Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-25
The Medical Examination.

A physician was sent for, and during the
day Drs ]. T. Diggs Benjamin Smith and
I. s. Owens called and examined the dead
bodies, as well as the man who claimed he
had been assaulted by burglars.
They found that Ratchet had inflicted
the wounds on the dead woman, the blade
having been used on Mrs. Cooking, while
the blunt end was used on Miss Miller. The
doctors found that one blow inflicted on
the wife of the suspected man had cut her
ear in twain. The blade of the instrument
had penetrated the skull and the unfortu-
nate wOman's brains ooZed from the gap
ing wound. This, 1t Is thought, was the
first blow inflicted, for the other two
wounds in the same part of the head had
failed to penetrate the skull The condi-
ton of the body showed that the woman
had probably made a struggle for her life
after the first blow was inflicted. Those
who suspect that the woman's husband did
the killing have an idea that during her
brief struggle she scratched his face, for
the marks on his forehead, the doctors
say, appear to have been made by finger
rails.
Evidences of Blood Spots.
Miss Miller occupied the room between
that used by her sister and the hall
room, which Mr.. Cooking and the boy oc-
cupied. Her body was fourd in bed under
cover, and the physicians think she never
knew that she was assaulted, for there
The blunt end of the Ratchet had been
used on her. and her temples had been
crushed in. AS in the case of Mrs. Cock
ing, there was a pool of blood In the bed
and the bare floors were badly stained.
CockinG's Slight Injury.
DR.. Owen, speaking of the affair, said
that when he was called to go to the house
he was told that Mr.. Cocking's skull had
been fractured, and that his brains were
oozing from the wound
But" he said, when 1 reached there
found that there was scarcely anything
the matter with him. He was certainly
not hurt. There were f1nger-nail prints on
his forehead, and a slight confusion over
the eye. The blow which caused the con-
fusion was certainly not dealt with force
enough to knock him down."
The doctor said he had been told that
there was no blood in the cellar, although
there was some at the trap door in the bar
and Cocking'S clothing was also diScolOred
by blood. He was told that his nose had
bled. Concerning the reported robbery in
the store, the doctor said that the money
drawer had been forced open. and Mr.
Cooking said he had left between Sc and 81
in 1t the night before. while the amount
found in 1T yesterday morning was only
% cents.
The Officers In Charge.
Deputy Sheriff Barbour is taking an &C.
tive interest in the investigation, although
the states attorney has apparently as
sumed the duties of sheriff in the matter
and taken entire control of the case 1t
was because Of his orders that Deputy
Sheriff Cross ignored the orders Of Sheriff
Wade and refused to admit the newspaper
correspondents to the house. 1t was stated
last night that Cooking had not gone up
stairs to see the dead bodies Of his wife
and sister-in-law, and some Of the officers
think that when he does look at the bodies
he will break completely down.
The officers and a few citizens who have
been in the house have idea that Mrs
Cooking was killed first, and they are sur
prised that her resistance did not make
noise enough to arouse Miss Miller There
mad evidently been but one visit paid to
the room of Mrs. Cooking, for there was a
single blood trail leading from her room
across the big hall over the store and