The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-05
DIR. W. D. RoYsrERs EVIDENCE.
Verbatim Report Not Heretofore Published
in Haywood Case.


AS we published the full stenographic
report of DR.. Knox's medical testimony
in the Haywood case, and have only just
been able to get the verbation report Of
DR.. w. l. Registers testimony, we now
give the latter in full as follows:
DR.. w. |. Register, witness for the de
fendant, testified:
@. where do you live?" A. Raleigh"
@. How long have you been practic-
ing medicine?" A. Since 1868, in Raj
eigh since 1871"
Q. Have you read or heard this au-
topsy as reported by DR.. Knox?"
A. Yes"
O. From that autopsy, the information
impaired by that autopsy, what, in your
opinion was the immediate cause of the
death of Mr.. Skinner" A. internal
hemorrage from the great blood vessel
..... which is called in the autopsy the
aorta.''
@. What are the physical expressions
of man dying from the discharge of that
sort-outward expressions" A. THE
most obvious thing would be gradual in
crease in pallor and as to his motions a
gradual weakening of his muscular power.
These would be the most obvious exter-
nal expressions"
@. "How long could a man live after re-
ceiving that wound in the aorta as describ-
ed in this autopsy. How long would it
take him to bleed to death?" A. "At least
about one minute, possibly more. =
@. with such a wound could he have
walked from any point on the sidewalk
in front of the postoffce to the east rail
Of the car track in the middle of Fay
etteville street," A. Yes"
Q. Nov with such wound could he
have lived long enough to have walked
fifty feet?" A. Eyes"
O. "Will you kindly state to His Hon
ors the difference in the way in which a
man would fall who was dying from shock
and one dying from loss of blood?"
A. lone dying from shock would fall al
most instantly, and is, according to med
ical experience likely to fall backwards.
A man dying from gradual loss of blood
while walking will gradually walk more
slowly as he feels his power growing less
and he will sink down, losing his con
sciousness gradually He will sink down
to the ground probably trying to stay
his fall, and it is the general experience
that he nearly always falls forward from
the natural action of the muscles"
CROSS EXAMINATION.
O. What is the function of the aorta ~
A. ITO convey the artorial blood from the
heart to the system"
n Sc A. c.zo II ft,o oor+o
point from which the autopsy tells you it
was pierced?" A. Something less than
an inch, perhaps 11-12 of an inch That
would be about an average, varying in
individuals"
O. How long would an aorta, pune
tured as the autopsy said this one was
take to bleed three quarts or
more of blood?" A. "That depends on
certain conditions. Certainly as much as
4 minute, and possibly several minutes,
according to the conditions met with, and
those conditions vary"
@. Us not the effect of that to drain
the blood from the brain?" A. From
the brain and from all other parts of the
body also"
@. Us that not followed by insensibil-
ity, a loss of consciousness" A. Yes,
when sufficient quantity of blood runs
out from the opening spoken Of"
@. Would not death follow more rap
idly from a wound inflicted by piercing
the aorta than from piercing of the mus
cles of the hearth" A. "If the amount of
leakage from the wound of the heart was
equal, no.
@. ut would not?" A. mo"
O. ut is not thought that the authori-
ties state that a person frequently sur
wives a wound in the heart owing to the
contraction whereas in the pune
ture Of the aorta that does not follow? ?"
A. eyes, such cases have been known"
O. would it not follow that the pune
ture of the aorta would produce more GER
tain and more speedy death?" A. "Under
the conditions mentioned, yet. But owing
20 the fact that che heart is a muscle and
has a comparatively thick wall, and where
as the aorta has a thinner wall, it some
times happens that a diagonal wound
through the muscular wall Of the heart
(by "a diagonal wound" l mean one that
is not at right angle to the surface
will impede the outflow of blood, and,
with each contraction of the heart will
allow the muscular wall to close the wound
and this could not take place in the aorta."
@. Did you hear the testimony of DR..
Knox?" A. az did not"
@. "You give it as deliberate opinion
that a person shot through the aorta, as
upon the autopsy Of this wound was de-
would live minutes?" A. Eyes,
about minute"
Q. Retain consciousness" A. Eyes,
about minute"
@. "And retain control over his mus