New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-27
TT LOOKS BAD FOR HARRIS.
TESTIMONY OF PROFESSOR wrrTHAUs
ur youSD MORPHINE But 80 oUI1NE IN The
DEAD wIFE's STOMACH

|..nera, SESSIONS Yesterday his chances OF acquuai
neve been materially essened since court CLOSED Oh
Monday afternoon Dr.. Allan NcIane Hamilton WHO'S
~nusnc. A. a Musician cannot be gains;'d gave II
a his positive opinion that Helen Potts d.d from
narcotic noson,pc and violence for the prosecution OF
.ven praver importance was given by Professor ku
6oIph A. Witthaus. This scientist made chemch
ANALYSIS of the stomach and intestnes OF we Ei'i
and OF their contents. IL discovered two iac| WIN
all tho accuracy that the chemistry OF to-day l. master
., These were that morphine was pres ut ana tha'
qulnine was not - $500, Aso
Tho hearing OF this on the case is direct and aoso
ute Harris gave his wife pills containing, as nc says
hut one sixth Of IA grain of morphine ano four ana
10 Grains 30 ouininc The prosecution charges
that he substituted morphine for ali or great part Vi
the ouinine The result of Professor Wit'haus a."
alv.es shows with apparent cOnclusveness tlat one
NJ the capsules given TO the young woman oS he'
husband contained no Quinne and col'd raoie
amount OF morphine The chemist founo 'ess ''i"
ono one-hundredth of grain Of the poison III inc
stomach and intestineS but explained that morphine
WAS absorbed rapidly, although not more SO IND"
qunne. ,..
Dr. Allan McLane Hamilton again TOOK inc "l'"eSs
stand when court opened. Mr. Jerome hau P.p". ,,
himself for the examination by ha'ins aO "l' ~
Professor H. c. Wood, professor Of materia meica d.
the University of PENNSYLVANIA; DR.. G. " fowieI {"
tbe New York Hospital, and Dr. Hermann NJ bisss'
professor of pathology at the Bellevue hoSpti 'oese
These prompted him every little whhe'
Mr. Wellman first asked the witness IL lie hdu d"
tended Miss May Schoefeld. DR.. Hamilton Shd tha'
he had. She was at present III at her home in New
Jersey and unable to appear 10 court. MISS oc"oNc'
Testimony WAS taken in December under an order Of
Chief Justice Van Brunt, of the Court OF oyer ana
Termner she was a schoomae Of Helen POtS' ana
was told BY her of the secret marriage There Is sun
doubt as to whether the evidence shall be admitted as
Justice Van Brunt's jurisdiction Is questioned
Mr. Jerome asked DR.. Hamilton number OF ques
lions about the autopsy on Helen Potts and the state Oh
the various organs of the body. Then he went ln'o
the general subject of morphine poisoning. Inc VIII
nose said that there was wide latitude in the erect OF
morphine due 10 different conditions Of the patent
health or to peculiar intolerance Tor Tie or's' III
state Of pain person could take more morphine "''
out evil results than under ordinary CIRCUMSTANCES
Sometimes the same amount Of the poison would nave
different result was givsn approximately than when
taken in the stomach. The form in which the morphine
WAS given would also have an appreciate effect.
Mr. Jerome tried 10 gain an admission that innalnms
ton of the brain might have caused the gris desth'
The witness however declared that she would not nave
died in such short time If that had been the la'
disease lie could not swear however, that there was
no inflammation Of the brain. DR.. Hamilton admitteo
that the symptoms OF brain Inflammation might simulate
those Of narcotic poisoning physician who was not
too careful might mistake the for the other when
he first saw the patient But in the course of snort
while the difference would manifest itself and the
practitioner could not held discovering his error
Mr.. Jerome read from one of his medical books the
statement that In certain diseased conditions OF the
organism there might be an intolerance for morphine
which would not be present in health. Dr. Hamilton
agreed with this. Then Mr. Jerome asked him now ne
knew that The comatoso condition Of Helen Potts was
due TO morphine poisoning and not to hemorrhage OF
the pous. The witness replied: -" In hemorhase
f the pous the coma Is sudden. In Narcotic poison
Is q period Of exhilaraton, in which there
is sometimes peasuable feeling. Then the coma
sets IN The facts in the present case fit in with the
theory OF narcotic poisoning Therefore, and not with
that OF hemorrhage Of the pons'
The lawyers for the defence inclined to criticize
Drs Fowler Raner and Kerr for not using the stomach
pump on Miss Potts The physicians declared that
the girl was so low that to use the, pump would
have destroyed all chance Of recovery. Mr.. Jerome
asked the witness his opinion Of the treatment
@Ordinarily In case OF narcotic poisoning. the first
thing to do is to the stomach pump. II,
however, the patient very far gone it would
be wrong TO use the pump" was the reply.
The witness agreed with the authorities quoted
tr Mr. Jerome that uraenic c ma might seem like
that produced by narcotic poisoning He also assented
to the proposition that opium poisoning caused NJ
structural changes which would show the cause OF
death by an autopsy alone, without chemical analysis
He further admitted that kidney disease might hJI
be revealed by an autopsy.
Mr. Jerome then referred to the case of Irving
Rshop the mindreader. He asked: Did the
ost-morem in that case, independent II the micro
scopic examination OF the brain, show any cause
OF death7'
Il don't remember well enough to say was the
answer. "There may be LESSONS which are OILY
discovered through the microscope
Summing up his conclusions, the witness SAD :
ct am willing TO swear that the girl did not die
from any disease OF the heart, lungs or Kidneys as
far as my examination showed. 1 am not so certain
as TO the brain. / found general digestion OF
that This is OF the signs Of narcotic poisoning
"Win You swear that narcotic poisoning caused
this extreme congestion" asked Mr. Jerome
81 will IL / take the congestion with the symptoms
70 knew N ,thng Of the symptoms ] would think
that kidney disease might have caused the congestion
7 am sure however that kidney disease did not cause
death. The contraction of the pupils, the peculiar
respiration and the early exhilaraton would not nave
occurred had this disease been the fatal one
Mr.. wellman presented a hypothetical case to the
witness the history Of which was the history OF the
diving hours OF Helen Potts.
"what would you say caused death y he asked.
"Morphne poisoning" replied DR.. Hamilton. IN
hssitatingly. "No other cause could produce these
same effects
Mr. Jerome wanted to know If hemorrhage or lesion
OF the pons might not have caused death. mo. that
would have produced different symptoms was the
answer.
Half an hour after Helen Potts went TO bed on
January 81 1891 she awakened by the coming
into her room OF three fellow pupils "Oh,' she said
have lad such lovely dreams that wish they would
never end These dr., ans bad stumbling bloch
to the defence. They indications OF narcotic
poisoning which cannot be accounted for BY any Illness
which Che girl might have had. L aving out the
suopsy asserted Dr. Hamilton u am convinced that
death must have been due 10 narcotic poisoning The
period of exhnaraton witch preceded the Coma could
Rot have come from any other cause
The witness had several hundred cases OF
ursemia and IN no instance the coma Of this dis
ease accompanied by dllation of the pupils.
Dr. George ID. smith WHO AIDED In the autopsy
testified next lie corrObOratcd DR.. Hamilton in
every detail OF his evidence.
The sexton Of Mount Prospect cemetery. where
Helen Potts was buried took the witness staEd next
his name Is Anthony Malmsbury. and he evidently has