The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-13
lsneclal to The rostl


New York. March IA lawyer who
heard thc testimony given in tho Patrick
case today declared the proceedings as
very nearly bordering on the amateur. II
was certainly a remarkable episode in the
history ~ this or any other murder trial
Tor the events Of the day almost entirely
centerrd around the question of the burn
ing Of cone made of towel and
saturated with chloroform
That demonstration OF the truth Of ono
OF Jones assertions in the manner gone
through today shall he allowed was hard
~ expected ~ any enc who mad 20 do
with Tho trial. Blt stranger than this was
the fact that the trial was entered into
and demonstration attempted when there
was not shadow Of doubt in = minds
OF lawyers ON either side as TO what the
result would be.
The only explanation Of this course Is
that Mr.. Osborne or Mr., Moore would not
have allowed todays testimony to he made
If each had not in previous experiments
effected the result each had looked for
today
Assistant District Attorney Osborne
handed Dr. Gardiner 4 bottle Of choro-
form. a towel and sponge and asked Inn
to saturate the towel aud sponge with
chIoroform, let them stand hale an hour
and then put match to them. Charles
+. Jones testified that he burned the chlor0.
form. saturated towel with which he said
he killed Rice after it had been on Rice $
fuce for half an hovr. The defense object
eli aud asked that two physicians, one for
the prosecution and enc for the defense,
make the experiment with materials pur-
chased by themselves This was agreed
to. Tho recorder directed that the expert
uent be made at the neon recess.
DR. Gardiner was excused and the de-
f6n,e called Dr. Isaac Newton Love, pro
fesscr of physical diugonsis and interud-
uonaI medicine ut tile Post Graduate Med
ira' college. lie was formerly professor
lr The ST. Louls Medical college ana vice
president Of the American Medical asso.
citation. Or. Love said that In his opinion
Inhalation Of chloroform vapor would not
cause any congestion of the lungs.
In reply to a question recitng the evil
dence In the case and asking his opinion az
10 the cause of Rlce's death, DR., Love re-
piled: "Old age, oedema and congestion Of
the lungs. crippled Kidneys, a narrowing
Of the heart oridces and disease Of the en-
tire equipment OF the man"
Gould the symptoms as described and re-
yealed by the autopsy have resulted from
the inhalation Of choroform vapor?' asked
Mr. Moore Of Patricks counsel,
They could not, replied DR. Love.
At the afternoon session DIR. Love. on
cross examination said he had no doubt
Rice was suffering from lung trouble when
Or. Curry made an examination ten hours
before death. but Or Curry overlooked It..
DR.. Gardner was recalled. He said tae
experiments with the towels soaked in chic
reform had been finished The first towel
blazed for nine minutes, smouldefed for
ffty-one minutes and then went out. The
second one burned slowly for fifteen min
utcs and smouldered hfty-four minutes.
one-third Of the material was consumed by
the blaze IN the drst test and one fourth
la the second one. The sponges used re-
sisted the action Of the fire better than the
cotton material Of the towel.
The result Of the igniting Of the sponge
as prepared and tested during the noon re-
cess was net az conclusive or as sstisfac-