The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-04-01
Mrs. Haines' Murder Trial.

the murder of her step daughter, wh1cl
was begun on Tuesday, was continued tn
rest of the week and increased in interest
Every morning long before the time ap
pointed for opening the court house larg
crowds, mainly women, have awaited tn
signal to let them into the room where on
OF their sex Is on trial for life. Some O
, them took lunch in order that they Nigh
be right on the spot when the Afternoon
, session began. At first the ladies wer,
admitted by back door, but this becam,
SO much OF pressure upon the officer
t who are on duty that an order was ISSUED
t that all spectators must use the front door
the rear entrance being kept for cour
, officers, witnesses and reporters
, Mrs. Haines has not, up to the present
time, shown any especial evidence of feel
Ing the gravity of the situation. There il
not trace of worriment in her face. She
is attended daily by her mother and hus
band The children are taken into court
each session. The boy, about two years
OF age, is given the freedom of the court
room, and roams at will, standing before
the jury, at the side of the witnesses, at the
, desks of counsel, or trotting up and down
the space behind the chair of the presiding
judge. The latter is very particular that
good order shall be maintained, and fire.
quently prods the constables who become
little lenient. On Friday, after the jury
had retired, spectator jumped up and
started for the door Judge Garrison di-
rected the Sheriff to discharge the con-
stable who was on duty at the spot.
The case was reported in THE News last
week up to the point of the opening adj
dress of Prosecutor Atkinson. After de-
lining the law under which the action is
brought Prosecutor Atkinson outlined his
case and said he would show that the
child, Gwendoline Haines, was an infant
when her mother died, and was taken in
charge by relatives of the deceased until
she was about eighteen months old when
she was taken home by her father Mrs.
Haines, her stepmother, her little baby
boy, and Gwendoline were the only occu-
pants of the house, Mrs. Haines preparing
all the food and attending to the house
hold duties. On the 31st of March Mrs
Haines went to the Office of DIR. Weller
and asked for some medicine, saying Gwen
doline had bad cold, and later she again
went to the doctors and asked him to go
and look at the child. The physician did
so and found that death had ensued He
was told the child had died of commissions
but not finding any evidence of this he re-
fused to give q certificate of death and the
coroner was sent for. Mr.. Atkinson said
he would show that there had been traces
of poison discovered, and he would show
a state of affairs that would warrant him
in asking for verdict of murder in the
first degree.
Henry s. Haines, surveyor, testified to
making map of the house and surround
| ings where the child died
DR.. FL. K. Weller testified that on the
evening Of March 81, Mrs. Haines went to
his Office and said Gwendoline had a slight
cold and he gave her medicine. Three
quarters of an hour later she returned and
said the child was suffering with convul-
sions. The doctor went to the house in
hurry and found Mrs. Haines bending over
the child then lying on the floor. An ex-
animation revealed the fact the child was
dead Several bruises on the head and
face led the physician to ask the cause and
and Mrs. Haines said the child was con-
tinually falling. DIR. Weller refused to
give burial certificate and the coroner
was sent for. In cross examination Mr.
Budd asked Dr. Weller if he did not at
the time of the child's death, put his arm
around Mrs. Haines' neck and kiss her, al
so if he was not intoxicated, to both of
which he answered in the negative.
Ex-coroner Wells told of being called to
investigate the case He detailed the pro-
cess of procuring portions of the child's
body for chemical examination.
John G. Bolton, undertaken, told of the
embalming process, and the fluids used,
and ii. c. Eckels, manufacturer of an en-
balming fluid, said it did not contain
arsenic.
Hugh Dempster, employed by Eckels,
said that arsenic was not used in the man.
ufacture of the embalming fluid
.fnhD n Don nnalo of tho dood
child's mother, was the man who aided in
getting the stomach of Gwendoline analyz-
ed.
George M. Berringer, the chemist who
examined the parts or the body, said the
stomach was intact had not been perforat-
ed, and there were ~ grains of arsenic in
the organ.
WEDNESDAY.
DR.. Richard III. Parsons testified he lives
in Mount Holly and has been practicing
medicine 25 years. On the 9th day of
April, 1901, he made postmortem exam
ination Of the body of Gwendoline Haines
There were old scars on the fingers of
both hands and on the thumb; an old scar
on one leg below the knee; both lips had
old scars on them, one ear was lacerated
and the left eye was bruised and swollen.
There was confused wound at the back
of the head, another on the right side of
the head above the ear, running forward
to the forehead. The cut in the lower lip
was clear through to the teeth, and heal
ing had begun. The ear was badly LAGER
ated, the lower lobe being torn loose. The
scalp was dissected back and it was found
the confused wounds extended clear
through. On removing the skull the doc
tor found the membranes and coverings
that surround the brain were congested
and inhamed, this being particularly
marked at the seat of the wound. The
brain itself was slightly congested at the |
same locality. The base of the brain,
the spinal column, the heart and the lungs
were in normal condition. The liver was
somewhat paler than usual and had little |
yellow spots on it. The doctor tied the |
stomach at both ends and removed it with |
out opening it, but did not puncture OF in
jure it in any way. One kidney was much |
congested, the other. was normal. The |
body was remarkably well preserved. The |
stomach, section of the liver, one kidney, |
heart and brain were removed, the heart |
being placed in a jar by itself, the other
organs going into another jar The |
wounds on the head were very recent; |
those on the lip and leg were old wounds;
the broken nose was of some standing,
several days old. The black eye was Of
recent date, but the wound on the ear was
an old one, and healing had begun at the
upper edge. The lobe of the ear was sep
arated clear up to where it enters the ear.
The organs that were placed in jars were
handed to the coroner. The brain was
slightly congested at the seat of the in
flammation, in the membranes, but
the brain itself was in a normal con-
dition, the base of it was healthy.
The meninges were highly congested
and infamed, particularly under the
seat of the wound. On the Goth of
April, in company with DR.. Small and
John Smith, of Camden, DR.. Parsons
again opened the body. Six new jars
were procured, and the body was reopened
at the same place as at the former examin-
alton. The remaining kidney, muscles
from the calves of both legs, eight inches
of the small intestine, the spleen, a section
of the liver and section of the lungs
were removed and each specimen was
placed by itself in separate jar, tied,
sealed and handed to Prof. Moerck In
the opinion of the witness death was
caused by meningitis produced by wounds
and arsenical poisoning.
On cross examination Mr.. Budd asked
the doctor to explain the condition of the
meninges He said they were congested,
the little blood vessels through them were
congested with blood, had an angry look,
particularly under the seat of the wound.
At the time of the postmortem witness
concluded death was the result of menin-
gifts, produced by the wounds on the
head.
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