The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-10-06
Bones, BONES, BONESI
That Is All That Is Talked About In
the Luetgert Case.
A VETERINARY DOCTOR ON THE STAND,
He is Very Cautious, and Avoids the Pit
falls Set for HIM by the Prosecution
Evidence to Be Phonographad, and
VIII Be Heard Over the Country.

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called was DR.. V. A. Merilat of the
McKillop Veterinary college, Chicago.
DR.. Merllat was called upon to iden-
| tify various bones placed in evidence
by the prosecution, and declared by
the defense to be the bones OF the low
er order of animals. Like his prede-
cessors upon the stand in the expert
line, the witness was inclined to lee
! ture, and demonstrated his remarks to
a degree that became somewhat tire
some. But he spoke in a clear, loud
tone of voice, which was entertaining
to the experts in the room.
HE WAS CAUTIOUS.
DR.. Merillat was less confident in his
Identification than other experts who
have been heard during the trial Bene-
fitting by their amusing, and at times
humiliating blunders, the witness
avoided the cleyerly-laid technical
pitfalls arranged by Prof, Dorsey,
OF the Field Columbian museum. DR..
Merllat refused to identify the
gorilla femur, which had proved a
stumbling block to DR.. Airport, who
said it was the femur OF strong man,
who in life had probably been five feet
| four inches tall. In reality the gorilla,
whose bones now rest in the Field
Columbian museum, was six feet six
inches tall when he roamed the jungles.
NOT AN oFF-HAND GUEssER.
The witness also refused to commit
himself as to a temporal bone. He said
that he wanted something more than
an isolated bone in order to positively
state its probable nature and connec
ton. While he felt sure in his OWL
mind as to the identity Of the
bones, yet he did not pro
pose, he said, in case inyolv
ing so much, and while he was under
oath, to positively state that these
bones were absolutely what he thought
they were He did not believe in Off
hand guessing, and thought any expert
should be granted time to make thor
ough investigation.
A PHoNoGRAPH IN COURT.
A photograph expert brought into
court score of receiving cylinders and
vast bugIe-shaped tube. This was
trained on the witness stand, and by
request Of counsel witnesses will speab
loud and clear in the future. In shorl
time photographic reproductions ot
some of the evidence will be heard all
over the country.
WAS SURE ON ONE POINT.
On cross-eXamination by Assistant
States A ttorney McEwen. DR.. Meril
lat was led into fiat contradiction OF
Dr. Airport as to the Identification OF
hog femur. DR., Airport positively
identified the bone as the upper part
of the femur Of a hog. DR.. MeriIIat
just as positively stated that the bone
was the lower part of the femur,
"Sure?" queried Assistant States At
torney McEwen.
Sure, echoed the witness.
you could not be lnistaken"
al think not; no sir
That's all, " remarked Mr.. McEweu,
smiling, as he toyed with the femur Of
the hog.
OTHER EXPERTS ON THE STAND.
Dr.. j. Hughes, of he Chicago Veter.
mary college, was next called to the
stand, and told what he knew about
bones to the phonograph-and in
cdentally also to the attorneys and the
Jury. His evidence did not differ mate.
rally from that of the other experts
Later Prof Eclley, of the Chicago
College of Physicians and Surgeons
was called, and questioned at length
regarding sesamoids, femurs, tenn
| porals and other bones,
Luetgert was apparently in the best
of spirits and good humor, and laughed
frequently over the tits between cOuE'
sell