The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-12
EXPERT EVIDENCE EVIDENCED
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-
stantiy Administored-Profc worm-
Icy 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 IL medical expert,
and fills the chair Of toxicology and 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 chemical analysis
The doctor was on the stand long time
describing in detail his experiments and
tests, exhibiting the results, and comment
ing rs 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 ut the instance of County Physician
Cantwell he examined young Shanns
bladder and portions of his brain and
other parts of his remains He found
small quantities of mercury everywhere.
lie 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 single dosing
The witness was subjected to long ex-
animation OH his knowledge OF the absorp-
ton 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 usSd chloride
OF zinc on TIE body. The witness would
not admit that dead bodies could absorb
poison that way, but if they did it was not
likely that the kidneys would absorb it.
to the exclusion of the other organs.
Carrie Pyatt, II colored woman. who
used to work for Mrs. Sham, said she Wis
tied the family about n week before J ohn's
death and saw him in bed while she was
there. Mrs. Sham gave John some medi-
cine out of a tumbler The medicine was
mixture OF stuff taken from two bottles
and bowl. Mrs. Sham told hcr that the
bowl contained ice water. Mabel Sham
was present John lay in the bed on the
flat of his back. and Mrs. Sham got into
the bed md fixed herself nstri,lc of her
son, putting her knees on his arms as if 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, Caddie," John exclaimed,
don't let them force any more down me-"
The witness said nothing and neither did
Mabel. Mrs. Sham poured the medicine
down Johns throut He had not asked for
the medicine. He had asked for water and
his mother said: well, I'll give him his
medicine now"
Under cross examination she denied she
had any feeling against Mrs. Shann, or
that Mrs. Sham had discharged her She
had discharged herself, after telling Mrs.
Sham what she thought of her.
William Bartino, drug clerk, gave tes-
timony regarding the filling of prescrip-
tions for the Sham family