Inflicted.
"Now, doctor, in your opinion. could
these wounds have been self-inflictedP'
II think they could. am not saying
they were; but, speaking from medt-
cal standpoint. | think they could have
been self inflicted"
The laior lErifa in ha nnsa .,,,, ,.,,
duced, and DIR. heene, examining it,
said he believed the wounds could have
been inflicted by it. They could have
been made, he thought, by drawn cuts
MS well rs thrusts.
In the cross examination District At
torney Hannum handed the witness
the big knife, and asked him to show
sslA Aiin how the cuts had been made. He
took the knife and made q feint of
drawing it across his throat, and also
showed how he thought the wounds
might have been made with thrusts.
II the person had been standing in the
room where Emma Ptitzenmeyer was
found and cut then then the blood
would have squirted over everything in
the room.
Professor Whites Testimony.
DR.. j. William White, professor of
clinical surgery in the University of
Pennsylvania said he examined the
specimens of windpipe, gullet and YER
tebrte taken from the body of the dead
girl. 1t was his belief from the report
that the wounds described could have
been self inflicted. The big knife was
shown and the witness thought it could
have inflicted the wounds found on the
neck of tho girl
DIR. White said that he had consulted
with DR.. u. Hayes Agnew and that
they agreed, They came to the conclu-
sion from the report OF the case that it
might be u suicide. In reply to District
Attorney Haunum DR.. White said that
he had studied carefully the position of
the girl, the absence of blood ON the
furniture and everything in the room
and he could not make these harmonize
with the theory of suicide. He thought
1t was more in favor of the homicide
theory than suicide.
DR.. Anna e. Broomall, graduate of
the Philadelphia Womens Medical col
lege, in her examination asserted posi-
lively that the wounds could have been
self inflicted. DIR. G. w. Dclanner, a
Chester physician, was equally positive.