The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-22

After taking this testimony, the in
quest adjourned till Wednesday.
Testimony of the Doctors.
DR.. c. V. vanHorn, young physi-
clan who lives at Fourth and Jackson
streets, was the first doctor to reach
the side of Mrs. Nickum- He was called
by telephone, and arrived at the house
about a. m. He found Mrs. Nickum
sitting on the floor in the room back
of the office.
''She seemed to be conscious" said
DIR. Van Horn. "I thought she asked
to get up; that is what I understood
grabbing hold with her hands trying
to pull herself up. We lifted her into
a chair, and wrapped her in a quilt.
Most of the bleeding from the wounds
on her head was over, and there was
no need of stopping it. / cut off some
of her hair, so that the blood in it
would not soak into the bandages,
and then put on a sterile dressing over
the wounds. In about twenty minutes
she was taken to the hospital
What color was her hair?' asked
County Attorney Hungate.
''Quite dark, except on her temples,
where it was gray
DR.. Kiene and DE-. Storrs told how
the wounds were dressed at the hos
pitaI, and how the skull was trephined
in two places.
Drs. Freeman. Mum and Mcclure
told of the autopsy at DeMoSs & Pen
In addition to the jagged wounds in
the skull. the doctors reported the fol-
lowing wounds on the body:
Clean cut by a knife about two
vagina to the rectum; punctured
wound anterior to the vagina; bruise
on tip of right shoulder; abrasion on
left side of nose.
DR.. Mum testified that at the
autopsy, all the internal organs We're
taken out and examined, and were all
found to be in healthy condition.
From what you can judge by the
position of the wound on the head.
how would you say it was inflicted %
was asked.
"If the woman was standing up"
said DR.. Mum, the wound must have
been inflicted by a very tall man."
Gould the bruises on her shoulder
have been caused by the grip of
persons hand?"
Il should hardly think So"
DR.. c. A. Mcclure stated that it was
impossible to tell, from the examination
had been violated.
How was the cut on the body prob
ably inflicted?"
Il should think that the cut was
probably inflicted from the front toward
the back
DR.. ]. D. Freeman was asked how
far blood would squirt from severed ar
teries.
Not more than foot or two" was
the reply.
fThen if there was blood spattered at
distance of seven feet from the floor
it could not have come from severed ar
-eries had the woman been lying
1own?" asked Mr.. Hungate.
mo, SIR
DIR. Storrs was asked when the doc
-ors discovered the cut on the woman's
body.
mot until some time after daylight"
WAS that wound sufficient to have
eaused death. say within "a hours?" !
mo, sir, think not"
Did Mrs. Nickum regain conscious
ness while at the hospital?'
mo, she said nothing. just moaned."
From the location of the wound on
he head, how should you say it was in
1icted ?''
"It was probably inflicted with some
blunt instruments, and was struck more !
rom the side than from the rear. Tt
seemed to strike near the front of the
head and peel everything back with it |
or some distance"
Stella Browns Testimony.
Stella Brown was called after the |
doctors had finished their testimony.
She stated that she lived three |
quarters of a mile from the end of
he Lowman Hill car line, and had /
worked for Mrs. Nickum only since |
summer she worked for Mrs. Nickum |
about six weeks. 1t was Mrs. Nick /
I'M s custom, she said, to stay up till /
or o'clock in the morning waiting |
'or trains.
81 saw her last said the witness.
about $50 Saturday night. She was
ying on the sofa in her room. She /
lad been lying around for two or three
lays, not feeling very WELL
She described the arrangements for /
ocking up at night, and said that the
back door was usually locked at night. |
When we forgot to lock it, Mrs.
iOlx he Hri1 1ar
md Saturday nights we forgot to lock
he DOOR"
She was then asked to describe the
vents of the morning of the murder.
heard ?" asked Mr.. Hungate.
81 heard Mrs. Nickum's voice,
moaning; I thought she had night
mare; 1 knew that was the way peo-
lie went when they had nightmare"
How do you know it was Mrs.
Sickum you heard?'
81 recognized her voice."
Mrs. Brown became considerably
amps in the hall. Office and kitchen,
nd finally admitted that she was so
xcited she could not tell which lamps
we're lighted and which ones were not.
The discovered as soon as she got out
n the hall that the means were COM
ng from the kitchen, and not from
drs. Nickum's room. She found Mrs.
Jickum lying on the floor in the
.itchen.
What was the condition of her
lothing as to being disarranged ?'
sked Mr.. Hungate.
Tier dress was pulled up
How faro"
,''Wen. higher than her knees. III
u1led it down and Strengthened it out,
he first thing I did"
What did you say?"
Il said, Oh Mrs. Nickum, what's the
natter?' 1 took hold of her right hand,
nd she reached up with her left hand
nd took hold of my arm, and raised
erself up to a sitting position. I kept
skiing her what was the matter and
Who had hit her, and she said, the best
could understand, that "a man ht her
nth an axe I went back to my room; !
have heart trouble, and I was unable