Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-02
The SCHNEIDER MURDER TRIAL.
Dr. schaeffer Further Explains the Eject of
Bullet Holes ON Cloth


Bullet Holes On Cloth.
l In the Schneider murder trial YESTERDAY after
TnE srAR's report closed Judge Wilson con-
tinued his cross-eXamination OF DIR. schaeffer.
DIR. Schaeffer stated that he did not know
that very slight obstacle would defect bull
let The fact that one OF the bullets pcne-
trated Mrs. Schneiders body only two or three
inches he would not account for. Nor would
lac, assuming the holes in the defendants
clothes TO have been made by bullet. ac-
count for the fact that the bullet made no
wound. He thought it possible, but highly i'm
probable. He had found no waa Of cloth.ngi
Mrs Schneider's wounds for the reason that he
didn't examine them FOR wads. He had never
failed to find a wad under similar circum-
stances. and a bullet always cut out a
wad in cloth and similar materials. II
a pistol were fired at an obhque angle
the wad cut out would be as large as a thumb
nail He said he could not ALWAYS tell a bullet
hole in cloth when seen, but he could distin-
guish such a hole from one made with lead
pencil and also from one made with a nail al
though not SO readily in the latter case. Ii was
true that some bullets had more luhricating
substance on them; that is. the oll on them was
fresher Than on others, and In the latter event
the mark on clothing would be greater. Such
marks would more readily be detected on the
defendants coat than on Mrs. Schneider's.
Judge Wilson here handed Dr. schaeffer
pieces OF cloth which had been pierced BY a
bullet, nail and pencil and requested him to
point the difference between the holes IL there
were any, but the court would not permit him
to answer.
Continuing, DIR. Schaeffer said the hole in the
defendants overcoat was entirely stopped up by
the canvas lining. BY using delicate instru-
ments he could pull apart the fbers OF the can
vas SO as to permit the passage of a bullet
Why couldn't bullet do that. doctor?
Because a bullet travels with such rapidity
and force that IL cuts out instead Of parting the
ibers.
Dr. Schaeffer said the defendants oyercoat
was from one-fourth to one-third OF an inch
thick. The character OF a bullet hole in cloth
depends on the texture of the cloth and on the
| substance behind it, IL the cloth were around
bag of cotton the edge Of the hole would be
more fringed than if a block of wood were
behind the cloth. In a buttoned overcoat tie
hole would be more sharply defined on the
outer side. That is. il fred directly from in
front; but less 70 If fired obiiquely. ballet
tears more, both flesh and cloth, as il loses its
force. A dozen bullets fir ed through the same
piece Of cloth would have the same general
characteristics.
District attorney-That is, they would ell
look like bullet holesg
Witness-Nes. sir.
To the district attorney DIR. Schaeffer stated
that the handkerchief in Mrs. SchnelderIs
pocket probably lessened the force OF the ball.
but very little. To the court he said that the
edges OF bullet hole where the pistol Was fred
at short range would be fattened and would
look as if Ironed by very hot iron. He had
been unable to detect any such characteristics
in the holes in the defendants clothes
MARTHA CAIN RECALLED.
Martha Cain, the colored woman who vss
permitted to testify for the defense after their
case had closed, was recalled for further cross
examination by the district attorney She said
she knew Zach Thompson, and admitted hav-
ing received from him shortly after the trial
began a bundle Of STARS and Posts containing
accounts OF the trial She emphaticaly de-
MED having said TO Thompson that she had be-
come interested in the trial, and that she
wished him to send her some more Of a later
day. She said that he did send more and that
she read of the trial, but Il was since she had
learned Of the trial by coming 70 the msrshal's
Office last Friday lShe had sworn that she
hadn't read anything OF the trial before giving
testimony on Thursday last
ZACH THoMPsos's TESTIMONY.
Zach Thompson, a white man, said he kept
barber shop at 1907 NJ street northwest and
that be knew Martha Cain. He said that he
had sent her a bundle OF STARS aud Posts
some time between the 10th and 18th OF March,
and another bundle OF the same newspapers
about ten DAYS ago. He said that he called in
to see Mrs. Cain ut her store on 10th street last
Thursday evening, after reading her testi-
mony. She had, after reading the batch Of
papers FIRST sent her. said to witness that she
had read Of the Schneider trial in them. that
she had become very much interested i'm Il, and
that she would very much like TO have more
papers containing accounts Of it. When ne
called Thursday evening he spoke to her of
what she had testified TO- when she said that
she had not remembered telling witness thss
she had read OF the trial.
At the conclusion Of the witness testimony
the court, at 4 clock. adjourned until thia
morning.