Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-02
THE STATE RESTS
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with them and talks and laughs as
heartily as anyone. He looks every
witness squarely in the face while he
is on the stand, scarcely shifting his
gaze from the time they go on until
they come off.
The court room continues to be
crowded as intentionally as ever in
the afternoon. There is a rush for the
seats early and the late Corners crowd
into Whatever vacant space they can
find here and there. Some are carry
ing luncheons SO they may not have to
leave the court room from the opening
in the morning until the close at night.
Dr. Whittier was recalled, this morn
ing, and the direct examination by the
attorney general continued. He stated
that, as the firing pin is harder than
the primer, the former always leaves
an impress or indentation when
snapped on the latter. On the firing
pms and primers of cartridges dis
charged, of the several rifles he ex-
amined, there We're no such markings
as those in the case of the Terrio rifle.
The defence at this point put in the
Peary shell and photographs which ap-
peared in the last trial, but which the
State was barred from Offering at this
trial.
The witness was then shown several
photographs, which he proceeded to
explain to the jury.
By the use OF the micrometer, he had
been able to measure the depressions
he found on the firing pins and prim-
ers. In the case of the several rifles
ha had mo- cIlral "a nd
found that they were not identical in
any two cases.
The entire amount of the several
small pieces of lead, given him by
Sheriff Pennell, weighed 53.7 grains.
Then came some more Of the States
new evidence and evidence of consid-
cradle importance since it goes to Off
set the expert testimony of the de-
fences new witness. Dir. Whittier has
examined the primer of the crushed
shell" to learn whether or not the fir
ing pin has been snapped Oh it more
than once.
The witness was then shown box
containing 20 shells, and asked to iden-
tify them. Ten of them, he said, were
shells upon whose primers the firing
pin had been snapped but once; nine
had been snapped on twice, and one
three times.
Since the last trial DR.. Whittier has
been performing additional experiments
by swapping the hammer one or more
times and studying the results. He was
positive that the crushed shell had only
been struck once. In shells struck twice
he found deeper dent that could be seen
by the naked eye than in those only
struck once. Some shells have been snap
ped twice in Terrio's rifle and some twice
in others. Some have been struck first in
the Terrio rifle and then in another ana
some had been snapped first in some otlle.
rifle and then in Terrio'5. He found that
there was a variation in the depth OF the
dents made by the same prmer-those IN
the center of the primer not being so deep
as when on the side of the primer.
The doctor stated that where shell
had been struck only once he found the
denth varied from % thousandths of ar
inch to 30 thousandths. In those struck
tu ice he found it varied from more than
A. thousandths to 81 thousandths of a..
inch. These results, he said. had been
secured by microscopic measurements
which he considered as very correct IL
also found a difference in the surface of
the primers of shells struck once and
more than once which can be seen with
the naked eye. Again where the plungel
strikes more than once it will not Land in
exactly the same place, so that the differ
ert impressions can be detected. The
witness had taken photographs of thu
primers of the shells and explained these
in detail.
Among the pictures was pair fasten.
ed together, one showing the firing pin in
Terrios rifle and the other the primer in
the crushed SHE'LL the two being placed in
the same relation as the firing pin and
the shell in the rifle. The distinctive
marking could be seen on both, the wit
ness said. On cross examination the wit
ness admitted that in former trial he had
made mistake in testimony the number
of times some of the objects photographed
had been masnilicd, in one case over
estimating 33,Gc0 times. The witness ex-
planned in full how easy it was to make
mistakes in such fine work in making es-
Inmates without measurements DR.. Whit
tier stated that the shells would corrode
and that this would cause the lutte
llstfhS 10 uISdppedT
The witness was asked particularly
ABOUT his measurements of the depres-
sions and said that he had made two on
the IL shaped figure and found there
more than onc-thouSandth of an inch
deep. He had experimental to determine
how long it would take to obliterate the
markings on q shell by corrosion. He ex
posed some to the weather in Brunswick
in August ard September and also in No
vemher. Others had been placed in IN
ice chest from Aug. IL TO Sept. H. Others
had been exposed to the effect of bromn
paper and salt and water. He had thrown
some into about an inch of snow and had
thrown some snow over them. A guinea
pig had been placed near the shell in the
snow. This experiment was made at
brunswick during the past month. While
snow was not melting the corrcsion would
be practically nothing. in his Judgment
II the shell was not exposed to frequent
wettings and dryings the cOrrosiou would
be small. If placed near human body
he did not think the result would be ap-
probable, unless the body was in bad con-
dition. The doctor did not think that
sufficient gas would come from the body
or the ground to produce any rractica!
results. He did not know why the Perry
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