The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-16

on the stand, he used to be Colonel of a
State military regiment, and they say
he was fine looking officer. He is now
health officer for Pasquotank county.
DR.. Wood said he was Ella Cropsey's
physician, he knew her we'll, and saw
her quite often. BY virtue of his posi-
tion he was the officer in charge of the
grand jury. He told of having been
summoned to the clubhouse, where the
body lay stretched on table, and said
he could easily recognize NelIs face.
He found no external marks of violence.
DR.. Wood vouched for Miss Cropsey's
chastity.
His statement about the absence of
water from the stomach, lungs and pleu-
raj cavity and the bloodless condition of
the heart, was like that of DR.. Fearing.
He said there were no symptoms of
drowning. He declared there was noe
found any photograph. or other token of
friendship.
This will have a bearing on the case
later on.
He told of the scalp being removed
and the finding of tablespoonful of
clothed blood at a confusion on the left
temple. He said the membrane there
was slightly bruised. 1t was DR.. Woods
opinion that the blow was struck by
heavy round instrument that was COW
cred.
Mr.. Ward got the witness to say that
he knew what a black jack was, but was
not allowed to give his opinion as to
whether that weapon made the confusion.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
There was a larger crowd in the af-
ternoon. District Attorney Ward con-
tinued the examination of DIR. Wood.
The witness desired to change a morn
ing statement about clOtted blood on the
temple to dark fluid blood. He said he
inspected and felt the temple on each
side. but there was no outside sign of
violence. The face was sodden, the
skin natural AFTER the cuticle was re-
moved
Witness had never before seen a body
which had lain in the water thirty-seven
days. He could not say how much gas
would cause body to rise, but said the
rapidity of it's generation depended upon
the temperature of the weather.
Witness said in case OF a drowned
seven days, he should expect to find
water in the stomach lungs and pleuraI
cavity He estimated that fifty per cent
of drowned people have water in the
lungs, most of the rest having water in
the pleural cavity. Water would not
penetrate the stomach until decomposi-
tiOn came. Mr.. Ward led up very cleT-
erly to a question and answer. which tell
in substance the meaning of his whole
testimony and also that of DR.. Fearing.
Mr.. Ward; Should the jury find as Il
fact that the body of this woman had
lain in the water thirty-seven days, that
she had been stricken a blow on the left
temple and there was a tablespoonful
of blood underneath the stain at the left
temple, the membrane of the bone in
jured, and should they further find there
was no water in the stomach, no blood
in the heart, either side, no water IN
the lungs, no water in the pleural cavity.
how, in your opinion, did this woman
come to her death?"
DR.. Wood: Il think, sir, a blow stun
ned the woman, and while in a stunned
condition. she was thrown into the
water"
There were objections to the question
and answer.
Mr.. Ward withdrew a question concern
ing what sort of injury would have been
made had it been received from jumping
overheard.
On cross examination by Mr.. Aydlett,
the witness said Miss Cropsey had full
suit of hair, and had it been combed
over the temple would have been a pro-
lection against an external wound. He
said no one symptom by itself was con-
elusive evidence that the girl was not
drowned.
The doctor said there would be no diff
ference in the. character of the wound
if it had been received twenty minutes
before Or at the time of her being thrown
into the water.
OTHER WITNESSES CALLED.
DR.. w. J. bumsden was called as an
expert. He said he was Sc years Old
had practiced thirty-tWo years, grad
uated at the University of Medicine in
Baltimore, and had taken post graduate
courses elsewhere Questioned as to his
competency as an expert. he replied he
was not on drowning, where the body
had been in the water so long. He had
heard evidence from DR.. Fearing and
Dr.. Wood and he did not think he would
do for an expert. DR.. Lumsden was al
lowed to stand aside.
j. II. Leroy, corOner's juryman, was
called. He told of being summoned by
Foo riDo opd tho avo M +ion ~