Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-25
THE STATE RESTS IN THE CASE
WHEREIN WOMAN is CHARGED
WITH MURDER.

WHEREIN WOMAN is CHARGED
WITH MURDER.
FAVORS HER
People of sigourney Do Not Seem to
Think That the Prosecutions Evi.
dence viii Send Woman to the Pen.
itentiary for Remainder of Life.
Sigourney, Feb. 4--(Special) ID
The state. rested this morning in the
Lewis murder case and the witnesses
for the defense are now being exam
ined. The case made against Mrs.
Lewis, while full of circumstances that
might convict her, is not as strong as
was expected by many of the people in
Keokull county and there is a general
opinion here that the woman will be
found not guilty unless the rebuttal ev
idence brings out some strong points
against her. Nevertheless Mrs. Lewis
attorneys realize that they have a hard
fight to overcome the evidence that
has been collected by County Attorney
Hamilton, and they will fight the case
to the bitter end.
Lewis Used Drugs for Years.
According to the evidence presented
thus far for the defense Mr.. Lewis
used drugs for several years. AS far
back as 1896, according to one witness
examined this morning, he took lauda-
mum. saying that it was for kidney
disorder Another witness said that
Mr.. Lewis spoke to him of gathering
in his head and said he used laudanum
to ease the pain.
The Evidence Today.
The evidence given thus far since
court convened yesterday afternoon
upon the return of County Attorney
Hamilton, who had been ill, follows:
Tells Of Effects Of Poison.
Or. Il. b, Oliver was called to testi-
ffs--to the effects of opium He said
that there are about six grains OF NOR
phine in an ounce of laudanum and
that between three and four grains OF
morphine would ordinarily be fatal to
g man who is, not addicted to the use
of opium when an overdose is
taken,' he said, "a short period
of excitement follows, quicken
ing of the pulse and the color
is slightly flushed. Then comes drows-
=, ~ ,e.1a hno WY c1
breathing and snoring, the pupils of
the eye become contracted, the sleep
grows deeper and finally ends in un-
consciousness. Death in this case
would result in from twelve to eight
cen hours. Morphine makes some peo-
pie vomit very readily, when first tax
en-. If person had taken the fatal
dose at or o'clock in the morning
it would be pretty hard to rouse him
at 4 or in the afternoon. There are
no marked characteristic post mortem
indications of opium poisoning. Some
of the opium or morphine must have
been absorbed before it would have a
poisonous effect The portion remain
ing in the stomach would have nothing
whatever to do with death. Absorb
ton generally begins very shortly aft
er the morphine is taken into the stom-
ach and it would be taken up more
readily by an empty stomach.
| DR.. Schreiner's Testimony.
DR.. C. A. Schreiner was also called
to testify as an expert, and his tes.
! timony was substantially the same as
DR.. divers. When he was asked il
j - ,,,oo ,,,1,o IaI boon cyivo, ~. Iod frlf
en- morphine at or o'clock in the
morning would awaken of his own ac.
cord and talk at or in the after.
noon he answered that he had read OF
cases of that kind. He also says 1t
can not be determined definitely by
the presence of morphine in the stom
ach that death was caused by that.
j. w. Daggett of Ottumwa, testified
that he was working for Mr.. Knox
about three miles northeast of Ere
mont last fall At about 10 o'clock the
night of October II he passed Lewis
house on his way home from Hedrick
| There was man standing at the fence
whom he did not know, but he knew
| it was the same one he had seen with
Mrs. Lewis several times, and Mrs
Lewis was coming from the house
| When she got near the man, the wit
ness stated that the latter said: us
| that Mrs. Lewis?" The answer was moi
heard, but the man then said: Is II
all right?" and she answered, Eyes, il
is all right 1t done the work" This
was all he heard at the time as he was
driving along and did not stop and he
knew nothing more.
Laudanum Bottle Not Found.
Sheriff John Baty was recalled for
4 a few questions during the afternoon
/ He stated that he had been unable tc
find the laudanum bottle which Mrs
Lewis said had been kept on the cup
board in the kitchen at the Lewis
home. The sheriff said he had searched
for this bottle but was unable to 10
cate it.
odor of Opium.
| DR.. Morgan, of Fremont. being re
called, stated that he had detected the
odor of opium about the body of Mr.
/ Lewis after death and had mentioned
4 it to the undertaken, who said he alsC
noticed the odor of the drug.
Tells of Post Mortem.
DR.. Morgan was then questioned b,