The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-02
Oakland Office San Francisco Call

90S Broadway, March l.
The blood that stains the skull of the
dead Lillian Brandes cannot be washed
away, and the Introduction by the defense
to-day of the grewsome object, together
with a telescope basket full of other
skulls has acted as a boomerang in the
trial of William A. BrandeS, charged with
his daughters murder.
The most intense interest was mani
fest this mOrningwhen the defense opened
its batteries. with DR.. E. H. Woolsey as
its chief medical expert. The aged doctor
contradicted himself in at least seven in
stances of vital Importance, and addition
al links in the chain of evidence against
the accused were forged.
When DR.. WoOlSey appeared on the wit
ness stand he was accompanied by bas-
ket of skulls, precious relics, as he called
them, that he had gathered after years
of labor. District Attorney Allen and his
able assistant. Harry Melvin, objected to
their introduction as evidence, but Judge
Hall admitted the whole batch Of grew
some objects. DR.. Woolsey then delivered
an interesting lecture on human anatomy,
. pathology and the conditions he found on
the body of the dead girl. Briefly, he de-
MED that there were any pronounced
bruises on the face or the limbs. The
pathological conditions beneath the scalp
and the eXtravasations, he said. We're no
more than often occurs IN ORDINARY
deaths He went even further, saying
there was nothing in the way or lacera-
lions or abTaSiOnS that might not nave
been made by the saws and .chiSels OF the
HVp0thetical questions, each covering
several typewritten sheets Of paper, such
as is used on machines, We're put by Al
torney Bennett, and, in short, the glst OF
Dr. WOolSey'S testimony was that Lillian
Brandes could not have lived from Iues-
day. when the alleged fatal blows were
struck. until the following saturday fd9 as as
cussion, shock and meningitis. Witness
stated, not simply as an opinion, but as
an absolute fact, that Lillian Brandes died
Dr. WooIsey at one stage of the direct
examination held that the eXtraVasa-
lions and the alleged bruises were the
result of congestion of the blood during
the process of hanging Later on he
testified that these marks, bruises, mot
tied appearance of the limbs and eXtrava-
sations were. in his opinion, post-mortern,
clearly contradicting himself
ANY blow upon the head that might
have caused such eXtravasation, SAID the
doctor, would have smashed the skull.
and in this case the majority of symptoms
depression found on I4illian's scalp even
might be characteristic of apopleXy, SUI
location or strangulatton by hanging.
Frequently Deputy District Attorney
Melvin was moved to object to questions
asked as being leading, when 1t was clear
that witness needed no leading.
The same black and blue marks which
Dr. Woolsey testified as being post-mor-
tenn We're shown by the prosecution 70
have been bruises which Brandes had told
Deputy Coroner Streightiff had been in
ficted by Mrs. Brandes when she whipped
Lillian few days prior to her death
The prosecution wasted no time IN
cross-examinng DR.. Woolsey. He was
simply asked whether he had not agreed
when he and Bennett called at the un-
dertaking parlors in Berkeley to examine
the body. to not mutilate the remains and
leave them as he found them. This ques-
ton was repeated four times, and each
time answered in the negative, the last
time DR.. WOolsey adding that any state
Coroner HcI Streightiff or Washington Wilson
was "a base fabrication" Witness adj
rnitted that he had obtained no order or
permit from the Coroner TO remove the
skull cap of Lillian Brandes. With that.
to the surprise of the attorneys for the
defense, the prosecution dismissed the de-
lenses chief expert witness, whose sur
prise was perhaps greater than that or
any one in the courtroom.
1t was during the direct examination of
the next witness, DR.. G. L. Eaton, whose
testimony was for the most part also
along the line of the theory of suicide by
hanging, that DR.. II. S. Buteau, chief ex-
merit and autopsy physician for the prose-
cution, stepped into the courtroom. He
was handed the skull cap OF the dead
girl. It was the first time he had seen - u
nett last week asked DR.. Ruteau on the
stand why he had not preserved the Skull
and membranes, being aware that the life
of a man depended upon it, the surgeon
and expert answered:
II did what I considered was much
safer. i summoned HAIL d uObtil iCpot'tCAC
physicians of Berkeley to witness the
autopsy, and they can tell what they
saw; but 1 should have preserved 1t had
1 known that it would have fallen into
disreputable hands afterward.'
While DR.. Eaton was testifying DR..
Buteau fumbled the skullcap and ex-
amined il closely. and made discovery
that will result in his being recalled o by
sisted of the important fact that the
blood spots on the skull cannot be re
moved.
District Attorney Melvin, unnoticed by
the attorneys for the defense, took the
skull to an anteroom and made a desper-
ate effort to remove the blood with water,
but this could not be 1sa fb ~ld ia
arc clearly proving in DIR. Buteau' S
Opinion the fact of the blood stains being
ante-mortem. To this DR.. Buteau Will
testify when recalled.
II IS believed now that the Introduction
of the skull though objected to by tine
T. rec,,ripcr the conviction of BrandeS.