The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-17


CHICAGO, Sept. 1.-THE day was
given over to expert testimony IN the
Luetgert trial to-day and the attorneys
for the defense and the witnesses for
the state were angled vigorously re-
gardlng femurs OF human beings and
femurs of sheep and of hogs. When
court adjourned for the day the fight
was still on and will be resumed to-
morrow morning.
When court opened this morning the
defendant came into court upon pair
OF crutches. He said that he had a
badly sprained ankle, the result of a
fall while sparring friendly bout with
one OF the guards IN the jail. The In
Jury is painful, and will trouble him
for come time.
The principal witness OF the day was
Prof Dorsey. OF the Field Columbian
museum, who took the stand for cross
examination. Attorney Vincent for the
defense made II his business TO show
the Jury that Prof. Dorsey did not know
anything about bones anyhow and that
1T Nlb NtllbGIg lblAOA1hh thGShk
Prof. Dorsey fought stoutly TO show
that he knew what he was talking
about when he said yesterday that the
bone shown him was the bone OF hui
man being. and very probably that of a
female. he made one correction, how
ever and said that when he said yes
terday that the femur was that OF the
left leg he had Intended to say that II
was for the right leg.
Before Prof. Dorsey took the stand,
DR.. Eorval Pierce, who had identified q
bone shown him as the left temporal
bone OF q female, was called to the
stand, but his ross-examination did not
last for any length OF time. and then
Attorney Vincent announced that he
was ready for the cross-examination OF
Prot Dorsey.
The examination abounded In techni-
cal terms and again and again the at
torney tried to make the witness say
that he was not sure that the bono in
question was the femur OF human be-
Ing, but the witness stuck to his first
assertion. Then the attorney tried to
show that the femur was that OF q hog
and again the witness baffled him.
Then the attorney tried the femur OF q
sheep, and again he was defeated.
Then he offered large collection o.
bones and wanted the witness 10 state
from what animal they had come. The
court took hand in the proceedings at
this point and announced There are
enough bones In this case already with
out bringing In lot of them that have
no connection with the case"
The closing hour OF the afternoon ses-
sion OF the trial was lively. Attorney
Vincent, for the defense, made q su-
preme effort to break down the evidence
Of Prof. George Dorsey. the young
osteologlst of the Field Columbian mu-
scum. After number of questions
touching upon the qualifications OF the
witness TO testify as an expert, Attor-
-ney Vincent picked up a handful OF
bones and holding them out TO the Wit
ness asked him to Identify each OF
them. Prof. Dorsey refused to attempt
to do so without first having an oppor-
tunlty to examine them
Can you do IT." shouted the attor-
ney for the defense. III you are the
expert you claim to be 1t should not be
difficult for you to name these bones"
sistant states attorney McEwen came
to his aid with an objection which was
sustained by the court But Attorney
Vincent was not to be stopped by OBJ
jections,
"Did you ever dissect hoE?" he In
qulred.
Nor, sir" answered Prof. Dorsey.
There was an objection to this line OF
cross-examination and Attorney Vim
cent arose to explain that i1a wished to
show that the femur OF hog was iden-
teal with the femur the state had In
troduced and which Prof. Dorsey had
identified as the right femur of hu-
man being-a female. After further
questioning with reference as to wheth-
or or not Prof. Dorsey had ever dis
seoted calf, or a sheep. and receiving
a negative reply as TO the former and
IN affirmative answer as to the latter
animal, Attorney Vincent suddenly
asked:
How dou know, then, that this is
not calfs femur?"
Because from careful examination
OF It believe II to be human femur."
replied the witness.
why do you consider II the femur OF
woman"
Because II Is smooth and has the
shape and other characteristics OF the
female femur," replied the witness.
Prof. Dorsey will be on the witness
stand again tomorrow for further
cross-examlnatlon.
The prosecution expects TO rest It's
case Saturday.