The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-01-14
THE RoEHM EXAMINATION.

No New Facts Brought to Light.-Case
Adjousned to January 10.
Laingsburg, Jan. 5.-The Roehms
examination was continued today at
10:4O a. m. No new witnesses were
called. Paul Goodhue, the drug clerk
who testified Monday to having sold
Mrs. Roehms opium, made some un-
important statements.
DR.. Austin made some corrections
in his Mondays testimony. He was
then cross-examined by Attorney Rich
ards. He was asked if habitual use
of liquor would not produce the extra
ordinary wetness of brain noticed by
him and ascribed to opium. He said
it would. Mr.. Richards asked DR..
Austin why he said the deceased's
eyes were contracted. He said that
he concluded they were from their ap-
pearance, but, of course, this might be
caused by other means than opium;
uremic poisoning might cause the
wetness of brain which he noticed.
DR.. Wade, who was called to attend
Mr.. Hartman, Sr., when he died, was
sworn and testified to his acquaintance
with Mrs. ROehms. His evidence was
taken to ascertain what knowledge
Mrs. Roehms had of opium, thus to
ascertain her motive in using it. The
doctor said he inquired if Hartman
had taken opium or anything of that
nature and someone said no. He
then ascertained that he had been
having fits which Mrs. Roehms said
were so violent as to throw her from
the lounge OH which he was lying, she
having just sat down on the edge to
give him some aid. Mrs. Roehms pro-
cured somes tablets which contained
some morphine. Mrs. Roehms said
she wanted the tablets, as her husband
liked to know how much she used.
After the examination of DIR. Wade,
Dr.. Austin was recalled. The doctor
stated that there was no unusual
amount of fluid between the men,
branes surrounding the brain. but in
the brain proper an unnatural amount
of dampness which might be caused
by any congestion Of the blood, retard-
ing its flow from the brain. A person
poisoned with morphine would, in his
judgment, live ten or twelve hours.
Vomiting would prolong life, retard-
ing absorption and throwing the poison
out of the system.
Hartman. Jr., Was recalled and the
remainder of the time was occupied in
his examination. He told the defense
that he understood the condition of
the property before his fathers death.
His mother was always to have the
sole use of it during her life. His
father died, but he denies ever having
thought after his fathers death of his
mother making will and leaving him
but $40, or that she ever said she
wished the one who took care of her
to have the property. He had always
understood after the Roehms came to
live with himself and his mother that
his mother had entire control, and so
told the Roehms. He endeavored to
make it clear that he could have no
object in the death of his mother. He
was asked if he thought that the work
he did on Sunday was more important
than the care of his sick parent. He
said that he asked his mother before
going and she said he could do nothing
and should not get a doctor. When
he went to a neighbours to tell them
that his mother was i'll he stayed some
time, and when he got home about s
o'clock he stayed in his mothers room
some fifteen or thirty minutes. He
scraped up some magnesium, which
Mrs. Brendahl gave him and offered it
to her, but she refused to take it in
any way, saying she did not need any
thing. After DR.. Scott came a search
was made of the house. After his
fathers death his mother was ill and
a whisky sling was fixed and tasted of
by himself and both Roehms. Mrs.
Hartman refused to take the sling,
however, but he did not threaten to