The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-02


The Doctor leaned far over with his hand
behind his ear to catch what was SAID:
Coagulation of blood, the witness sa,d, ue-
pends more on the nervous system and con-
dition of the patient at the time OF oeatn
than on anything else
rs Ii unusual for blood 10 now freeiy from
mot at all. It n quite often the case.
When person dies suddenly from apop.exy,
there may be great hemorrhage OF Dlooa
day or two after death, the blood nowing
as from a sponge"
What is the effect of asphyxiation on
There are so many kinds of asphyxia-
tion. Asphyxiation by carbonic acid gas
tensS ISiy to ss,ar6for@ early eoss!guiation-
"lrhat tends to keep the blood in liquid
state"
Attorney Crawford then questioned DR..
Jeancon as to the effects of cocaine. The
primary effect" he said. whether taken
into the stomach or by hypodermic in1ec-
tion, is TO affect the spinal column. Inc
next effect is to produce spasms. Ii is like
strycnnne and other spasmodic poisons
be a fatal dose for some people Others
| have taken thirteen or fifteen grains by mis-
take for another medicine, and have recov-
MAY asphyxiation occur from cocaineg"
What would be the effect of administer,
ing chloroform to one 10 wnom cocaine ndu
been administered?'
CHIOROFOF:M WOULD KILL.
''It would kill the person; death would
| take place very quickly"
Does death put an end to the contrac-
| ton Of the tissues?"
Not Immediately. The contraction may
take place an hour or two hours later"
Would cut made in human body after
death while this contractility remained look
the same as If the cut were made in lfe?"
Yes, 1 think they would; the muscles
'.Why?''
why, the vitality of the muscles does
| the contracting"
rs it possible to tell from the cuts on a
| dead body whether these cuts were made
| before or after death?"
We'll, wouldn't attempt it
How long does il take to cut off per-
| sons head skillfully?'
| AT least ten minutes to make a clean
decapitation OF course, a head can be
| chopped of just like you would chicken"
Witness here voluntarily asked TO have the
| in Colonel Crawfords questioning. Il just
wanted to see him out of curiosity L never
| What is rigOr mortis?''
"a stffening of the body after death; the
muscles beeome rigid, but not stiff. -.
mortis have on the coagulation OF the
blood?'
rs it not possible for body decapitated
| with the coagulation suspended, placed at
| to drain out?'
According to how long after decapita-
| ton
Doctor" asked attorney Crawford. m
| person were decapitated after death by
| phyxiation and the trunk placed at an an
| gle of forty-five degrees, head downward,
would the blood be drained out?''
Certainly" answered the Doctor. NOW,
| the Hebrews have a law about killing ami
| mails for food. They oblige the butcher 10
| cut all the large veins OF the neck. Then.
| In order TO make complete depletion or the
Shaken aM after he voluntary @ rye blood oW
! stopped. Then more blood flows. This is
| because the contraction of the muscles is
| known to continue after death Now, l re-
| member an experiment by Marshall Hail.
| one OF the most eminent surgeons of Eng
land. He cut dogs throat After the blood
| down and back several times, with the result
| that each time more blood flowed.
Il remember, also, the case OF a Confed-
| crate soldier. whose large neck artery was
pierced by a mimic ball, whose .odgment
| elogged up the wound. On his insistence, as
| moved the ball A large spout OF blood fol-
| lowed. turned his legs up. and still more
| ters of an hour later and the heart was stiil.
| Yet when 1 lifted the body so that the neck
was below the feet the muscles OF the heart
| pumped OUT
Suppose person should meet with some
sudden death and .coagulation should be sls-
after, and then the body placed at an angle
of forty-five degrees. with. the neck down.
| would the blood drain out?''
Probably not all OF it,
Suppose a persons head was cut off in
life. how far. would the blood spurt?''
about eight or ten feet
Wouldn't it spurs out in large quantities
| and make great pool and spread the blood
all about?"
Eyes, SIR"
A CURIOUS JUROR
| Witness was then excused, Colonel Nelson
| not wishing to cross-examine him. A jury
man asked if the person under the effect
of some drug that weakened the hearts ac-
ton. wouldn't it lessen the squirting?
Eyes, sir; it would a slight action" an
swered the physician.
DR.. F. A. Davis. of Newport, the next wit
ness. was also an old army surgeon. He had
| seen Pearl Bryans body half hour after
| taken to the undertaker's. He said the cuts
| on the hands were bleeding, thus contradict
ing the embalmer and another witness. He
| said the skin was contracted and the cuts
however, did not seem fresh. He also ex-
amined the neck and said there was con-
was there anything about the appear.
ance Of that stump that made you think thai
the head was decapitated in life?"
was considerably more retracfSon. It looked ea
| like the head had been recently decapitated
The cut was clean and 1t looked like some
knowledge of surgery"
did it present any appearance at that
| uine tuat Iudue you tnlnh tndt tne neau was
cut off in life?"
II couldn't tell"
AT this point there was loud laughter in the
clerks Office, adjoining the court room, anc
| Judge Helm ordered the offender brought
into court. Sheriff Plummer. much to every
4 ones surprise and amusement, brought ir
| Master Commissioner Hodges. Judge Helm
warned him to be quieter in the future
Colonel Crawford then continued the exam
ination of the witness.
"Can you tell by looking at cut whether
that cut was made in life or after death?'
81 don't think IL is possible TO tell"
Merely a matter OF speculation?"
"Yes. SIR"
Witness was then excused, Colonel Nelson
not examining him.
Colonel Crawford then announced that he
wished to read the deposition of Capt. A.
b. Heyl, II. S. A. Captain Heyl stated in
the deposition that he visited the scene OF
the finding of the body, that there were
stains, supposed 10 be blood stains, on the
woman's dress, and her head was cut off
That the clothing, excepting about the neck
was not bloody. That In his opinion the
body had been dead ten or fifteen hours,
that in his opinion the head was not cut of
while there life in the body: that there
was insufficient blood on the ground TO in
dicate that the head was cut off on the spot
while the person was yet alive; that the
head was cut off sklfuLy and could moi
have been done had the person made any
resistance. That the shoes and overshoes
of the person were particularly clean, in
dicatng that the person had not walked tc
the spot. That there was not more than a
the body lay.