The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-04
a VERY FATAL ADMISSION
DIR. MULLER a REMARKABLE
EXPERT WITNESS.
BE Now Says That Lillian Brandes
Died Of Meningitis and He
Thus Assists the Prose-
cution.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
sos Broadway, March 8.

sos Broadway, March 3.
The straws at which the defense in the
trial of William A Brandes, charged with
the murder of his daughter, have been
reaching are rapidly floating away on the
tide of despair.
Another boomerang was developed at
the trial to-day in the testimony of DR..
II. E. Muller, an expert witness called by
the defense. Yesterday, in response to
a hypothetical question based on testi-
mony given by the defense's chief expert
DR.. Woolsey. DR.. Muller gave it as his
opinion that Lillian Brandes died Of
pleuro-pneumonia- On cross-examination
to-day DR.. Muller, in response to another
Hypothetical question, based absolutely
on the facts and conditions as found in
the remains Of the dead girl by the au-
topsy physicians, said that the girl died
of meningitis, totally ignoring the theory
OF suicidal hanging in either instance. In
fact Dr. Muller. in reply TO another ques-
ton put by Attorney Bennett, said that
he was no expert on hanging"
The manner of cross-eXamination as
conducted by District Attorney Allen and
his able assistant, Harry Melvin, was ex-
ceptionally clever. DR.. Woolsey was
and left the courtroom q madder man
than when he entered, for Melvin rasped
his sensitiveness by announcing that he
would base no hypothetical questions on
any of Dr. Woolsey's testimony.
A most delicate ground was trodden at
one stage of the proceedings this after
noon. Attorney Bennett mad asked
whether DR.. Muller would have been more
able TO answer certain questions II he
had examined the body than II he
had not seen the remains. witness an
swered affirmatively. Later the prosecu-
ton asked DR.. Muller a similar question,
and before it was answered Juror Sieben
asked Dr. Muller whether a physician
who had examined the body would not
be better able to testify as to the con-
ditions found and the cause of death
than one who had simply seen the skull
cap and membranes To this question
Attorney Sawyer, for the defense, Vlgor-
ously objected, and after some warm
cross firing Judge Hall ruled in favor OF
the defense.
The vital part of DR.. Muller's testi-
monv however, brought out on cross
examination, was that, although the blood
might have settled in the poSterior OF Lii
infiltrate through the tissues post NOR
TEN, and that therefore the olood STAINS
were ante-mortem. This is one OF the Sc
verest blows suffered by the defense thus
theory. discovered accidentally few Gays
ago and exploited in yesterday Cali.
Expert DIR. Muller also stated that In
q case where every symptom or hanging
is absent except the mark on tne heck'
and the autopsy develops another sub
stantive cause of death, he would attrib-
1lte death to that other cause.
The statement published by certain
morning papers TO the effect that the pros
ecutiOn proposes to have DR.. Buteau dis
sect a human head in the presence of the
Jury is erroneous, and no such CHASTITY
performance will take place, Deputy Dis
Trict Attorney Melvin holding that such
would prove vital error in the eyes or
the Supreme Court.
The trial will be resumed next Tuesday
morning at $50 o'clock.