The morning call., 1893-12-06
THEIR OPINIONS.
Experts Testify in the
O'Neil Case.
EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENSE.
Beliefs That Are Backed Up by
Reasons.
INTENSE INTEREST AT THE TRIAL
1t Is Claimed That the Defendant
Could Not Have Inflicted
the Injuries.
EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENSE
INTENSE INTEREST AT THE TRIAL

The defense in the ONeil case intro
duced some expert testimony yesterday
that proved a genuine surprise. and at no
time since the beginning of the trial has
the interest of every one in the courtroom,
from the Judge on the bench TO the spec
tator in the farthest corner of the gallery,
been more closely concentrated on the wit
ness-stand.
The examination of DR.. George F. Shields
was continued, and Carroll Cook began by
consuming three-quarters Of an hour with
hypothetical question, which the court
ruled out Cook began over again, stating
the facts which had been developed at the
autopsy. and asked DR.. Shields what under
such conditions was the cause Of Mrs.
Critics. death.
but / haven't enough data on which to
base an opinion" said the doctor. death
might have been caused by any one of half
dozen reasons. The autopsy does not
show what was in the stomach. should
certainly want to know what it contained
before expressing an opinion as the cause
for sudden death. 1t does not reveal
whether there were any clots on the brain.
and l would not for anything venture an
opinion until L was more fully Informed" !"
After thus attacking the autopsy the at
tOrney then asked the witness whether the
injuries as they had been described could
have been self-iDflicied or could have been
the work of an other person. and requested
the doctor 10 give full reasons for which,
ever opinion he might express.
"They might have been self-inflicted,"
replied DR.. Shields. 'but i do not think
they could have been inflicted by another"
ana this In the most positive tone. Judge
Wallace Strengthened up in his easy-chair
to take good look at the witness. the
Jurors edged little nearer and the doctor
continued:
'There was no outcry OF any kind made,
and If there had been struggle of any
kind II must have been heard by the per-
sons near. The portion of the body where
these injuries were inflicted Is super
sensitive. 1t Is filled with delicate nerves,
and even though the woman had been
maGdlin drunk. yet nature would have
resisted such an attempted injury, and
do. not think it could have been accom-
plished without the greatest pain and
agony on the part of the victim. and
all ouicry would certainly have been made.
And. again, anatomy teaches that these
portions of the body are protected by the
strongest muscles in the body, and we are
taught that it is practically impossible to
break the force of them. And their non-
action could only be explained on the
theory that the person was willing to be so
injured. These are my reasons Tor giving
the opinion that no second person could
have been the cause of this woman's death.
but We all know that a person will fire.
Quently hurt themselves and make no out
cry whatever, whereas they would cry out
II the injury were Inflicted by some one
else. There are examples of this every
day. But there are certain conditions
which make such action even more than
probable. We meet with the most unac-
cOuntable things in a professional way,
even as surprising as this case, but there
is no explanation for them.
And 40 / say that this woman could
not possibly have suffered such injuries
at the hands OF another person, but from a
com biDatiOn of injuries resulting from
natural causes and from those which she
might infiict upon herself. give it as my
opinion that ii is not at all improbable
that they were self-inflicted"
But not satisfied with his previous
knowledge and experience. which is GER
tainy varied and extensive, during the
noon recess DR.. Shields went TO one of the
medical colleges and securing a subject
made some further experiments which
only resulted in fortifyine the opinion he
had already expressed, and, in the remain
der OF his examination, he stated positively
and unreservedIy tha. with the circum-
stances in the Grizzly Bear saloon as de-
scrlbed, no person could have been respon-
sibe for Mrs. GrIffes' death but herself.
DIR. Z. L. Buckley was then called and as
far as examined he substantiated every
thing testfied to by DR.. Shields. His evil
dence will be completed this morning and
1t Is expected that all of the day will be
taken up with expert testimony.