The Portland daily press., 1895-01-25
TESTIMONY BEGINS.
Good Progress for the Prosecution in
Lewis Case.
THE DOCTORS EVIDENCE AS TO
THE TINE OF DEATH.
Mrs. Kimballs and the LoweIls's Testimo-
ny Little Shaken-Full Statement of
What Took Place In the Gorham Muir
der Trial Yesterday.


What Took Place In the Gorham Muir
der Trial Yesterday.
The second day of the Gorham murder
trial resulted in good progress in the
presentation of the governments testi-
mony, and in the strengthening OF the
governments case, though of course the
most important witnesses, GRAHAM and
Lewis, have not been examined, and as
no one can tell what will develop, when
they are put on the stand.
The testimony of Drs. John F. Thomp-
son and Charles D. Smith, who per-
formed the autopsy on the body OF Mr..
Coburn, showed that he was killed at
least an hour after he had eaten supper,
and possibly longer; also that the
warmth leaves the surface of the body
very quickly after death, in DIR. Smiths
opinion, within ten or fifteen minutes,
though he could not be positive about
it. Mrs. Kimball testified that the face
was warm to her touch when she found
Mr.. Coburn in the tie-up. This would
indicate that the murder had been very
recently committed. Mrs. Kim ball's
story was not materially shaken.
She denied that GRAHAM came to
the house that evening, to her
knowledge. before Mr.. Coburn's
death. The Lowells all united
in testifying that Lewis said to them
something abo ut horse kicking Mr..
Coburn to death, rather strange state
menU when he had such short time be-
fore told Mrs. Lowell that the COW had
kicked MIN to death, and knew that the
body was lying in the COW stall.
Long before ten o'clock Thursday
morning the entire available space in the
upper court room was filled with spec
tators, eager to see and hear the wit
nesses whose testimony for the govern
ment was to begin the declaration of
facts that will show 60 the jury the guilt
or innocence of the respondent. County
Attorney True conducted the direct ex-
animation.
DIR. THOMPSON'S TESTIMONY.
DIR. John f. Thompson was the first
witness for the State. He is surgeon at
the Maine General Hospital, and is also
connected with the Medical School at
Brunswick. He testified that at Cor
ham on the 14th of last Decor ber he
made an examina tion of the body OF
Byron G. Coburn at the undertaker's
room in Gorham. He described Mr..
Coburn's physical condition and the ter
rible wounds ON his head that shattered
the skull and any one of which would
cause death. The wounds were produced
by blunt instrument and a sharp in
strument, three by the former and three
by the LATTER On the 18th day of Deem
Der the witness and DIR. Smith of Port
land, Drs. Straw and Ridlou and Messrs.
Hinckley and Mcclellan of Gorham were
present at an autopsy on the body OF Mr..
Coburn. The work of the autopsy was
done by DR.. Smith. The usual incision
was made in the abdomen. The man
was very fat. The intest les were nearly
empty. The stomach ana upper part of
the small intestine were partly distehded.
The stomach showed an amount OF par
TALLY d1gested food. The lining of the
stomach was apparently healthy. The
kidneys were somewhat contracted. The
liver anu WOIO dppdlCntly hOA-
NAL, as were the other organs of the
body.
From the facts of the autopsy witness
could state that digestion stopped not
less than an hour after the food was
received, nor more than an hour and a
half. @
The blows on the front part of the head
were, in his opinion, struck with
the head lying on the floor.
Witness received bundle of clothing on
the 18th of December and delivered it
to DIR. Chas. Smith.
Cross examined by Mr.. Seiders. The
first time that he saw the body was the
18th of Decem Der about 2 Pm. The
wound over the left ear was made by a
sharp instrument and that over the right
ear by a sharp instrument. and in front
of that ear by blunt one. The body
was in healthy condition. The process
of digestion varies as TO length of time
in different persons from at least three
to seven hours. There is no rule by
which it can be given positively the length
OF time of digestion. Digestion does not
practically it does. When person is
suddenly killed there may be warmth in
the body five hours after death. but
generally the animal heat lasts but three
or four hours. The coagulation of blood
occurs in from four to six hours. Per-
maps IN an hO1r the separation OF Gne
serum from the clot would appear. From
the examination of those wounds wit
ness could not say positively which was
received first.
Questioned by the State. Under the
most favorable conditions the digestion
had been going on an hour when stopped.
1t might have been going on for an hour
and half or even more.
Cross examined. In normal person
one hour was the least amount of time
that could have elapsed. Witness fixed
that as the minimum limit. The stom-
ach was apparently healthy.
DIR. SMITH'S TESTIMONY.
DR.. Oh aries SIN 18th took the stand.
He is connected with the Maine General
Hospital, and the Medical Department
of Bowdoin College. He testified as to
the autopsy and describe the body and
the wounds.
AS he lifted the head it seemed to have
no firmness, but was like bag of loose
fragments. When making the abdominal
incision he was struck with the fat of
the body and it's healthy irmness, it be-
ing as hard as lard. Witness desert bed
the proceedings of the autopsy infinitely.
The kidneys were unnatural and had
I %t,o