The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1900-01-06
AIOoRrs DrYEnsB.



name Of the accused, DR.. J. Il. AlcOFn,
was called, and 10 the hush Of expect
ancy which fell upon the court room,
tall slightly built man with dark curly
hair and blue eyes came compoSedly
forward and took his place 10 the wit
ness chair. He was not unPrepOssessiDg |
10 personal appearance, and told his
story with composure and self-posses-
sion.
lie said that the woman, Cora Burke,
came 10 him on or about June 20, 1893,
and told him that she was In trouble;
that she had attempted TO relieve her
self by the use Of a hair dart or hair pin,
and that IN attempting 70 make a
puncture the hair dart had broken Of,
leaving Q portion imbedded within her.
He said that be had found her state
ment true, and had arranged for time
and place with her In which to extract
the snag OF the hair dart. The place
was at his Office, and the time was set
late at night because of the fact that his
Office was in the rear Of the drug store.
There were thin wooden walls between
and the required privacy could not be
secured until the drug store had closed.
He declared 1t was the operation of
extracting the hair dart which the wit
ness Rundeli had seen. A piece OF rub
Der hair pin or dsrt-A pin used TO
fAsten the back hair-was exhibited.
lie denied having used chlOrOfOrm, but
said lie had administered a dark
colOred nuld from a 2 dram bottle
10 relieve tOothache. The symptoms
and cause Of death, septIcaemia. were
admitted. He claimed his treatment Of
the case was proper.
The expert testimony Of DIR. Wenz Of
Rathdrum and Dr. c. r. Thomas OF Spo-
kane was also heard. To the hypOthet-
icai questions pronounced by the prose
eutIon these physicians answered that
the cause OF death could not be given
with certainty; that pregnancy Of n
period Of six weeks could not be deter
mined with certainty by the woman her.
self.
On Wednesday, June p, 1899. Ms.
Cora Burke, whose husband had died
but four months previously, was taken
sick at her mothers house In Harrison.
She had fallen 10 a faint while her
mother was at 4 nelghbor's. The moth.
er was sent for and on reaching the
: house found her daughter suffering in-
tenseiy from abdominal pains. Hot
cloths were applied aud everything done
TO relieve the pain, without success.
The resident physician. DIR. J. II. Al
corn. was called la, and after question
ing the woman. said be would have e
make an examination. An examina
ton was made by hand. when he In
formed the mother that the patient wa
suffering from badly inhamed uteris
caused probably from taking cold. The
patient rapidly grew worse, and OF
3 June - died. The remains were In
D tered on June ~. On the same da!
: the physician left the town.
: Shortly after the death and burial o.
: Mrs. Burke. ugly rumou began q!
= about. II Was said her death was no
e due 70 natural causes: that the woman
: had been seen to enter the doctors ofiic
s at midnight but few hours before sh
d was taken III. and that there had beeI
done 10 the doctors Office that Whicl
had resulted in her death. The doctor
IL a.
z These rumors were traced to ]. 7
n Rundell, a butcher In Harrison. II
y told a sickning tale; told how he ha
II seen the woman enter the doctors ofiics
y how be had crept 10 the window, an
!. for two hours had watched what al
e peared TO he the commission OF Grim,
4 and had heard the doctor plead with th
IS woman TO take chloroform for her ow
a sake.
/. June % complaint charging DIR. :
II. Alcorn with murder in causing III
4, death OF Cora Burke by an attempte
:. criminal operation, was sworn to befol
Justice Of the Peace W. J. Thompsc
" OF Harrison by Mortimer Parrish.
The doctor had not yet returned
Is Harrison. There were wild stories
y the effect that he had made his way o
v foot, through a Gordon Of soldiers, acrot
~ the Cmur d'Alene and Bitter Ro'
Al ranges into Montana. II is true he vi
" apprehended in Montana, near Ham
,. ton. by the Montana officials, and he
ID r.. a.. Idaho ,Naaoar~, hnt ha had o0i
IN TO Hamilton by train. lie was brougl
back TO Harrison, and July Is was give
C. a preliminary hearing. lie was bouu
r. over In the sum of 5000. in default
d. which he Was placed In the county j.
IL at RAthdrum.
,e; The Jury in the case. after havii
n. been out 70 hour. came into cou
70. Thursday aud reported that It would
C. impossible for them 10 reach verdi,
- As one Of the jurors had been si'
nd since midnight, Judge Mayhem We
les reluctantly discharged them. II Is sa
IRE that they stood 10 for conviction a,
p two for Rcquittal almost from I
ne. first The case will be taken up aga
it. next Tuesday. Judge Mayhem tod
he issued special venire for 20 jurors
,r- be present 10 court on Tuesday mornir
ro- The sheriff will send out deputies
, 10 summon them at once. The trial
this case has caused so much publicI
49, that II may be difficult matter to
~, cure jury.
Wv
vr MeFarlAndO Card Of ThAAds-