The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-06-02

| think about the details, but | have gwen
| p written sworn statement 10 TIE cofo-
| uer. and if there be any discrepancy be
| tween my present statement aud tnat
aritteu statement. | should Isefer 10
| stand BY the written statement"
q. DO you want your statement
y do not care for my statement
| now. | believe | can give II as the
statement Is
Three and one-half inches. carefully
| measured, not eStlmated), TO the lett oil
| the left nipple and behind IT and. IA inch
below q horizontal line running through
| that left nipple there was one wound
| That was about 81 incheslong in a horl-
zontal direction. approximately IL an inch
| from above downward. 1t looked like
| the wound had been enlarged from the
| original wound. l spoke OF that 10 the
| coroner. and he said to me, 4 enlarged
| that wound from a round wound. which
WAS about IA inch in diameter, / could not
make the probe enter into the chest cav
| ,ty. and enlarged 1t a little to see II
The probe would enter
'.There was one wound 3 IL inches to
| the left of the left nipple, IA inch below
a horizontal line running through that
left nipple. l attempted to probe that
wound TO see if the probe would pass
through between the ribs, 1t did not pass
| trough. The explanation to me is per-
| fcctly clear. At the time the examina-
| ton was made the body was IN q differ
| ent posture from what it was when the
shot was received.
There are two sets of intercostal
muscles running between the ribs, one
I downward and backwards and one down
wards and forwards, crossing each other
like lattice work.
%. Do you mean 10 say the position
Of his body was different then when 1t
was laying on the back from what 1t was
when the shot was received?'
"A. Probably the sliding of the skin
would make a valve like movement of
the opening through the skin over the
| opening through the muscles and between
the ribs and it was on a different plane
from the opening in the skin, so that
the skin hole moved-sliding a little bit
to the side of the rib and muscle hole"
%. Just in that same connection, ex-
| plain what would have been required, or
what would have produced that change. or
that obstruction, as you have explalned?'
"a. Simply the sliding of the skin hole
| away from over the muscle hole. For IN
| stance, as he stood up his arms were
possibly in a different posture from what
they were when lying on the back. When
he lay on his back his arms dropped back
so, and were IN a different posture, from
! what they would be leaning forward or
| standing backwards, and lying on his side
would make it in a different position
still.
4 then opened the chest by dividing the
rib cartilages Cor g~ristles) near where
they join the bony part Of the ribs and
examined the interior of the body.
.In this left side Of the chest cavity
there was a very large quantity OF blood,
| stated in my written sworn statement
lthat there were approximately two quarts.
but there was no attempt to measure it
az all, and there was more than two
quarts. It was simply taken out by a
large syringe in order that we might ex-
anime more closely the condition of az
fairs inside. After the greater bulk of
the blood was taken out, I then examined
the condition of the Internal organs.
The left lung is divided into two seq
ments or lobes as we call them by a fis-
sure passing nearly horizontally into the
substance of the lung and near the top
part of that lower lobe of the left lung
part Of that lower lobe of the
left lung was a ragged, discolorcd
opening, which. admitted the end, as l
rccollect, of the index finger. That open
ing admitted the end of the index finger
and it passed entirely through the lung
from left to right, and IN this search |
found an opening through the large bloc
vessel (Which we call the aoTta) and
which distributes the blood through the
body. There was a perforated wound
going through the aorta from left to
right, not completely cutting it across, not
scvering it. but simply perforating it as
a bullet would perforate a large rubber
tube If shot through it.
AT that time l had not noticed the
wound in the right lung. but found that
su subsequently,. Then following the track
of the bullet, l finally found the right
seventh RIB smashed into several frag-
ments. The ball stopped here between
the rib and the skin. The wound Of en-
trance on the left side was 8 IL inches
to the left and behind the left nipple and
IA inch below a horizontal line passing
through this left nipple. It entered a
SPACE between the sixth ana the seventh
rib and cut out about one-third of the
width of the sixth rib on its lower aspect.
CThis was not measured, only estimated).
It then traversed the course ] have de-
notwithstanding the lower lobe of the
left lung and The aorta, passed across the
chest nearly horizontally, smashing the
seventh right rib into several fragments
and lodging in the tissues between that
seventh rib and the skin. The muscles
were blood-shot, discolered and puffy. 1t
did not perforate the skin on the right
side, 1t lay between the right seventh
rib and the skin.
"Tkcn searching a second time to see
if there was anything that l had over
looked, l found a perforation of the right
lung at its lower posterior border.
ESTIMATING as nearly as 1 can the di-
~rection of the bullet wound, 1t entered the
sixth intercostal space, passed nearly hor-
izcntally across the clest, smashed the
right seventh rib and lodged between that
rib and the skin. l should say hat the
point of Judgment Of the bullet, on the
right side was approximately one inch
lower than the point Of entrance on the
left side, IN other words, speaking as we
Doctors say. it entered on the left side
approximately at the anterior axillary
line and lodged on the right side. as nearly
as I can say directly in the m~id-axillary
line. (The anterior a~xillary line is about