New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31
THE HARRIS MURDER TRIAL
SENSATIONAL FEATURES OF The CASE
ENVIRONMENTS OF THE LAST wEEK-orHIR


formed dramatic md Of the weeks sessions OF the
murder trial which has excited great Interest about
the General Sessions building and among the general
pubic. MI jerome is Of an exceedingly nervous tenn
permanent and, when an Assistant District Attorney.
was accustomed while trials In progress to rsc
frequently 20 his feet and pace nervousy up ana down
the enclosure where the prosecutor usually SITS He
was full of restless activity which wcirns on his
slight frame. The attack OF the grip from which he
has recently recovered left him weak. and his labors
In the preparation for and tic conduct OF Inc long
uia! In which he In, been engaged proved too great
strain on his system. lie expects that the Two or
three days rest before the trial Is resumed Will enable
him to perform TIE remaining duties for his client
The amount Of preparation which he has given to the
case is unusual even among careful lawyers. For
months he has devoted much Of ds tim, 10 legal and
chemical studies with special reference to this case
The conscientious and painstakinG manner In which he
has conducted the case for the defence has won h m
no little praise, and whatever the outcome Of tn trial
may be he will certainly ;sil In professional rcpua
ton.
The examination Of the distinguished physicians who
had been called by the prosecution showed that there
no little difference Of opinion among doctors even
when called to e-tfy on the same side. one physician
believed that atr3pinc. a most deadly poison, should
be administered I'm almost infnit c-iml doses at ALL
while another physician thought that much larger doses
could safely Ice administered. \ leading authority Oh
nervous di,ca5c- believed that lie discovered something
from the examination OF the heart ten months after
DEATH while other doctors thought that such an cX-
animation would be absolutely worthless. The theory
Of the persecution that death caused by morphine
poisoning had the support Of such eminent ply slcans
Is Dr. Allan McI.asc Hamilton. Dr. William II. Thomp
and Dr. George L. Peabody, but TO minor de
tail, the cmiacn; specialists disagreed with each other
with standard authors the subject, discussed.
Medical science it appears. +, very far from exact
many details. however correct the general oOnclu
slons arrived at may be.
The most wonderful exhibition Of scientific knOW
edge and research that given BY Professor Wtthaus
I'm his chemical analysis Of some Of the organs of the
dead gil, body. he would speak in his testimony Of
elaborate prorc,, and describe its detail, and then
say calmly. "Thl, repeated four times" oc-
c:-ionaly Of the product, Of hi, work left for
day day untouched. In order that the results
desired oT the next process could be obtained and then
the work resumed. For six successive weeks he
continued his careful analysis repeating with several
section, O the BODY the minute processes until
residue, were obtained containing. perhaps. only q
few drops %. liquid. Then with extreme nicely the
substances We're subjected 10 number 81 eStS which.
taken together. considered proving absolutely
,hat morphine had been taken into the system. No
>Ich remarkably minute and exact examination by the
mof elaborate chemical methods has been testified TO
The witness stand in this city In recent years II
The counsel for the defence Joined IN the expires
sion, # Admiration at the care and skill used by Pro
fcs-Or Xitthaus.
The examination u the expert witnesses by
Mr.. Jcron, curious contest the chosen
srou,d Of the doctors. yet the victory did not
always re-. with the ply srian,. Mr.. Jerome had
before him a-Sc6rc or more Of medical works, and
q number ~ notebooks IN Which he had collected
tho opinions of various mcdi,al authorities on the
effect Of poo0s ard the methods Of discovering their
presence IN bodies after death. lie would ask DO
,,f.h Ir.fo UnoJ, han -.
then would follow lCnRer shorter extract from
treatise, TO which the wltfcss occasionally gave
bis approval. but usually In modified form. No
medical work met the entire approval OF any one
wltnc-s. but each made di,,incdors founded his |
own experience or the works Of other authors DR.. |
Hamilton told In hi, clear, ncs', way Ok his cx. |
amiaation Of ,ouc of tho reported Gases, showing thai
they were often not carefully observed or accurately
reported. In case. reported IA -aylors work on
poi>On,. where II laid that III, pupils Of the |
patient were symmcuicaily CONTRACTED. invesga.
lion showed that the patient had )nk eve, and |
uot even the most pains;akns Ob,eIycr could have |
Old how the pupil Of the other eys would have |
l,cn contracted If il had existed.
The audience, a. tie trial have cond,tcd more |
largely of women ~ The ca-o advanced. some II |
III, women yoIn.. and seem 10 DOk upon the |
preceding, ~ enjoyable spectacle. They bring |
thdr lunc.ous and eat them at rccc-, IN Tie court
room, laughing and chatting Gyly Will, the prisoner
in his narrow cnclo-ure waited for the rcolcnng Of
court Every occasional hum lrou, answer Il a Wit |
uc /. greeted with smile and sulducd laughter. and
whm H.. cAp.ris and lawyers were Gclvng IT. the |
dep H. oi chemistry the young women whisccd among
themselves, keeping ouc eye the Jude 1T he |
should detect them IN d -turlins the proccccngS y |
sIaagc coula,t 10 III" cyy II some Of TIE -cctatora
the ,0mlrc souy In black near The coGnacls table
W.ther IIlrIi, /, really suffering kccnly or whether |
hg think, il wi-c to appear 10 be-. his dcnieamr has |
c,f, i,t, oh. ~ The Ia lew days. lll |
cye are rcd hi checks and hps are pale, ard al ,
time he seem, b. feeling. ON The last day
he hspt his head upon his MO.ieTs shouiIef h'o,'
If th time and she had her arm about his neck
Willie Nc looked appcalingy toward the jury Inc
Juror. however keep their faces directed toward Inc
wtnc-, and only occasional glancca are cast ''""'"
the pii,.ner aud his saddcncd relatives
The cl,ssc Nam,natiJn Of Or. II. {. Wood. the eA
pet for tie defence by Assistant DistrctAtIoIney
Wclman, vas a remarkable pluof of the power o'
few searching ouc,tons. The examination lasted
only few inmates. but was a. effective rs inc "'e
cross questioning often employed by counsel III su'h
eases. From the direct testimony II would have ap-
pcarcd that one could De more competent IMAM DF'
Wood To testify Il, the effects OF morphine but the
short XanBpation brought out the fact that he
could recall only case Of morphine poisoning III
his twenty years experience and that Octur.cn th
years ago. An extract from his own book seeming 10
contradict his own testimony completed the means
which Mr.. Ncman Thought sufficient 10 elcot INC
discontinue q the witness.
\ peculiar coincidence connects the present tTial
with previous noted where the charge wa' ais
that Of homicide by of posoning. The trial Oi
lam.s stephen, for the murder Of his wife was one Ol
most sensational trials OF tn, las generation ono
Of the principal witnesses for To prosctuti IN that
Was Dr. Benjamin W. McCeady, tic grandfather
q. Carlyle ". Iarr,, who Is now trial on similar
charge. The stephens trial excited remarkable pup
ii, strI M.
most distinguished pny, clans aud specialist, OF tho
day. Old lawyer stlll recall the with interest
stephens, about lei5 married a wdnan whose home
had been in tlc northern part OF ielrd lie brought
her to this cOuhtgy years aterwaId she IN
vitcd her ncrcs to TO tlls country ihcy
lived with stephens and his wife ana nc
showed too great an affection fol one oil the
nioDn- -.nnhin LII Mr. sicpl.cns a stout, APP