New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-12
HARDLY A STRONG CASE.
THE PROSECUTIONS SIDE NEARLY IN.
DR.. BUCHANAN's TRIAL CoNTINUED-MoRE tx

DR. BCCHANAN'S TRIAL CONTINCED-MoRh In
PERT TEsTIMo
The prosecution has about shown its hand In the
trial OF Dr. Robert W. Buchanan in General sessions
OH the charge Of poisoning his wife, Little testimony
still 10 he given for the people Up to now Dstn'
Attorney Nicoll has hardly presented overwhelming
proof OF his contention of guilt. The woman's Symp'
toms were those OF atropinc poisoning yet "'c
chemists for the prosecution are unable TO swear '
that drug was in the woman's stomach lhey us
covered traces of morphine As the case stands now
1t IS doubtful II The Jury wonld convict ana inc
defence has not yet offered word Of testimony. us
expers are men Of the highest standing. Professor
Y g. VaugllsD of Ann Arbor Mich. being Il chemist
OF international fame. When they have fhsh'H '''''
criticisms OF the methods and conclusions OF Professors
Williams and Doremus and DrS. looniS and Priddeh'
tbo iury NAV feel little inclined To condemn Dr.
Buchanan 10 death. Assistant Dls'rict-Ntorh'y W."
man was still i'll yesterday.
In the morning Professor Rudolph A. Wltthaus
finished his testimony W. J. O'sullivan crosscxam-
incd him. but 80 briefly rs TO snrpris" DistrctAtoihey
Nicoll. The witness was asked about pamphlet
which he had written on the effect Of cmbalnns h"u
in cases of supposed poisoning Charles W. BROOKE
took mp the crosseyamination lie read from inc
pamphlet extracts relating to experiments made by
Professor Vaughan. do you know Professor
Vaughan - Mr. Brooke asked.
81 do not SIR replied the witness.
"Thi, Is Professor Vaughan" said NJ BROOKE
touching the shoulder Of man beside him. Inc TWO
scientists bowed I'm acknowledgment OF the ih'rouu'
lion. Later Professor witthaus said fatty that ne
had found no atropne. lie admitted that there We're
Substances I'm n dccaying body which might have
diated the pupil OF the eye of the cat on which ne
tried the experiment. Professor Witthans saio mat
he had not concluded positively that there was atiOpe
In the womans body.
+ Are there any products OF decomposition 'hh'
would act on frog in the same manner as morphine
Mr.. O'Sullivan asked.
IL don't know Of any such 'hat ha'c NV"
described"
"Can you positively swear that you found one
tenth OF a grain OF morphine in This wonans VS.
cera ?"
at was our inference and not an absolute weigh
ing
Professor WIthaus said that he had tc''ihcd III
abou, Twelve cases In which murder was charged
p,oc,.or Charles Avery Doremus, OF No. 100 East
sixtecnth-,t wa, next called ms Il witness lie as
sisted Professor Witthaus in the chchhcai anal! ~
Dr. Dorcmus Is the son OF Professor H. o6uc" ~
rcmns He WAS graduated at the College OF ,lc wy
Of Ncw-Yo:k In 1870 and then studied al Icioc'pc''
ard Lcip,ic for three years lie Is adjunct professor
,i-.. .rJ ,,xicolory Professor DDrcmus WAS
present when the autopsy on MrN' i'u'"''' wac
made lie described the tests for morphine ana afro
nine made by himself and Professor WI''hi"S'
Did yon ind morphine ?" Mr.. Ncol asked
"Yes fin every part We examined Out We 'o'i' W.
STATE positively how much there was present ~"
chemist ever thinks OF trying 10 measure ,hs ai"""
nan roi.,u has zone through all the BODY.
:" Did you find substance consistent WI" ""o
P'.oIi AID To MIR Osulvan Professor DoreInls 40
,.,i, th.rc wnr. substances which would CIV" SOM,
~ ,Ga ,~oc,,ons OF atropinc. The lawyer then l.li'
,rr,hcr Intention To the experiment OF dropping q 'u,
'arr. from The woman's stomach into tir h,url
~ lie saw that the pupil Of cats eve j. ANA
cnnn,-,r;ed ,out midday growing larger un'li hllu
night 20 that The Chinese oven tel nm w VIZ az 10
4
,,"vr thot the change in the eye "i fFoic+'or ~
rrmu>'. Kitten was this natural one. ,,i N
Tho l,st witness OF the day was 'hlfhS Nui' w
IN All IIolscy.si Newark. whose &c mony Wa ~.
/ Important.