The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-11
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EXPERT EVIDENCE.
College Professors on the Stand in
the Sham Case.
MERCURY IN KIDNEY AND BRAIN.

According to Professor Cornwall, of
Princeton. This Poison Had Been Con-
staptiy yAdmina,tered-Prorc W orm-
ley Also Discovered Mercury.
TRENTON, Aug. 10.-The third day of the
Sham murder trial opened with Professor
Theodore g. Wormley, of Philadelphia, on
the witness stand. He Is u medical expert,
and fills the chair OF toxicology aud chem
istry In the medical department of the
University Of Pennsylvania. When it was
suspected BY the criminal authorities that
young Sham had been put to death with
poison, County Physician Cantwell secured
portions OF his brain, kidneys and other
parts, and sent them to Professor Worm
ley for chemica analysis.
The doctor was on the stand long time
describing In detail his experiments and
tests, exhibiting the results, and comment
ing as he went along on them. His analy-
sis OF the organs was very thorough, and
the result was the discovery of mercury.
No traces of arsenic were discovered.
>, Henry b. Cornwall, professor of applied
chemistry at Princeton college, testified
that at tho instance of County Physician
Cantwell he examined young Shann's
bladder and portions of his brain and
other parts of his remains. He found
otheh duhhbtbito OA HltEGuFy
He could not say in what form the mer-
curry had entered Shann's body. Professor
Wormley said that the poison he found
was sufficient to kill. The poison found
by him In the kidney aud brain pointed to
its continued administration to the patient
rather than a single dosing.
The witness was subjected TO long ex-
animation on his knowledge of the absorp-
tion of mercury by dead bodies, the effort
of counsel being to show that the mercury
found in the organs was due possibly to
the fact that the undertaken used chloride
of zinc on tie body. The witness would
not admit that dead bodies could absorb
poison that way, bat If they did it was not
likely that the kidneys would absorb IL,
to the exclusion of the other organs
" Carrie Pyatt, a colored woman, who
used to work for Mrs. Shann, said she WIS.,
dted the family about a week before Johns
death and saw him in bed while she was
there. Mrs. Shann gave John some med-
cine out Of q tumbler The medicine was
a mixture Of stuff taken from two bottles
and a bowl. Mrs. Shann told her that the
bowl contained leo water. Mabel Sham
was present. John lay in the bed OIL the
fiat Of his back, and Mrs. Sham got into
the bed and fixed herself astrde of her
son, putting her knees on his arms as il to
pin them down. The witness said: Mrs.
Sham, don't give him his medicine that
way. You amt got no spoon. Better
raise his head"
THAT'S right, Caddic," John exclaimed,
"don't let them force any more down me !"
Tho witness said nothing and neither did
Mabel Mrs. Sham poured the medicine
down Johns throat He had not asked for
the medicine. He had asked for water and
his mother said; We'll, I'll give him his
medicine now" .-....
Under cross examination she denied she
had any feeling against Mrs. Shann, or
that Mrs. Shann had discharged her. She
had discharged herself, after telling Mrs.
Shann what she thought of her.
William Bartiuo, drug clerk, gave trs-
timony regarding tho filling of prescrip-
tions for the Shanu family.