The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-12-16
WAS 1T HEART DISEASE?
A Strong Defense on This Ground
Being Made by the Defense in
Carl Wilson's Case.
DR.. HielSther and Others Discharged
No Indictments Having Been
Found.


Found
When the case was taken
asked the fifteen female spectators
present TO retlre, aS some of the tes-
timony would be likely to be unfit for
them to hear.
Andrew Gilbert was put on the
stand Tuesday Afternoon by the
state. He saw Thorstad fall, but did
not see anybody kick HIN, although
ne was looking toward him at the
time. His eyeSight was nOt good. He
illustrated how Thorstad fell bring
ing his knees together.
Ole Hiner testified to remaining in
the granary until morning, and said
that no one could have injured the
body of Thorstad He helped toSun-
dress the remains and saw bruise on
the Scrotum.
Ed. Thorstad, cousin of the de-
ceased, assisted in washing the body.
He saw red and blue mark on the
scrotum . inches long and one inch
wide. The body was washed between
twelve and one o'clock the next night
after the dance.
John Riley was the last witness put
on Tuesday afternoon. He had
known the deceased for % years, and
ThorStad had worked for him for sew
en- years. He directed the washing of
the body. John Meyers did not want
to wash TIE body. Saw a discolora-
ton of the scrOtum, but no swelling,
and the skin was not cut. DR.. Her
ring, of Lake Crystal, examined the
scrotum. Witness had seen a mark
on ThOrStad's pants corresponding
with mark on scrOtum. Ii was the
length of an OyerShoe The pants
were produces in evidence and the
mark was pointed out to the jury by
the witness. The latter said on cross
examination, that he had been a
neighbor of Tudor Anderson since
1867.
This morning the state placed Mar
tin l.. ThOrStad on the stand. He was
cousin of the deceased. He testified
to seeing the bruiSe on the ScOrtum,
but saw no laceration of the skin.
Martin n. ThOrstad testified to see
ing the bruise, and also identified the
mark on the pants of the deceased.
He was somewhat mixed up over diffe-
rent marks shown by the defense.
The pants were here offered in ev-
idence, and the marks shown to the
jury.
Dr. II. H. Herring. of Lake Crystal,
was called and testified to making
three examinations of the body of the
deceased. The first was partial eX-
animation held in the granary, and as
far down as the waist, and no marks
were visible. The following Sunday
another examination was made, and a
discoloratiOn on the front part of the
scrotum was found. The next day an
other examination was made. The
testicles were removed, and the left
one was found to be seriously injured.
The covering was bruised, and the
two inner coverings broken,
and the cord above was injured. The
right testicle was but slightly injured.
The effect of the injury would be to
cause the injured person to faint away
or collapse and he would suffer shock
to the nervous system. The effect
would depend upon the seriousness of
the blow and tie organization of the
individual. All persons would not re-
cover. All of the vital organs were
sound except the heart, which was en-
larged and somewhat fat and showed
indications Of fatty degeneration. 1t
was also brOnZed and was not healthy.
The forward surface was cOlOred.
showing an insutficiency of the hearts
action. This is not very unusual.
Witness would come to the conclusion
that the injury to the testicle was the
exciting cause of ThorStad'S death,
or inn init n Nf 4 l.
hearts action. The most prevalent
disease of the heart is an enlargement
and fatty degeneration. The position
in which Thorstad was placed after
suffering the injury, sitting upright
on bench in cold part of the room,
was the. worst possible one, and it is
doubtful if any man would recover
under such circumstances. From the
appearance of the blood in the vessels,
the man might have lived a half an
hour. The injury described could
have been caused by blow. Any
shock to the nervous system, such as
the blow and resulting injury, would
hasten death when the victim was
suffering from heart disease. A man
so suffering would be less able to re-
cover from such shock. On cross
examination, the witness stated that
the deceased would perhaps have died
of heart disease had he lived, and that
it was possible that death was caused
by conclusion of the brain.
This afternoon DIR. Herring again
took the stand. He stated that the
heart of the deceased was seven inch
es long. He was asked on croSS-eXam-
ination whether ThOrstad had a ven
erial disease, and he asked the court
whether he was obliged to give away
state secrets in that way. The court
decided that in criminal cases there is
nothing to prevent it, and the witness
answered that Thorstad had veneri-
al disease three or four months prior
to the time of his death, but that he
had fully recovered from it, and that
on the post norton examination there
was no indication of such a disease.
The state rested here.
Lorin Cray opened the case on the
part of the defense. He stated that
evidence would be introduced tending
strongly to show that it was impossi-