The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-04
WHITAKER CASE
CONTINUED from Page u

| Know me?' No reply was made to this
| latter query by the deceased.
| DIR. Gugenheimer's office man was The
| first outsider 10 arrive, and DIR. BudIong
arrived M 4 $50, called for glass of water
! and put something into IL and gave II 10
| the ratient After DR. Gugenheimer was
called "A cup OF coffee was mace by the wit
| ness and given 10 the sick woman. The
latter, after the end OF the first eonvul-
sion, fell over. was lifted TO chair, ana
after the second eonyuIsion was laid on
the bed.
She had no conscious spells and said
nothing mere about anything after the
brief remarks above noted. Witness said
she did not know he deceased was preg-
nant and that she was 10 years old.
10 Mr.. West witness said that the de-
ceased first took the room for three days,
saving she was going TO take care of a
woman and later on said' she was going
home, but would be back and take the
room again. The deceased did not work
anywhere and got quite confidential with
her. DID not know William sherman, but
did know William Briggs, an employe of
Dean, furniture dealer, who called at the
house and asked for Miss Reynolds, but
the latter was not in at the time. Miss
Reynolds went to call on Briggs the day
before she died.
Mr.. West here stated to the court that
he could show by letters that Eugenia
Reynolds had sent word to the man
Briggs by letter that she intended
TO commit suicide. This statement
was made after the jury had retired
and MIR. West quoted a Massachusetts,
decision 10 the effect thar when
a party was indicted for mnnslaug hter
IT was held proper TO show the deceased
had threatened 10 commit suicide. Mrs.
Emerson was then permitted 10 testify in
the absence OF the jury that she saw a
letter written by the deceased 20 Briggs,
in which the former said, "Mhen you get
this | will be dead in my coffin" This
letter was written alter Miss Reynold lad
heard that Briggs wss a married man and
had a wife IN Boston.
Attorney General Dubois said that be
did not see how this was important as the
defendant had, according TO the indict-
ment, procured the poison for her.
Judge Wilbur, after hearing the testi-
mony, decided 1t could best go to the jury
later on. II Mt all, and reserved his deci-
sion as TO its admissability.
On tho return of the jury Mrs. Emerson
said that Briggs had made several presents
to the deceased and had asked the wit
ness for an umbrella with his name on IT,
Witness did not know whether che de-
ceased ever had child.
Or. John G. Budlong was the next wit
ness and said he had been in practice SO
wears and attended the Reynolds woman
house at s:45 O'Clock and she was at that
| time in commissions. her pulse weak and
| i'm sad condition. Noticed a stron z
smell of Ill OF tansy and when some one
said she had taken dose OF the stu.i
| there was plenty of evidence as to what
| the woman was suffering from.
He was told that deceased had taken
| the oil of tansey about two hours or an
hour and hatf before nc got tnere. lie
! did not think there was much to be done,
as the emetics had failed.
He attended the autopsy at the Central
station morgue and among the Others
| present were Drs. Palmer, Perkins and
| Abbott. There was strong odor OF oil
of iansy about the body during the post
| mortem.
In answer TO question OF the Attorney
| General as TO whether the deceased was
| pregnant or not he replied that "We be-
lieved She was pregnant" +"
Mr.. West hire objected to this state
| ment as unfair and Dr.. Budlong said that
there was no doubt she was so. He also
said oil OF tansy was very poisonous and
| though he had no experience with 1t,
| cases We're related that showed, while a
! large quantity had been taken without
harm, small doses had often killed. 1t
| was not necessary to save the woman's
| life that a miscarriage should be procured
her body was capable of supporting life
and the tansy was used to procure a mis-
carriage.
Mr.. West took the witness in hand and
handled him pretty technically on the
evidence OF pregnancy on the body OF the
I.oeceased, but the witness, would not
swear as to many evidences OF pregnancy
that ounsel asked In regard to the pres
ence OF. Finally tho witness said SC
| thick were the questions coming that he
was not an expert.
Dr.WilIiam III. Palmer testified as ia
the condition Of the organism OF the boo y
es shown by the autopsy and said the
conclusion arrived at was that death WAS
caused by convulsions and also by poison
ing by oil OF tansy.
Attorney-GeDeral Dubois asked DR..
Palmer whether deceased was pregnant
or not and the reply was 81 believe she
was.'' Action of oil OF tansy, witness
said, on the nerves was something like
tobacco. Witness did not know anything
1t could be used for legitimately and had
never used IL, bat X CIV it was used by
the people very largely TO cause a mis-
Garage, but physicians never used 1t, as
IL was vaiueless, owing TO the fact that IT
killed.
Mr.. West then examined the witness
very closely as TO tho evidences of prog-
macy shown by tho autopsy, but the wit
ness claimed that therc.could be no doubt
that the deoeasei bad been pregn ant for
some weeks, and that no coctor who saw
the condition OF the body could doubt
there was pregnacy.
DIR. Perkins succeeded DIR. Palmer on
the witness stand, and corroborated the
formers statement. The body could not
have been In the condition II was unless
pregnant. lie thought that microscope
examination II IL had been possible would
have settled the question better. This lat
ter statement was made In reply TO a
question by Mr.. West. This was the first
case he had examined in which CESSATION
had only taken place less than three
weeks before he examination.
he court at this point adjourned the
sion until 2 o'clock. his honor first tel
ling the mcrn bers OF the jury he would be
obliged to keep them together until they
had reached verdict. which he hoped
would be no later than tomorrow evening.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
Detective Merrill was the iirts witness
| by the state this afternoon and be teEti-
fed he went to work on the case Feb. 25.
| lie first saw the defendant on the 2Gth
inst. In tarbtr shop and told hin he
was wanted at police headquarters. De-
| fendant when these remarks were ad-
/ dressed TO him said "Iihs looks bad for
me.'' asked him what he meant and
| he taA Ixt