The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-12
NO GUESS WORK ALLOWED
Albeit so Decided
in the Sham TRIAL
Expert Testimony.
Special to The Jerseu CITY Ne,us.

and was compelled to leave the bench fol
about i've minutes.
At the afternoon session DR.. Cantwel
was vigorously crosS-examinsd by Cap
tain Holt, prompted by DR.. Wolf, and
succeeded in bringing out sons informa-
ton that will be beneficial to the defence.
DR.. Cantwell stated that the removal
of the viscera was made by some n who
knew the location OF the parts: while
| they need not have been successful ply
| sicians they must have had some knowl-
edge to v assisted them. They could
have been students. or they could have
been butchers, pretty well up In their
In = surgical way and that the lungs aud
| heart were successfully removed. He
admitted that 1t would ave taken some
Que of some experiences to have stripped
the trachsa and to have run an arm MP
the body and SO successfully done the
cutting.
He did not, however, consider that the
remevR of the viscera was successfully
| done, because whoever It might hav Q
been who did the work left bshfnd on e
of the kidneys. Even In a hurried remoy-
vi this would not have been the case IL
| those who did the operation were skill
full. He had no way Of knowing how
- ~ W ~ &OAS ' ANN
bsen taken. whether as a whole or in
part. Taking 1t AS y whole. would have
| required more skill than to have taken 1t
away IN part. He was quito certain that
the success of the operation depended
upon a strong arm ANA II sharp knife.
DUE TO MERCURIAL POISONING.
He wss Questioned further as to what
| might have been the condition OF the
stomach of John Sham had he been q
hard drinker and hardened his liver,
! whether that would have produced ul-
ceration OF the stomach, bloody vomit.
ing, and all the phases Of gastritts. He
admitted that 1t might have been pos
sible.
Notwithstanding that he was Ques-
toned on all SORTS of subjects for an
hour or more, n many hypothetical
propositions were put to him, ne still re-
NAMED of the opinion that the con-
ditions. as shown by the chemical
ANALYSIS. pointed to the fact that a
stomach was ipfamed. and the symptoms
produced by mercurial poisoning. as he
statsd IN his testimony given before the
noon adjournment.
Anew minutes after three O'Clock the
court adjourned SO that Judge Albeit
and the counsel could visit the premises
or the Shanns at Princeton to secure a
better understandings OF the case.
ToDAY's PROCEEDINGS.
Two hours and "A half were given TO-
day to tue EXAMINATION Of witnesses in
| the trial of Mrs. Matte Shaun, charged
with poisoning her son for the purpose OF
| securing the insurance on his life.
The prisoner sat In her accustomed
| seat near her lawyers and was again the
| OBJECT of the attention OF hundreds Of
women who crowded the court room and
| kept constantly gazing at her. She sits
| most of the time with downcast eyes.
County Physician Cantweil was re-
| called to the witness stand and testified
that he made nearly pages of notes when
morgue. He dictated over two pages of
the notes to DR.. Kelly. Of Trenton, and
| ADDED the remainder himself.
Captain Holt, senior counsel for the de-
Tense, asked DIR. Cantwell to make notes
| of questions that he Intended TO ask. say
ing that nis purpose was to have The
| Jury better impressed by the facts In
Judge Albeit denied counssl's right
to examine the witness in that manner.
| The Judge said that the cours stenogra-
| pher would take the notes and furnish
| counsel with u copy.
NO GUESS WORK ALLOWED.
DR.. Cantweli was asked concerning the
weight Of certain parts OF the body
which he had submitted to the t0xi-
| c~otoglsts for inspection, b he replied
| that he could only answer by mere guess
"Well, there is @ good deal of guess
| work In this case" said Captain Holt.
"Suppese you guess on this matterf"
.Noi Nor' said Judge Abbott sternlY,
.sthere is no guess work about this case.
| The witness will not be permitted to
guess. The stsno&rapher will strike the
question out"
Captain Holt s~pologized and asked n
other question.
~ --fL A.at khA Aanana 80
moved from young Shann's body, con-
sideriug his weight after death. would
weigh about twelve pounds.
Certain questions we're ruled out on
the grouna that DR.. Cantwell was now
under examination AZ an expert patholo-
glst and not as au expert chemist.
"He seeIns to know more about chem
fstry," said Judge Albeit, Than many
men in hat line, but That does not make
MIN an expsrt."
The witness was then asked il 1t was
true tina only the mercury absorbed in
the system Was poisonous, and he said 1t
depended OH the form in which IL was
administered.
DIR. Cantwell also said tina mercury
not absorbed could hardly be Injurious.
EFFECT OF COLONEL.
Being asked as TO the effect OF the adj
ministration OF mercury in kidney d.
seases, the witness replied that calomel
was not gwen for the form of the disease
from which Sham suffered; that is, 1t
was not given as routine treatment. II
it were gwen Ii would increas the albu-
men IN the URN. Sham was said to be sui
feriug from granular degeneration Of the
kidneys. The administration Of corrosive
subiimate would have the eame effect.
The witness described a case of corrosive
sublimate poisoning In which he had held
. post mortem examination. 1t WIS the
case OF q man who was fund dead in
q stable. His mouth aud throat were
swollen. Other parts were also swollen.
Toe kidneys were slightly enlarged and
pale, and The lungs were somewhat cou-
gested. The symptoms, 30 far as bloody
vomit and stools were concerned, were
similar to those exhibited by young
Sham. These symptoms were always
severe In cases of corrosive sublimate
polsonidg.
The witness was asked concerning the
effects OF mercury generally and a Iii
dred euppos1tious cases were used for
illustration. The effect of chronic mer-
curial poisoning on the nervous system, he
said, would be peculiar on the spinal cord.
Sometime ,rnvulsioas and sometimes
paralysis to lows. The muscles would be
deadenrd. The mode of death In chrenic
mercur,al poisoning is inanltion sxhaus-
| tion. The mode Of death In acute mer-
curial poisoning Is shock or rapid
exhaustion. Regarding the sensation Of
! n patient taxing corrosive suplimate the
doctor said he would have difficulty in
swallowing.
Under redirect examination, DIR. Can't
well said it would be no reflection upon
the skill OF u surgeon who had disem-
boweled q body and left one of the Kid
A - n - 49,