Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-10-01
TRAPS Ibid FOR an EXPERT.
one Bone Doctor Prepares Questions
for Another.


Created Sensation by Intimat-
ing That the State Has Been
Manufacturing Temporal Bones
for the Purpose Of Hanging Luet-
gert-Will Have Another Day on
the Witness Stand.
Chicago, September 30.-There was
but one witness on the stand in the
Luetgert trial to-day and at the con-
clusion of the session the State an
nounced that it would in all probable
ity keep him on the stand for the
greater portion of tomorrow. The
witness was Dr. w. H. Airport, the ex-
pert who testified for the defense yes
terday that the femur claimed by the
State as the femur of woman is in
reality the femur of hog. The State
had prepared warm cross-examina-
ton for him to-day, and toward the
latter portion of the afternoon session
it succeeded in confusing him and
gaining from him several contradic-
lions of his own evidence. He identi-
fed the skull of a dog as being the
skull of monkey and was neatly
trapped by the State into doing so.
The attorneys for the State have con-
siderable feeling against DR.. Airport, as
his testimony more than once has been
to the effect that evidence was being
manufactured by the prosecution, and
they will leave nothing undone to
break him down.
When DR.. Airport went on the witness
stand again to-day he created another
sensation by declaring that the tenn
poral bone which Prof. Dorsey identi-
ned as human and from its formation
probably the right temporal bone of
a female, is not human. DR.. Airport
emphatically remarked that there was
no indications upon which to base the
conclusion that the bone was from the
skull of human being. He believed
1t came from the skull of some lower
animal. He also declared that the
phalanges in evidence BELONGED to the
lower animal kingdom
DR.. Airport did not know what was in
store for him in the cross-examination
Prof. Dorsey had prepared for the pro-
secutlon list of question that stirred
the Northwestern University professor
when they were propounded by Assist
ant States Attorney McEwen. Thet
questions were bristling with technical |
tiles and were framed with a view to
Nesting DR.. Alport's knowledge Of os-
teology. DR.. Airport had prepared for
the defense the ss-examination of
Prof Dorsey, and the latter evened
matters with vengeance to-day.
Dr. Airport made statement on the
witness stand that caused a profound
sensation for a few minutes He was
examining the temporal bone which
had been identified by Prof Dorsey
and pronounced by the latter not only
temporal bone but the temporal bone
Of woman.
That bone is not a temporal bone
either of a human or of the lower
order of animals" declared DR.. Abort.
gazing at the exhibit intently. at is
composition of bones put together
by artificial means. The trace here
which Prof Dorsey said was the out
line of facial nerve is fibre of ami
NAL matter with which the bones are
stuck together
The statement was received with
something akin to dismay by the pros
scution for moment. Luetgelt leaned
back in his chair and laughed
Assistant States Attorney McEwen
began hot cross examination of the
stiffness.
Prof. Airport underwent one of the
'everest eross-examinations to-day that
any witness has been subjected TO
,;pa 20 -,
ant States Attorney McEwen did the
ss-questioning, and when court ad-
journed for the day the assistant
States attorney announced that he was
not through with the witness and would
recall him tomorrow morning. Pri-
vately Assistant States Attorney Nc
Even said he would probably keep
Dr. Airport on the witness stand the
greater part of tomorrow. This ex-
pert osteologist was the only witness
of the day. Hour after hour he an
swered questions suggested in the main
by Prof Dorsey and propOunded by
Assistant States Attorney McEwen.
The sensational statement of DIR. AL
port at the morning session of court
u the effect that the temporal bone
identified by Prof. Dorsey as being the
right temporal of female was in real
ity not a temporal bone at all, aroused
the prosecution. The experts conclu-
sion that the exhibit was several bones
glued together in the form of a tenn
poral bone suggested fraud and an at
tempt to manufacture evidence which
the prosecution did not relish.
The result was that Assistant States
ATTORNEY MeEwen went at DR.. Airport
with a firm determination to learn if
1.-THE witness really knew what he was
talking about Questions were fired at
the expert regarding temporal bones,
lesamoids. the phalanx in evidence and
lther matters with such rapidity that
lie became bewildered. Confusion led
contradiction and this developed
harp ross-questioning so that the
st two hours of the expert upon the
illness stand were fraught with nerve
fting anxiety for him.
Prof. Dorsey, whose evidence DR.. AL
4t fatty cont addicted. listened at
ttively to the REORGANIZATION of
Il chief expert for the defense. He
hrd his own stry and those of Prof.
Hey and DR.. Pi,rce punctured by DR..
Aort with smile of scorn lowering
alut his lips. Later on Prof. Dorsey
" go on the wi ness stand to sub
sftiate his original testimony if he
col c@o&o,-