The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-27
left the courtroom with his young wife on
his arm.
TUCHLER'S STATEMENT.
He Tells How Addie Gilmour'S Re-
mains We're Disposed OLA
GreWSOme Tale


DIR. \. S. TUchler, who was to have been
witness in the West case Yesterday, and
whom DR.. West charged with having dis
sected the body of the unfortunate girl
Addie Gilmour was prevented from taking
the stand by an urgent call from an OUT
of-town patient. When seen by a CALL
representative he was highly indignant at
DR.. Vests version OF his connection with
the affair, and in explanation CT how he
became involved in it and in justification
OF his professional conduct Herewith he
told the following story of how he had
assisted to dispose of the remains by
| throwing them into San Francisco Bay
| and how and why he had placed the wire
encased head III the water near Lime
Point. He said:
DR.. West called on me at midnight of Friday,
September g He explained the unseemly hour
OF his visit by stating that he was out on a cas-
and had stopped in TO ask me ii ] would not
like To help him dissect a cadaver. l replied
that was very busy and could not very well
/ take the time next day, as he requested 1t is
not an infrequent thing for one physician to
secure body for scientific purposes and then
invite friend or friends to share the advan-
tages OF a dissection. | further informed him
that would very much like 10 have the skull
OF his subject to com lete a skeleton ] had as
turned
He promised that he would save this one for
me and suggested that call for ii the next
day-Saturday. Accordingly | stopped in to
see him Saturday afternoon, between ) and 6
o'clock. He had the head all wrapped up for
me in piece OF newspaper. | took it to my
office, procured some wire-nettng, incased the
head in it, and the next morning l took the
first boat for Sausalito and anchored the head
near the Government weather gauge, near
Lime Point. / was alone and returned to the
City without delay, arriving there shortly be-
fore noon.
AT the time 1 got the head at DR.. Vests
Office saw him in the act OF sealing two tin
cans. He wrapped them in a newspaper and
tanned the remains of the body he had dis
sected. He asked me if would help him get
rid OF them by throwing them into the bay. l
consented, and that night we took the last boat
over to Oakland. got rid OF the cans during the
/ trip and returned on the same boat.
Remains of dissected bodies are sometimes
/ the expense of burial, though it is the usual
custom to have them inferred by an under
! taker.
did not see West again till after his arrest
I went to ask him if it was the Lody of Miss
| Gilmour he had dissected that Saturday Al
the time, was under the impression the body
was one he had procured AT the County Hos
| pital or the Almshouse. DR.. West, however
refused to talk to me about the matter at ALL
"Why did you not offer your testimony
! to the prosecution ?' was asked.
Before Dr. Vests first trial my name was
connected with the affair in the newspapers
and supposed that if the prosecution wanted
me they would let me know. l have always
been ready to tell what / know about this
case. l never had any doubt of Dr. Vests
innocence, judging the matter from what he
| told me after he was confined in the County
Jail. He said that the girl came to him suffer
ing from the effects OF sorae ones malpractice
He stated that her condition when he came
into his Office was such that it was a physical
impossibiity for her to go any further DR.
West relieved her, and she then insisted on re-
naming under his treatment. Her death, as
l was given to understand was the result o.
her own carelessness. She was out OF DANCE,
and well on the way toward recovery wher
she went out OF doors, caught cold and
brought on fatal relapse.
/ have no unkindly feeling for DR., West, fol-
he was demonstration of anatomy at the college
from which graduated; but ! regret that he
should have attempted TO protect his profes
sional honor by unnecessarily bringing my
name int the case as he did.
What was the object of taking the head over
to Lime Point?
1t is the custom among students and those
desiring to obtain bones in tine best state oil
preservation to immerse then. in the bay. The
action of the salt completely denudes them
and leaves the bones in a condition to best re-
sist decay. To boil them softens and weakens
them.