The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-12-13
TELLS THE STORY.
Pickett on the Stand in His
Own Defense.
Physicians Give Expert testimony
Pickeft's Mother Recalled to the
Witness Stand.

Reuben C. Pickett, on trial for the
murder of his wife, was reserved al
the last witness in his own behalf. Ir
anticipation of his appearance on the
witness stand, the crowds were notice
ably larger in Judge Elliott's court
room in Minneapolis Monday, wher
the trial was resumed. The proceed
ings which were at first quite ignored
by the public, have now risen to the
dignity of a real murder trial
The testimony yesterday forenoon
was confined entirely to that of Mrs.
Pickett, Sr., and two medical experts
called to testify as to the action of
heat and fire on the human body. The
evident purpose of the defense in this
line of evidence is to satisfy the jury
that Mrs. Pickett was burned to death
in the bathroom and was not first
murdered and then dragged into the
bathroom which was then set on fire in
order to cover the traces of a crime.
Mrs. B. G. Pickett mother of the
prisoner, resumed her testimony relat-
ing in some detail the condition of the
Pickett apartments after the fire and
telling of the health of her grandson,
Reuben.
She said that the bed in which her
son and his wife had slept showed that
it had been occupied on the night of
the fire. Mrs. Pickert's garments were
on the floor in position which indi-
Gated that she had "just stepped out
of them.
Reuben, the little boy, had been ill
with dysentery for several days before
the fire, and she had herself treated
the boy, as we'll as giving his mother
the prescription. Mrs. Pickett herself
was not well, suffering from a COM
mon malady. The witness testified
that Mrs. Pickett was about feet 7
inches in height and that her normal
weight was from 105 to 10 pounds.
The witness had met Miss Ella Olson
ON an interurban car. The latter had
the door from her fiat to the hallway
she saw Pickett in the bathroom. Mrs.
Pickett also testified that Mrs Nelson
had Informed her that when she first
looked into the hall she saw Mr..
Pickett in the bathroom.
The witness said that three of Mr..
Pickett s fingers showed burns. Two
of the fingers were blistered, the Bills
tiers being larger than a pea. He also
had burn on the ball of his foot.
which she treated.
The witness broke down completely
while relating what she had done with
the clothing of her deceased daughter
in-law and was joined in the weeping
by Mrs. MahIke, sister of the late
Mrs Pickett and other members of
the feminine contingent.
DR.. Thomas J. Gary. professor of
surgery at the state university, testi- /
fed that fire would have no effect on
the III lscles of a dead body. On the /!
other hand, if the person was alive
when attacked by fire the limbs would !
be found contracted, due, in the |
opinion of the witness, partly to the |
agony caused by the burns and partly !
to reflex muscular action.
On cross examination the witness !
said that even if the burning took |
place within from one to five minutes |
of death there would be no contrac-
ton, the conditions being the same as
if the person had been dead longer.
''Did you ever see body which !
was burned within few minutes !
after death2" asked Mr.. Boardman.
The witness admitted that he had
not Then there came long discus
sion between the witness and County
Attorney Boardman on the effect of
heat on beef steak. fish and other ami
NAL foods.
DIR. William b. Caine, practicing
physician and surgeon for twenty six
years. who had made many observa-
tions of the effect of fire on human
bodies in the Hinckley fire, said that
if fire was applied to living muscular
tissue it would contract. In his
opinion there would be much less con-
traction, probably none if the fire was
applied after death had ensued. Theor-
etically, the application of intense heat
to body within from one to FIVE min
utes after death would also cause a
contraction but to what extent the
witness could not tell. In his opinion
it would be very small. though this
might depend on to what depth the
fire or heat penetrated.
After several minor witnesses had
been examined, the prisoner was fin
ally sworn in his own behalf at 3 80
in the afternoon.
Pickett was in sad state when he
first took the stand. His voice CULVER
ed so that he could hardly be under
stood. For time it looked as if he
would be unable to continue, but
gradually he recovered his composure
and the control of his voice. His tes-
tinnnu uac tho,, or;uan po,x, oIoo-I-