The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-01
DR.. ALLPORT CONFUSED
EXPERT COULD NOT TELL THE SKULL
OF A DOG FROM A MONKEYS.
Witness for the Defense in the Luet-
CERT Case Trapped by the Assistant
Attorney for the state.

witness on the stand in the Luetgert trial
to-day, and at the conclusion of the session
the state announced that It would in all
probability keep him on the stand for the
greater portion of tomorrow. The witness
was DR.. W. H. Airport, the expert, who tes-
titled for the defense yesterday that the fe-
muir claimed by the state as the femur
of woman is in reality the femur of a
hog. The state had prepared warm cross
examination for him to-day, and toward
the latter portion of the afternoon session
it succeeded in confusing him and gaining
from him several contradictions of his own
evidence. He identified the skull of a dog
as being the skull of a monkey, and was
neatly trapped by the state into doing so.
The attorneys for the State have considera-
BILE feeling against Dr. Airport, as his testi-
mony more than once has been to the effect
that evidence had been manufactured by
the prosecution, and will leave nothing I'M
done to break him down.
When DR.. Airport went on the witness
stand again this morning he created an
other sensation. He was examining the
temporal bone which had been identified by
Professor Dorsey and pronounced by the
latter temporal bone of woman. THAT
bone is not temporal bone, either of the
human or of the lower order of animals. .
declared DR.. Airport, gazing at the exhibit
intently. 1T is a composition of bones put
together by artificial means. The trace
here which Professor Dorsey said was the
outline OF facial nerve is fiber of animal
matter with which the bones are stuck to-
gether." The statement was received with
something akin TO dismay by the prosecu-
ton for moment Luetgert leaned back
in his chair and laughed.
Dr. Airport did not know what was in
store for him in the cross-examination
Professor Dorsey had prepared for the
prosecution list of questions that stirred
the Northwestern University professor
when they were propounded by Assistant
States Attorney McEwen. The questions
were bristling with technicalities and were
framed with view to testing DR.. Allports
knowledge of osteology. DR.. Airport had
prepared for the defense the cross-exam-
ination of Professor Dorsey, and the latter
evened matters with vengeance to-day
Assistant States Attorney McEwen did the
cross-questoning, 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. Privately Assist
ant States Attorney McEwen said that he
would probably keep DIR. Airport on the
witness stand the greater part of to-rnOr-
row. Hour after hour DrAAIlport answered
questions suggested in the main by Profess
sor Dorsey and propounded by Assistant
States Attorney McEwen The sensational
statement of DR.. Airport at the morn
Ing session of court, to the effect
that the temporal bone identified by
Professor Dorsey as being the right
temporal of a female was in reality not a
temporal bone at all aroused the prosecu-
ton. The experts conclusion that the ex-
hi an7 r-rI.rl
the form of temporal bone suggested
fraud and an attempt to manufacture evil
dence which the prosecution does not relish.
The result was that Assistant States At
torney McEwen went at Dr. Airport with a
firm determination to learn ii the witness
really knew what he was talking about.
Questions were fired at the expert regarding
temporal bones, sesamoids, the phaianx in
evidence and other matters with such rapid
ity that he became bewildered. Confusion
led to contradiction, and this developed
sharper cross-questioning, so that the last
two hours Of the expert upon the witness
stand were fraught with nerve-testing
anxiety for him.
Professor Dorsey whose evidence DIR. ALI
port fatty contradicted. listened attentively
to the cross-examination of the chief expert
for the defense. He heard his own story and
those of Professor Bailey and DIR. Pierce
puncrured by DIR. Airport with smile of
scorr lowering about his lips Later on
Professor Dorsey will go on the witness
stand to substantiate his original testimony
if he can.
Assistant States Attorney McEwen neat
ly caught DIR. Airport mapping during the
afternoon session The expert was requested
to name a portion of bone handed him. After
a brief examination the expert said 1t was
part of the skull of a monkey. Assistant
States Attorney McEwen Immediately
asked another question, which led Dr. ALI
port to believe he had identified the exhibit
at the first guess, and the expert confidently
entered upon a long dissertation relative to
the similarity of the skull in some portions
to that Of a human skull. After he had fin
ished Assistant States Attorney McEwen
reached for the bone the expert held and re-
marked, We'll the bone Is from the skull
recovering himself suddenly. he observed,
well, it hight have been a monkey-faced
dog" This was greeted with a laugh, in
which Luetgert joined.
There was long wrangle between counsel
and the witness over sesamoid bones and
became so tee teal and scientific that the
majority of the spectators became tired and
many of them left the building. Even Judge
Tuthill became drowsy and dozed for a mo-
rnent only to awaken with start that rat
tied the bones piled upon the court railing
spectators.
1t is likely that the cross-fire of the ex-
merits will be kept up for nearly another
week After they have finished Luetgert
will be called. Although ex-Judge Vincent
does not believe Luetgert's evidence is
told the jury that the big sausage maker
would talk to them from the witness stand,
and he said to-day he would not disappoint
the jury
Battle of Flowers.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Sept. S0.-The flow
er fete and battle Of flowers at the EXPOSE